Emissions from power stations, motor vehicles, and i ndustry do contribute to acid rain. In some parts of Australia, these activities are making rainwater slightly more acidic. Acidic pollutants released by one country can travel hundreds, or even thousands, of kilometres before being deposited. Acid rain is a real problem in Scandinavian countries, a large fraction being due to pollution released by other European countries. There is more industrial activity in the northern hemisphere than in the southern hemisphere.
Industry also tends to be concentrated in particular regions.
This is why acid rain problems are worse in the northern hemisphere. The main regions affected are north-western Europe and eastern United States and Canada. Japan and parts of China also have acidity problems. Compared with cities such as Los Angeles, Mexico City and Athens, air pollution problems in Australia are minor. In part, this is due to the fact that we have fewer sources of pollution, and local winds tend to rapidly disperse pollution over our cities.