Seeing as that many people are worried about acid rain, whilst others are looking for proof (they usually go along the lines of 'well, the rain ain't burnin' me eyes oot, so's maybe theys bes talkin' a load of crap...'), why not an umbrella which shows them exactly how much acid rain there is.

I'm thinking along the lines of pH paper intricately being woven into the canopy (not sure whether that's the right term for it), so as that when it's raining and you use your umbrella, the colour will change. People from different areas can compare the varying colours of their umbrellas, and there could be a website competition in which people who have the most acidic rain in their areas send in a sample or a picture of their umbrella, and exactly where they live (this would allow it to be varified, of course, by tests taken from areas nearby).
-- froglet, Dec 17 2005

Litmus, hmmm would this work more than once?
-- 2 fries shy of a happy meal, Dec 17 2005


Doubtful.
-- froglet, Dec 17 2005


//LSD comes from the sky? Oh dear, this explains a lot.//

*Falls off chair laughing*
-- froglet, Dec 17 2005


[2 fry] Think capitalistically: Disposible = $$$, like with cameras, condoms, or iPods.

...verified...
-- The Acrimonious Obfuscator, Dec 18 2005


Put baking soda on your umbrella. You not only detect the acid, you do something about it.
"Today's forecast is for a light fizzy drizzle..."
-- lurch, Dec 18 2005


If you put "electronic ph meter" into Google and ask for images, you will see several meters that could easily be incorporated into the umbrella handle.

Using the tip of your umbrella to test puddles would involve getting wet. Testing the rain falling on the umbrella would mean carefully cleaning off the umbrella prior to the storm, especially if:

"Please don't blame my doggie, it's not his fault at all. Someone left a wet umbrella standing in the hall!" Benny Hill
-- popbottle, Mar 31 2015



random, halfbakery