Yes. I almost thought it didn’t make sense… essentially, “it’s like this, because it can’t be otherwise.”
Oh and jisho gave me よって as therefore, accordingly.
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p. 158
このとき、空気が激しく震えます。
At that time, the air is violently trembling.
この空気の震えが、あの「ゴロゴロ」という音にあります。
This trembling of the air causes the sound called “rumbling”.
雷の起こる仕組みはセーターが冬にパチパチするとよく似ています。
The mechanism of the lightning is very similar to the crackling of a sweater in winter.
実は雷も同じように静電気なのです。
In fact, lightning is also similar to static electricity.
逆にセーターのパチパチは小さな雷とも言えますね。
Conversely, the sweater’s crackling can be called a small thunderbolt.
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P158
このとき、空気が はげしく ふるえます。
At this time, the air shakes violently.
この 空気の ふるえが、あの「ゴロゴロ」という 音に なります。
This air shaking, that becomes the sound called “thunder”.
かみなりの おこる しくみは セーターが 冬に パチパチするのと よく にています。
The mechanism of how lightning happens, often resembles the sweater crackling in winter.
じつは かみなりも 同じように 静電気なのてす。
The truth is even lightning is similar to static electricity.
ぎゃくに セーターの パチパチは 小さな かみなりとも いえますね。
Conversely, it is possible to say the sweater’s crackling is also a small lightning, isn’t it.
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Pg. 158
このとき、 空気が はげしく ふるえます。
This time, the air shakes terribly.
この 空気の ふるえが、あの 「ゴロゴロ」と いう 音に 鳴ります。
This airs trembling becomes that sound called “thunder”
雷の 起こる しくみは セーターが 冬に パチパチするのと よく にています。
The structure that occurs with lightning is similar to the crackling of a sweater in winter.
実は 雷も 同じように 静電気なのです。
In reality, lightning is also similar to static electricity.
ぎゃくに セーターの パチパチは 小さな 雷とも 言えますね。
In reverse, a sweater’s crackling can also be called a small thunderbolt.
Pg. 159
酸性雨って なあに？
What is acid rain
「酸性雨」と いう 雨の ことを 聞いた ことが ありますか。
Have you ever heard of the rain called “acid rain”?
酸性雨は 見た目は ふつうの 雨と かわらないのですが、とても 困った 雨なのです。
Acid rain generally looks like normal rain but it is very troublesome.
酸性雨には 金ぞくや コンクリートや 大理石を とかしてしまう せいしつが あります。
Acid rain naturally dissolves things such as metal, concrete, and marble.
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p. 159
酸性雨ってなあに？
What is acid rain?
「酸性雨」という雨のことを聞いたことがありますか.
Have you heard of rain called “acid rain”?
酸性雨は見た目は普通の雨と変わらないのですが、とても困った雨なのです。
Acid rain looks the same as normal rain, but it is a very annoying rain.
酸性雨には金属やコンクリートや大理石を溶かしてしまう性質があります。
Acid rain has the property of dissolving metals, concrete, marble, etc.
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P159
さんせい雨って なあに？
What is acid rain?
「さんせい雨」という 雨の ことを 聞いた ことが ありますか。
Have you heard of a sort of rain called “acid rain”?
さんせい雨は 見た目は ふつうの 雨と かわらないのですか、とても こまった 雨なのです。
Acid rain has the outward appearance of normal rain, but it is very disturbing rain.
さんせい雨には 金ぞくや コンクリートや 大理石を とかしてしまう せいしつが あります。
Acid rain’s nature is to dissolve things like metals and concrete and marble.
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How common is できず as negative form? I was helped out by ichi.moe for that one but then tried to find more information on bunpro and the web in general but came up surprisingly short. Seems like ぬ was a bit more common as the archaic form of negation.
classical negative ぬ - ぬ - Japanese Grammar Explained | Bunpro
157
１５７：
この時、強い 電気に よって、はげしく 光るのが 「いなずま」です。
This intense flash is “lightning” and is due to the strong electricity.
いなずまが、ジグぜクなのは、空気の 中では 電気は まっすぐに すすむ ことが できず、ジグぜグに すすむからです。
The lightning zig-zags since electricity within the air cannot advance directly, so it must zig-zag.
158
１５８：
この時、空気が はげしく ふるえます。
At times like that, the air violently trembles.
この 空気の ふるえが、あの 「ゴロゴロ」と いう 音に なります。
This air tremble becomes sound that is called “thunder”.
かみなりの おこる しくみは セーターが 冬に パチパチするのと よく にています。
The mechanism of lightning occurring nicely resembles the crackling of a sweater in winter.
じつは かみなりも 同じように 静電気なのです。
As a matter of fast, this is because lightning is similar to static electricity.
ぎゃくに セーターの パチパチは 小さな かみなりとも いえますね。
Conversely, you could even say the sweater’s crackling is a small lightning, right?
159
１５９：
酸性雨って なあに？
What’s acid rain?
「酸性雨」と いう 雨の ことを 聞いた ことが ありますか。
Have you ever hear of a rain-like thing called “acid rain”?
酸性雨は 見た目は ふつうの 雨と かわらないのですが、とても こまった 雨なのです。
Acid rain’s appearance is unchanged from ordinary rain but is assuredly an awfully uncomfortable rain.
酸性雨には 金ぞくや コンクリートや 大理石を とかしてしまう せいしつが あります。
Acid rain has the property of dissolving metal, concrete, and marble.
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I think it was in the last なぜ book a couple of times, and I think this is the second time we’ve had it in this book. Appeared in one of the kitty detective books too. I’m referring to the use of the ず form in general. I think this is the first time I’ve seen できず specifically.
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I’ll definitely be on the lookout for it now. Does it actually imply anything about the tone though? From what I’ve read it sounds like it should just crop up in set phrases, old texts, and period fiction. I thought for sure it’d be more casual in tone but that doesn’t seem to be the case.
Don’t know sorry. It’s quite hard to look up on a search engine too.
I don’t know anything about ぬ, but the ず form of negation implies “without doing”, so it’s definitely different from a straight negation (not sure if that’s quite what you were asking). I’ve definitely come across it a number of times, so it’s common enough that you won’t entirely forget about it after the second or third encounter 
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That answers my question. I went back to look at that sentence again to see if my meaning changed much… There’s still stuff that looks off, like I’m not sure how the verb nominalizer is working the sentence, but the meaning itself is clear so it’s probably one of those cases of over analyzing it.
いなずまが、ジグぜクなのは、空気の 中では 電気は まっすぐに すすむ ことが できず、ジグぜグに すすむからです。
Without electricity being able to advance directly within air, lightning advances by zig-zag.
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p. 160
そのため外においてある彫刻や、昔の立派な建物が溶ける被害が起きています。
Hence sculptures standing outside and old splendid buildings have been damaged by dissolution.
また、歩道橋などのコンクリートが溶けて、つららのようになっているのを見かけたら、その犯人は酸性雨です。
Also, when you see the concrete of pedestrian bridges and the like, melting and forming icicles, the culprit for this is the acid rain.
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As it happens, I had a v-ず form on my calendar today, with the saying:
井の中の蛙大海を知らず
The frog in the well knows nothing of the great ocean
ichi.moe knows it as an expression.
See also “Doing something without doing something else” in
http://www.guidetojapanese.org/learn/grammar/negativeverbs2#A_classical_negative_verb_that_ends_in
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That’s awesome. I actually checked that website but didn’t think to check under the special expressions section. What calendar are you using, like a word of the day from a calendar store?
P160
そのため 外に おいてある ちょうこくや、むかしの りっぱな たてものが とける ひがいが おきています。
Because of this, sculptures placed outside, and splendid buildings from long ago are damaged by dissolving.
How does the bit at the end work - dissolve…damage…is happening?
また、歩道橋などの コンクリートが とけて、つららのように なって いるのを 見かけたら、その はん人は さんせい雨です。
Likewise, if you happen to see things such as concrete pedestrian bridges that have been dissolved like ice, that culprit is acid rain.
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It’s a german/japanese daily calender, with puzzles or texts for every day. Here is next year’s edition, available in July.
I think it is 起きています - the damage occurs.
So - the damage occurs by dissolving, roughly?