Lessons in Environmental Change
From London’s “Black Fog” to Modern Environmental Issues: What Have We Learned?
London was once known as a city shrouded in black fog. During the Industrial Revolution, there was a massive use of coal which turned to fog that obscured visibility throughout the city . The “black fog” of London is considered the beginning of modern environmental destruction and can be seen as a precursor to many of the issues we face today.
More than 100 years have passed since then, and our air quality has only deteriorated further. As global warming and climate change progress, forest fires have become increasingly frequent around the world, and the air is once again becoming polluted. Compared to pre-industrial times, the Earth’s average temperature has risen by 1.2 degrees Celsius, leading to unprecedented natural disasters. We now face the alarming possibility that the Earth may never return to its original state.
At that time, coal was indispensable to daily life, and London was covered in soot and fog as a result of all the coal. Factories and steam engines used a lot of coal, and it was even being used in homes, making it even more and more common.
Eventually, the United States emerged as the world’s largest economic power, driven by Ford’s mass-produced automobiles. Cars became the vehicle of the masses and soon a symbol of status.
World War ll made this urban pollution even worse. Factories started producing bombers and parachutes, and plastic started to replace traditional materials.
Los Angeles also faced a serious smog problem, with car emissions identified as the cause. However, car manufacturers refused to take action, citing a lack of scientific evidence.
By the 1970s, the United States, the United Kingdom, and other countries established environmental agencies, and in 1972 the United Nations Conference on The Human Environment was held in Stockholm. Countries began to realize the mistakes of prioritizing economic policies above all else and started to take measures against pollution. However, by then, pollution had already gotten worse.
In 1988, NASA scientist James Hansen warned the U.S. Congress that “the effects of global warming can no longer be ignored.” 9 years later, the Kyoto Protocol was adopted at the Kyoto Conference on Climate Change. As part of this plan,countries set concrete goals for reducing greenhouse gasses. However, some scientists continued to oppose reducing greenhouse gasses, and it was later revealed that they had received funding from oil companies.
We must understand how great a mistake it is to endanger the entire planet for the purpose of wealth. Today, the United Nations declares that global warming is undoubtedly caused by human activities, with the rate of warming accelerating by 0.5 degrees Celsius in just 30 years. CO2 emissions have reached their highest levels ever, and we are now facing an unprecedented crisis.
The history of air pollution that began with London’s “black fog” is closely connected to today’s environmental issues. It is time to learn from past mistakes and think about what we need to do now for our future. I think that to stop global warming, we have to not put companies first, and instead make sure we aren’t hurting the planet. Protecting the environment is no longer an option but a challenge that we all must face.