ABSTRACT
The problem of acid rain is an example of a new policy issue that differs in several significant respects from traditional policy issues. Much of this difference stems from the role that technology plays in present-day society and the scientifically complex issues that result. Although much is known about the causes and effects of acid rain, there is a lot to be learned. Lack of information has been cited as a reason to delay action. In Germany, for instance, the forest industry has the most to gain if acid rain controls are established, but jobs could be lost in the coal and utility industries. Part of the problem stems from measures taken earlier to control air pollution at the local level: Building higher and higher smokestacks was an effective way of dispersing pollution away from industrial sources, but it has exacerbated the problem of long-distance effects, such as acid rain.
