251: The Great Smog

February 21, 2023 00:10:14
251: The Great Smog
Brain Junk
251: The Great Smog

Feb 21 2023 | 00:10:14

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Hosted By

Trace Kerr Amy Barton

Show Notes

When your city is used to having smoke and coal dust and fog all mix together into a "pea soup" yellow fog that chokes the city for days each year, life goes on through the murk. But the Great Smog from Dec 5 - 9th, 1952 was so bad, an estimated 12,000 people died. It was the kind of weather and pollution combination that spurred people to change air quality regulations.

(Amy mentions 4,000 people dying in the years after the fog from long lasting effects. We completely forgot to share the huge number of people who died during the actual days of the event.)

Show Notes:

Getty images of the Great Smog

Want to learn more? Check out this article from The Verge

Memories from people who lived through the great smog: The Guardian

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