Airborne sulphates now less a danger to Czech forests than nitrogen, says chairman of international acid rain conference

An international conference aimed at tackling the problem of acid rain got underway in Prague on Monday. The chairman of the conference's executive committee, Mr Jakub Hruska, said in an interview that acid rain continues to destroy Czech forests. Spruce trees growing in the Czech mountains were most at risk, he said. Sulphur emissions have declined significantly over the past 15 years, as the country has moved away from the use of brown coal towards cleaner energy sources. But Mr Hruska said that trees and other plants were still under threat from high levels of nitrogen, a result of increased motor vehicle traffic nationwide.