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ACID rain in Northern Eurone and anina Northern kurope and Canada has been about for some time, but now the Californians have been surprised to find that the "sunshine state" also suffers from it. Indeed, it may be worse than in other places, especially since California seems to be prone to acid fog as The acid pours out of local industry and cars, of which there are a vast number. Acid gases dissolve in rain or fog to make nitric and sulphuric acids. In addition, particles of acidic dust and soot fall onto buildings, cars, crops, etc., and are when converted into acids by moisture while they are in the right place to do maximum damage.

This causes corrosion of buildings and vehicles, while crops are damaged. Losses have reached 20% in the agricultural heartland of Southern California.

Acid fogs seem worse for human health. What happens is the haże of fumes and smoke from car exhuasts produced by day in places like Los Angeles acts as a nucleus for the formation of fog at night.

This prevents the pollution from dispersing at night and so it is still there next day, when the fog evaporates.

Acid fog can be up to 100 times as acid as acid rains and while the most acid rain is as strong as vinegar (Pasadena), the worst acid fog (Corona del Mar) was as strong as Domestos!

Acid fog seems to be particularly bad for people's lungs, and may explain the high death toll in the Great London Smog of 1952. Californian researchers think that it may have been more acid than the worst Californian fog!

California is starting a massive study of the environmental effects of acid rain and fog but necessary though this is, what is more urgent is action against the causes which are already known to be industry and traffic. But, of course. tackling these would harm the profits of those pillars of US capitalism. the car and oil industries.

(All information Scientist).

MORMONS don't smoke, drink coffee or alcohol. and many don't eat meat, and yet the Mormons of Utah suffer an unusually high rate of cancer. ("Serves 'em right" I imagine some of the smoking. boozing, coffee-drinking carnivores who read this column saying).

The reason seems to lie in the neighbouring state of Nevada. where a massive series of atmospheric A-bomb tests was carried out in the 1950s.

If this carries on, the US government will have killed more of its "own" people than its "enemies" sided coverage of the Western peace movement contrasted with the Party's increasing militarisation of East German society.

The example of the peace movements in the West and the status of the Lutheran church as the one institution outside party control provided the opportunity for young people to initiate their own autonomous peace organisation.

An unofficial demonstration of 5,000 young people took place in Dresden in February 1982. It arose in part from an annual church commemoration of the bombing and devastation suffered by the city during World War Two.

A demonstration of similar size occured in Potsdam in June 1982. These unofficial actions announced to the world the inauguration of the autonomous peace, movement taking the name from an Old Testament pronouncement "Swords into Ploughshares"

The significance of this political development for both the campaign against nuclear weapons in Europe and change within East German society has been best expressed by Rudolf Bahro.

"For the first time since partition ... we have on both sides of the wall opposition movements in which the motivations and goals are the same .. They regard both establishments as two sides of the same coin... one antagonistic system which has to be overcome in its totality."

The autonomous peace movement has survived nearly two years despite state persecution and the refusal of the church to give it proper endorsement so as not to harm its cosy relationship with the Party, established in 1978.

Both the church and the party this year are holding a whole series of commemorative events including festivals and rallies to celebrate the Luther quincentenary. Apparently there has been considerable attendance by supporters of the Swords into Ploughshares which augurs well for the future.

We would do well to remember as the fight against foreignimposed Pershing and cruise missiles gathers apace in Britain and West Germany our courageous comrades in East Germany.

If we think the fight against nuclear weapons systems placed here by the United States is tough, remember how much harder will be the fight by those in the GDR, if the Soviet Union carries out its threat to site medium-range weapons on East German soil as a response to the West's escalation of the arms race. the plantation', , he said.

Northern Ireland, he said, was part of Britain's secular liberal democratic society, and the 26 Counties was dominated by the Catholic Church.

People there accepted the centrality of that Church in the life of society and in the state. Catholic doctrine had shaped Our Great English poets Spew out Sensitivity From tortured souls.

Love to hear the melancholy Sound of their innermost voi Lack of insight Hidden by walls of metaphor And obscure refere: ces. Their minds like antique shor They sell their old fashioned All rather quaint.

Our Great English poets Have good friends among the Who praise their work to he And put them on pedesta For a private display would have been a better portrait - sharper and clearer - if he had actively probed and questioned.

As it was, Macdonald, a one-time member of the International Socialists (now SWP), came across as sharing their basic attitudes, talking of such strange things as 'the Irish border' Our Greatest English poet Win huge cash prizes May win a Queen's Medal For irrelevance.

Their work gives students Something to nibble.

But who am I to criticise?

I feel I am taking liberties.

Perhaps I am being unkind.

One must never be too negative in One must not be too hard on these These barely living Icons poetry These little pieces of England. ikies One must not wreck their illusions Or knock down their sand castles.

They may slash their wrists Write their epitaphs in blood -Monuments to their literary geniu a discussion between John Hume of the SDLP, Unionist Harold MeClusker, Clare Short MP, and a Tory.

Hume is touting for the new SDLP and southern bourgeois proposal of joint British and Irish sovereignty in the Six Counties. McClusker, a 'left wing' Unionist on social questions, didn't budge an inch. : 20: iticism -sensit creatu