Summary:
- Acid rain was a major environmental concern in the 1970s and 1980s, with claims that it was causing widespread damage to forests, lakes, and other ecosystems.
- However, the article argues that the "acid rain scare" was exaggerated and driven by the "science-industrial complex" - a network of scientists, policymakers, and industries that benefited from the attention and funding focused on this issue.
- The article suggests that the scientific evidence for the severity of acid rain's impacts was not as clear-cut as claimed, and that the response was disproportionate to the actual environmental threat.