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Acid Rain: The cost of inaction is greater
When fish started turning belly up in lakes and streams, North America's eyes were suddenly opened to the consequences of pollution. But long after acid rain became a household word and Canada decided to take action, the United States was still hesitant to curb its share of industrial pollutants. For years Prime Minister Brian Mulroney courted a reluctant American president while Canadian activists lobbied and spread the word. Results came eventually, but it may have been too little too late.
. This speech followed Mulroney's decision to have the seven eastern provinces cut emissions by 50 per cent by 1994. His plea was unsuccessful; Ronald Reagan refused to do the same.
. Mulroney's plan, called the Eastern Canada Acid Rain Program, put a cap on the sulphur dioxide (SO2) emissions that cause 2.3 million tonnes of acid rain per year, starting in 1994. The cap applies to the seven easternmost provinces. By 1994, sulphur dioxide emissions in eastern Canada were 54 per cent lower than 1980 levels. Inco and Ontario Hydro were two of the major polluters who complied.
Program: As It Happens
Broadcast Date: April 27, 1984
Guest(s): Brian Mulroney
Duration: 1:43
Last updated: February 7, 2012
Page consulted on March 27, 2013
All Clips from this Topic
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The first report on acid rain alerts the public, and the government, t...
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Resort owners recount their fright as the source of their livelihood, ...
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Another massive report, another call to action with no results
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Another round of political ping-pong begins when scientists discover C...
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Three environmentalists climb a smokestack to draw attention to indust...
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Prime Minister Mulroney requests acid rain co-operation in a speech to...
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Eastern Canada's trees are weakening under the strain of acid rain.
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The Minister of the Environment is furious with an American report tha...
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After "getting an earful" from Canada, the new Bush administration sig...
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Harold Harvey watched from the wings as a science experiment grew into...
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More changes are needed to reverse the damage of acid rain.
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When fish started turning belly up in lakes and streams, North America...