THE GREAT SMOG OF 1952

THE HUMANITARIAN DISASTER THAT CHANGED THE WORLD

On December 5, 1952, London found itself engulfed in a dense polluting 'smog', which took four days to
dissipate and killed 4,000 people and over 150,000 were hospitalized. The total number of deaths rose to
12,000 after a few months. That was the Great Smog of London, a phenomenon that changed the way we
looked at pollution and cities and changed environmental laws forever.

THE GREAT SMOG OF LONDON

At the beginning of December 1952, the air was highly contaminated with carbon emissions from industrial
pollution; the wind stopped blowing and was unable to clear the streets; the moisture rising from the
Thames itself created a dense layer of smog and, to make things worse, it was extremely cold, which
increased the use of low-quality coal in household chimneys.

Newspapers from the time speak of a grey and dense wall that prevented people from hearing or seeing
beyond a couple of meters. In some areas people couldn't even see their own feet. A blanket which
prevented doctors from helping people with asthma and heart conditions. There was news of hundreds of
people dying in the streets while searching for help for other family members.

But people were not safe indoors either. Movie theaters could not guarantee visibility beyond the fourth
row. From December 5-8, the phenomenon intensified to the point that it was hard to prevent the 'smog'
from entering households. People covered their windows and doors with cloths, but sometimes even the air
intake in fireplaces became a lethal trap. On the ninth day, the phenomenon began to clear and revealed the
true horrors of pollution.

COMBUSTION AND PEOPLE: THE STORY OF LONDON'S GREAT FOGS

The Great Smog of 1952 is considered to be Europe'sworst air pollution phenomenon. It took place
when a combination of chemical processes, cold and fog covered the city, engulfing one of the largest
cities in the West in a toxic cloud, which was impossible to escape from.

Why were the people of London not too concerned during the first few days? Because they had been
experiencing similar phenomena for over three centuries. This time however, it had fatal and very sudden
consequences.

In 1661, the author John Evelyn wrote Fumifugium, a book subtitled 'The Inconvenience of the Air and
Smoke of London with some Remedies Humbly Proposed”, in which he reflected the need to remove the
factories from the city and precursor of the British sanitary movement.

In 1884 there was another great smog with fewer deaths than the 1952 event, but serious all the same. Soon
after, the thick and yellow fogs began, which were much worse than those experienced in the past, with
1840 considered to be a black year marked by the burning of coal.

WHY DID LONDON SPEND THREE CENTURIES SMOTHERED IN POLLUTION?

At the beginning of the 19th century, London's total annual consumption of coal was 15 million tons to
heat households and for industrial processes. Unlike wood, coal burning turns the air black and everything
in contact with the air too. Including our lungs.
 WHAT CONTRIBUTED TO THE GREAT SMOG OF 1952?

It was a well-known fact for decades that London's fuel emissions were causing deaths, which is why
they started to build tall chimney stacks to disperse pollutants. But 1952 was particularly cold and the extra
heating in households added to the 'normal' emissions.

Recent studies, such as that published at the end of 2016 focused on the formation of sulfur acid
molecules from sulfur dioxide in turn emitted by burning coal for residential use and power stations,
although it is not exactly clear how this compound was formed.

According to Renyi Zhang, the author of the study, resolving the reasons behind the Great Smog of London
of 1952 also enables China to improve its own air quality. During the Great Smog, as well as thousands of
people, thousands of animals died and the vegetation in the entire region suffered as a result of so much
sulfuric acid.

THE HEALTH PROVIDED BY THE GREAT SMOG

In 1821, the 'Smoke Nuisance Abatement Act' was approved due in part to the terrible spectacle of 1814.
The 1814 Act was followed by the 'Smoke Nuisance Abatement (Metropolis) Act' of 1853.
But the Great Smog of 1952 marked an unprecedented milestone. Just four years later, in 1956, the
Parliament of the United Kingdom approved the Clean Air Act, which moved power stations away from
major cities and outlawed the burning of coal for heating.
This was soon followed by the Clean Air Act 1968, restricting air pollution.

THE FIRST ANTI-POLLUTION LAWS

The Clean Air Act of 1956 was the first of the laws to be emulated by wealthy countries.
In 1960, France published its first major environmental act (the National Parks Act) and Spain approved
the 'Regulation on bothersome, unhealthy, harmful and dangerous activities' the following year. The World
Wildlife Fund (WWF) was also created that year.

In 1963, the United States considered pollution at a federal scale and published their own Clean Air Act,
"which established the funds for monitoring and controlling air pollution" according to the EPA in
a publication on its air quality laws.

Not long after, the UN symposium on 'Conservation Education' (1966) was held in Lucerne.
Since then, eliminating air pollution has become an increasingly important matter.

CITIES SOME WAY OFF ACHIEVING ENVIRONMENTAL OBJECTIVES

The United Kingdom is nowadays one of the countries in which there is greater concern for air quality in
cities and it is monitored more closely. A recent report 'Decarbonizing Transport, A better, greener
Britain' indicates how increasing pedestrianization and bike transport would result in economic benefits of
between £20 and 100 million by 2050, solely taking into account air quality.
In health, for example, it would be account for £8.2 billion per year.

The same document highlights the need to electrify the entire fleet of public vehicles, although biofuels
(bioethanol, biodiesel and biogas) will probably still be used for a few years yet. London is currently one of
the cities with the best air quality according to indices such as IQ Air, partly thanks to the Great Smog.

1 What was the main cause of London's pollution during the 19th century?
 A The burning of coal for residential and industrial purposes.
B The factories located within the city.
C The lack of awareness about the health consequences of pollution.
D The excessive use of wood as a heating source.

2 Why were the people of London not too concerned during the first few days of the Great Smog?
A They had experienced similar phenomena for over three centuries.
B They were unaware of the fatal consequences.
C They believed the thick fog was a natural occurrence.
D They were confident that the wind would clear the pollution.

3 How did the Great Smog affect visibility in movie theaters?

A Visibility was clear beyond the fourth row.
B Visibility was limited to the fourth row.
C Visibility was poor throughout the theater.
D Visibility was unaffected in movie theaters.

4 What did the author John Evelyn propose in his book Fumifugium?
A To remove factories from London
B To increase coal consumption in households
C To build tall chimney stacks in the city
D To ban the burning of coal for heating

5 What significant legislation was passed in the United Kingdom four years after the Great Smog?
A The Smoke Nuisance Abatement Act
B The Clean Air Act
C The National Parks Act
D The Regulation on bothersome activities

6 Which country published its first major environmental act in 1960?

A France
B Spain
C United States
D United Kingdom

7 According to recent studies, what compound contributed to the formation of sulfuric acid during the
Great Smog of London?
A Carbon emissions
B Sulfur dioxide
C Pollutants from power stations
D Burning of low-quality coal

8 According to the text, which action would contribute to better air quality in cities?
A Increasing pedestrianization and promoting bike transport.
B Moving power stations away from major urban areas.
C Implementing stricter regulations on residential coal burning.
D Monitoring air pollution more closely in the United Kingdom.

DEBATE – List reasons for and against the use of coal that causes air pollution.

FOR AGAINST
DEBATE – Useful vocabulary

A) I think that air pollution and smog are serious problems that we need to address urgently. As a child, I suffered
from asthma and had difficulty breathing due to poor air quality. This impacted my daily life and limited my ability to
participate in physical activities like playing sports with my friends.

B) I'm all for taking steps to reduce air pollution and smog levels. As someone who loves the outdoors and
frequently goes on hikes, I've noticed a drastic difference in air quality and visibility over the years. It's become
increasingly difficult to enjoy nature without feeling the effects of polluted air on my health.

C) I can't make up my mind about this issue. On one hand, I understand the importance of protecting our
environment and improving air quality. But on the other hand, many businesses and industries rely on activities
that contribute to air pollution. It's a difficult balance to strike.

Complete the table with PROS and CONS

RESPIRATORY ILLNESSES ASTHMA AND HEALTH RISKS

DIFFICULT TO PARTICIPATE IN PHYSICAL ACTIVITIES
DIFFICULT TO ENJOY NATURE

BUSINESSES & INDUSTRIES RELY ON ACTIVITIES THAT CONTRIBUTE TO AIR POLLUTION

”Of all the things to worry about, particles in the air that we can’t see are the least of our worries. We have plastics
that don’t biodegrade ruining the natural world, growing levels of homelessness and growing political tension across
the world. If I can’t see something, I’ll avoid worrying about it.”

”Air pollution is an incredibly serious matter that people don’t take seriously enough – it’s easy to take issue with
plastic pollution and non renewable plastics because we see the effects of it every day and the news and TV shows
document it regularly. However, air pollution is an invisible killer and it’s killing thousands of people invisibly every
single year.”

Who do you agree with? Why?

a) In some countries, individuals are held responsible for their contribution to air pollution through fines and
penalties. Do you think this is an effective way to combat air pollution?

b) Air pollution not only affects our physical health but also has negative impacts on mental health. To what
extent do you agree or disagree?

c) In what ways can individuals contribute to reducing air pollution and combating smog?