Air pollution's toll on forests and crops

The scientific evidence is growing that air pollution – primarily ozone and acid deposition – is causing extensive damge to vegetation in both Europe and the United States. Unless measures are taken to reduce pollutant levels, air pollution problems are gong to worsen steadily in the coming decades, leading not only to further forest damage and crop losses but also to disease, water and soil acidification, and decreases in atmospheric visibility.

In this book, some of the most respected researchers in their fields present empirical evidence documenting the role of air pollution in causing damage to forest trees and crops. Contributing authors document and analyze forest decline in Europe and the eastern United States as well as ozone’s injury to California’s pines. In the final chapter, MacKenzie and El-Ashry propose an integrated strategy to reduce pollution levels based on improved energy efficiency, abatement technology, and the use of non- fossil energy technologies. This strategy takes into account other critical problems, such as increasing oil imports, failure to attain clean air goals in U.S. cities, and the greenhouse effect.