Issie Goffman
London Killer Fog
1. December 5, 1952 London, Great Britain had started to see the severe air pollution and smog
2. Smog = Derived from the words smoke and fog in 1905, became popular in 1911 when people
started to die of it
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Pollution that covers over a city
3. There are two different types of smog, sulfurous smog and photochemical smog
4. The fog vailed over Big Ben, St. Paul’s Cathedral, and London Bridge= 30 miles wide
5. HOW: The high-pressure temperature trapped the cold stagnant polluted air to the ground level
causing the temperature inversion
6. It prevented the smoke from the coal to release up because of no wind
7. “Pea-soupers” – reference to yellow hue the fogs
8. London Killer Fog lasted for five days
9. People could not go outside due to the quality of the air
10. Poor visibility prevented boat traffic and driving
11. Black sulfurous coal particle smoke covered all the city and congealed
12. Produce was infected with the chemicals and sulfur in the air
13. Animals were dying because they were chocking to death or, like birds, were flying into things
14. Caused an estimate of about 4,000 to 12,000 deaths
15. Many people were diagnosed were respiratory illnesses such as asthma and pneumonia
16. Even cattle were dying from asphyxiation and given gas masks to prevent further damage
17. In 1956 they implement the Clean Air Act (revised in 1968) which forced industrial, residential,
and commercial sectors to improve generated power, move away from the coal as heating
sources, and use cleaner-burning fuels and more fuel-efficient vehicles.
18. December 1962, 720 more people died from the Great Smog
19. In the long-term affect, people of London received grants to convert from coal and had to adapt to
the change of alternate heat systems to gas, oil, and electricity
20. In the long term more, environmental acts were placed to prevent events like The Great Smog
LONDON, GREAT BRITAIN
DECEMBER 5, 1952