Susan Sweeney, age 13, of Cleveland, Ohio, for her question:

Does rain help to clean up pollution?

Raindrops rinse off the trees and greenery in our parks and gardens. As they fall, they dash down particles of gaseous debris.. After a sharp shower the air of a smoggy city is fresher and even some of the tacky deposits are washed from the streets and sidewalks. Certainly the rain seems to help clean up pollution at least for a while. But the problem is, What happens to all the dirty bath water?

A heavy rain brings down at least soma of the pollutants in the air and washes some of their tacky deposits from the surface scenery. Then the dirty water runs along gutters that drain into the sewage system. Even when this rainy runoff is treated at a sewage plant, merely a trace of the pollutant chemicals can be removed. Very often it is untreated before it empties into a stream or lake. Its contaminants are added to surface waters and some are soaked deep into the soil. Hence, the rain merely rinses off a smoggy city by shifting the pollutants somewhere else.

Rain that falls on the fields washes away tons of chemicals used to wipe out weeds and pests. Certain of these herbicides and pesticides retain their lethal qualities for many years. The rainy runoff drains them into streams that eventually empty into the sea. There the mingling ocean sweeps them around from pole to pole. Scientists found DDT in the bodies of Antarctic penguins, it was carried thousands of miles.  A sharp shower freshens up the local scenery  for a day or so. But meantime, the dirty water is dispersed around the world. This is because the realm of nature works with global systems. The prevailing winds waft polluted air far and wide. When we stop adding more pollution to our planet, in time the world of nature will convert our hazardous contaminants into materials that do not threaten all life on earth. But everybody must work as a team to get the enormous job started.

This does not mean that our small local efforts are useless. Far from it. Every global project begins in a small way at a local level. It cannot begin unless we as individuals help to conserve our natural resources in the home, clean up litter and work in various local anti pollution projects. By so doing, we demonstrate our good intentions and set a good example. This is a sure way to inspire others to join the team. When enough of us demonstrate that we intend to work hard for a cleaner world, even the nations of the world pay attention.

At present, certain large scale pollutors refuse to mend their ways. That is, unless stiff laws are passed to penalize them. This calls for political pressure, an area in which high school students can get started. Study how your local political setup works and get behind council members who favor antipollution programs in a big way. After all, top government bodies are swayed when numerous local groups express their intentions. On a global scale, if enough local communities get started, our good intentions can sway even the UN!