From Acid Rain to Yellow Warning!

I was about my granddaughter's wonderful age of 26 when I first crossed the border into Canada from the U.S. on a roadtrip to Nova Scotia. "Novy", the young man and I called it as he drove an iconic green and white VW bus around the pristine, bucolic island. I can still hear that distinct put-put engine pushing up inclines-- small inclines.

Shout out to Cliffy! Wherever you are . . .

Something else left its indelible impression on me. The border patrol handed out octagon-shaped red pamphlets with the black bold letters: Acid Rain. Two words that I had never put together before then.

Today the Canadian Government gives this definition:

Acid rain occurs when acid-containing precipitation falls onto the earth’s surface. Precipitation comes in the form of rain, snow, sleet, or hail. Precipitation collects acidic particles and gases and becomes acidic. These particles will have a pH level below 5.6.

Back in the VW camper, I read the pamphet and the warning and blame it assigned: pollution from the United States coal mines was making its way in the air across the Maritimes, Nova Scotia, included. My heart sank, stirring my budding activist self. I understood something should be done. It stayed with me long after the young romance faded.

Some years later when my daughter was born in 1991, the two border countries came to an agreement:The Canada-United States Air Quality Agreement signed by Canada and the United States in 1991 to address transboundary air pollution leading to acid rain. Both countries agreed to reduce emissions of sulphur dioxide (SO₂) and nitrogen oxides (NO_x), the primary precursors to acid rain, and to work together on acid rain-related scientific and technical cooperation.

The agreement has held for the past 35 years: While important results have been achieved under the Agreement, the covered pollutants (sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and volatile organic compounds) remain a concern and continue to have significant impacts on human health and the environment in both countries.The Agreement provides a proven and successful way for addressing transboundary air pollution that affects tens of millions of people. Canada and the United States continue to cooperate to address ongoing, emerging and future air quality issues.

That brings us to today as VW reintroduces its camper the Canadian environmentalists issue color-coded weather warnings on a daily basis. Most days, a "yellow warning" is posted with rising temperatures. Today will be a high of 87 fahrenheit in the "Great White North"!

Hazardous weather may cause damage, disruption, or health impacts

• Impacts are moderate, localized and/or short-term

• Yellow alerts are the most common

Visual symbolic icons stick in the mind reminding us that time and the world are one.

N'est-ce pas?

https://www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/services/air-pollution/issues/transboundary/canada-united-states-air-quality-agreement-overview.html