Book Reviews

Rodger W. Bybee Guest Book Review Editor

ATMOSPHERE-BIOSPHERE IN- plicitly what cleanliness means in a faucet run and pump the basement; TERACTIONS: TOWARD A BETTER global sense although they are able to some see the leak, but claim it is not UNDERSTANDING OF THE ECO- define pollutantsin a narrowsense. The their problem; and so on. LOGICAL CONSEQUENCES OF report of the committee does not give On the weak side, some of the discus- FOSSIL FUEL COMBUSTION specific solutions to the dilemma of in- sion was sensational. While it held Downloaded from http://online.ucpress.edu/abt/article-pdf/45/4/240/9611/4447687.pdf by guest on 24 September 2021 by the Committee on the Atmosphere dustrialprogress and clean air. They do one's interest, there was a feeling that and the Biosphere, Board on say that pollutants must be reduced, very complex issues were being Agriculture and Renewable but they do not say howwe should go presented with a simplicity and tren- Resources, Commission on Natural about achieving those reductions. diness. While on the topic of Resources, National Research Coun- This report probablyis not valuable weaknesses, the diagrams and charts cil. 1981. National Academy Press as a classroombook because it is highly were not very good. Their production (2101 Constitution Avenue, N.W., technicaland not meant for laypersons. was poor and several had little or no Washington, DC 20418. The best students should find it a useful explanation. Man is indisputably a geological force starting place for entering the rather Ostmann's orientation is clear from of global proportions. Interactions of sizable and confusing literatureon air the first chapter-"A Threatto Planet the atmosphere and biosphere are so pollution. It would be valuable to any Earth." He makes the point that acid widespread that there is evidence of ac- teacher trying to increase the rain is not new, but public awareness cumulated heavy metals in arctic plants background of knowledge needed to of is new. Along the way he and elevated lead levels in the snow present the technical and scientific introducessome of the researchersand and ice of the antarctic regions. This aspects of air pollution. concepts importantfor furtherreading. report by a blue-ribbon panel of the Na- C.E. Buchwald The second chaptercontinues with in- tional Research Council composed of CarletonCollege troductionsto the destructiveprocesses experts in limnology, soil science, Northfield, of acids and the various effects of acid geochemistry, botany, , at- rain on plants, trees, humans, and mospheric sciences, hydrology, and air- materials. pollution engineering attempts to docu- ACID RAIN: A PLAGUEUPON THE Thereis a chapterI thought extreme- ment that evidence and raise concern WATERS ly interesting, and a new dimension over what to do about air pollution. by RobertOstmann, Jr. 1982. Dillon among books and articleson acid rain. Press, Inc. (500 South Third Street, "The Acid Rain Pioneers" is a The report is valuable because it is , MN 55415). 208 p. chapter concerning the and based on very broad fascinating concise $12.95 hardback. dilemmas faced by scientists studying literature; the bibliography alone is RobertOstmann is a journalistwho acidrain. (I imaginethat the discussions about 20% of the body of the report. specializesin environmentalreporting. would generalizeto scientists studying After explaining the fossil fuel scenario He spent two years doing researchfor other environmentalproblems as well.) and giving an historical overview, the this book and many more coveringacid Should the scientistmake public his/her report devotes separate chapters to rain for the Minneapolis Star. Ostmann results and advocate remedies, or biogenic eniissions to the atmosphere, has written a very readable and anthropogenic sources, atmospheric should the scientist publish his results understandable introduction to acid in scientificjournals and leave the ad- transport, transformation and deposi- rain. Acid Rain is directed toward the tion, biologic accumulation and the ef- vocacy to others? Ostmann interview- average reader and as such has little ed scientists such as Gene Likens, fect of atmospheric contaminants, scientific-technicallanguage. The jour- general areas of research, and finally, Svante Oden, Eville Gorham, and nalistic style is both a strength and William Lewis for the book, and the acid precipitation. Each chapter has a weakness. On the strong side, I found short but valuable summary. manner in which these individuals the book easy reading. It flowed well, resolvedthe dilemmaprovides far more National polls show that Americans had interesting facts and figures, and than interesting reading. are very much concerned about air and made excellentuse of analogies. Use of The last chapters of the book chroni- water pollution and have been concern- a leaking basement faucet as a means cle the politicaldimensions of acid rain. ed for more than a decade. They con- of thinkingabout differentgroups' pro- "A Test of American Will" should be tinue to place a very high value on clean posed solutions to acid rainwas superb insightful to anyone who ever air and water. The Committee on the use of metaphor. For example, some wondered how things do and do not Atmosphere and the Biosphere shows groups wish to wait until the water is get done in Washington. The last us just how difficult it is to define ex- up to the first floor; some will let the chapterson the politicsof acid rain and

240 THE AMERICAN BIOLOGY TEACHER, VOLUME 45, NO. 4, APRIL/MAY 1983 on the pioneers are the strongestin the comes from electricpower plants, ver- book. sus one-sixthin Canada"(p. 47). There AcidRain is a good introduction.Most are also interesting quotations from high school students could read the scientists and industrialists. Eville book. This alone should be of interest Gorham, an ecologist and acid rain to biology . teachers and school researcher,is quoted as supportingthe librarians. social and political responsibility of Rodger W. Bybee scientists: CarletonCollege In something (acid rain) of this Northfield,Minnesota magnitude,Ican't see the sense of sitting . . isolated in some ivory tower reporting what has alreadyhappened, if it can be prevented by some reasonably-based * * predictionand advocacy. (p. 92-93) ACIDRAIN: THE DEVASTATING IM- William Poundstone of Consolidation PACT ON NORTH AMERICA Coal Company is quoted: by Ross Howard and MichaelPerley. It is not clear that acid precipitationdoes in fact cause acidificationof lakes.... It 1982. McGraw Hill Book Co. (1221 .6 - Avenue of the Americas, New York is also unclearthat coal burning by utilities 206 is a major cause of increased acid 10020). p. $6.95 softback. Downloaded from http://online.ucpress.edu/abt/article-pdf/45/4/240/9611/4447687.pdf by guest on 24 September 2021 rain.... It would be unwarranted,un- AcidRain is written in a style intend- justifiedand unwise for the nation to em- ed to provokeaction. To be sure, all the bark on a course of regulatory controls * - details of acid rain-what it is, where based on scant, conflicting and in- O- it comes from, where it goes, what it conclusive data. (p. 185) does to What is particularly plants, animals, people and intriguingabout E Bringing materials-are all included. The authors this book is the description of political Life to do a good job of presenting the basic tensions between scientists and in- Microbiology science and social science in the flow of dustrialists and, on a larger scale, be- This newly revised teacher's discussion. From a beginning with tween the United States and Canada. manual provides 26 simple. specificexamples of "dead lakes" to an While the tensions will undoubtedly in- workable exercises in ending of politicalreluctance, the reader crease, the long-term benefits to North microbiology for students develops a tension between what is America must be the goals. El Audio-Visual Programs known and what should be, but is not The book is comprehensive and being done. As a one generally well written. Superb presentations on result, could be Interesting as * Basic provoked to action. they are, I thought that some of Microbiology Techniques the * The Bacterial Cell Ross Howard is an facts, figures, and rhetoric environmental were * Microbial Genetics, journalist.Michael Perley is sometimes detracting.The among Directorof book is not others. Also, 1980 the Canadian Coalition on Acid Rain. well illustrated.It has only four Audio- pictures visual Resource Both are Canadians and subsequently and eight figures/tables. They are all Catalog, and 1983 Slide Catalog the book is written from this perspec- located in one section. Acid Rain is a tive. The authors relate well the very good comprehensiveintroduction El Career Information Swedish fight against acid rain in their to the problem. Biology teachers will for Your Students country. In a sense they take the find the book a useful resource. * 1980 Directory of Colleges Swedish saga as an example for Rodger W. Bybee and Universities Granting Canada. With any political will, both CarletonCollege Degrees in Microbiology the Swedish and Canadianexperience Northfield,Minnesota * Microbiology in Your Future will provide sufficient warning for the An interesting introduction to United States. While the Canadianbias students who are exploring is evident in statistics, examples, and microbiology as a career path reports,the facts suggest that it may be worthwhile for U.S. citizens to review E Topic Outlines in Canada's problems with acid rain. ACIDIFICATION TODAY AND Microbiology However, the essential level at which TOMORROW Outlines for courses in: to view the problem of acid rain is * Introductory Microbiology not A Study Prepared For The 1982 the national level; it is revealed in * Medical Microbiology the Stockholm Conference On The book's subtitle: North America. * Microbial Genetics Acidification Of The Environment. As mentioned, the book has a jour- * Microbial Physiology Availablefrom LiberForlag, Forgeag- nalistic style. As a result, there are sorder, S16289 Stockholm, Sweden. many interesting dates, facts, For further information on these and 232 pages, figures, e.g., "a $8.00 softback. publications and services, typical 12 miles-per- Our hour wind can generationdoes not own the lands please contact: Director, Education carry a mass of air 870 and wateramidst which it lives. We merely miles-from Chicagoto Montreal-in as have them on loan, and we must therefore Board of Education little as three days" (p. 54); forcefulex- set ourselves to pass them on, unspoilt, amples, e.g., "South of the border,the to cominggenerations. and Training total American emissions of sulphur With these sentences the Swedish American Society for Microbiology dioxide are five times greaterthan the Ministry Of AgricultureEnvironment 1913 1 Street. NW Canadian-28 million tons in 1978 ver- '82 Committee concludes an Washington. DC:20006 extraor- 202-833-9680 sus 5.5 million, and two thirds of this dinary guide to acid precipitation.Us-

BOOK REVIEWS 241