FIFTY YEARS ON FROM THE

CLEAN AIR ACT

Peter Brimblecombe School of Environmental Sciences

University of East AngliaNorwich NR4 7TJ UKJacqueline Morreau

Impression of Killer fog - Embankment, 1952

FOG AND LONDONFOG AND LONDONSmoke and fog long a problem of London life.Enhanced death rates evident by 1650

Jennings, William N. (1860-1946)London Brown Fog a week November 1899

Widely understood by 1890s19th C legislative control of smoke not very effectiveConsistent image of London

Yoshio Markino Gustave Doré

Wolf SuschitzkyYoshio Markino

Yoshio Markino 1952 Smog

0

25

50

75

100

1700 1800 1900

Fog-daysModel SO2

Day/annum

µg m-3 400

200

LONDON FOG and AIR POLLUTION

THE IMPORTANCE OF THE LONDON SMOG OF 1952

0

1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

0 5 10 15

SmokeSO2

µg m-3

December air pollution at County Hall

WEEKLY DEATH RATE IN LONDON ADMINISTRATIVE COUNTY 1952

0

1000

2000

3000

DeathsSMOG WEEK

PUBLIC IMAGES of PUBLIC IMAGES of the GREAT SMOGthe GREAT SMOG

Cancelled buses, footballLost on the way homeBlind guides

Praying on the steps of St Pauls, convinced of the end of the worldFiresBurglaryLa TraviataCattle-deaths

PUBLIC IMAGES of PUBLIC IMAGES of the GREAT SMOGthe GREAT SMOG

THE FOG AND CRIMINALITYTHE FOG AND CRIMINALITY

Tiger in the Smoke (1952) Lady in the Fog (1952)

Newspapers reported increase in crime…

KRAY BROTHERSKRAY BROTHERS

Grateful for the fogs spent the early1950's dodging the Army

Normally crime increased in fogs,

… but in 1952 the Great Smog rendered London virtually crime free

David Bailey

CHILDREN IN THE SMOGCHILDREN IN THE SMOG

OUTCOME OUTCOME AS EVERYONE KNOWS...AS EVERYONE KNOWS...

Beaver Committee Private Member’s Bill (Nabarro)Clean Air Act (1956)

How many died?What was the role of SO2?

but...but...

STRUCTURE OF THE ACTSTRUCTURE OF THE ACT

Many clauses PHA (1936) 6 CAA (1956) > 40

Detail in memoranda chimney heights smoke control areas industrial premises

Compare with EC/96/62 Air Quality Monitoring and Management Directive

INNOVATION and IMAGINATIONINNOVATION and IMAGINATION

What was wrong with the smoke clauses of the Public Health Act (1936 )?

Challenges personal freedom by controlling what people could burn in their own homes

"chimney of any building..."

DOUBTSDOUBTS

Not enough smokeless fuel...

FACTSFACTS--FACTIONSFACTIONS--FICTIONSFICTIONSMacMillan(Housing)GasmasksMass GravesDelay

Conspiracy and cover up-driven by fading social memory??

FACTSFACTS--FACTIONSFACTIONS--FICTIONSFICTIONS

DeathsBattersea

ReRe--analysis… can be problematicalanalysis… can be problematical

CLEAN AIR ACT (1956) CLEAN AIR ACT (1956) SUCCESS OR FAILURESUCCESS OR FAILURE

Domestic transitionsSmokeless fuelsSlow uptake of smokeless zones in some areasFailure to address SO2

Declining smoke and SO2 – even outside smokeless zones

CAA(1956) CAA(1956) AFFECTS OUR CONCEPT OF ENVIRONMENTAFFECTS OUR CONCEPT OF ENVIRONMENT

Personal freedom and the automobile

congestion charges“public transport will never cope…” buses make pollution worseschool runs - less than one in 10 parents believe public transport can get their children to school

Bonfires in gardensRegulation of indoor spaces and furnishings

FREEDOM TO DRIVE TO SCHOOLFREEDOM TO DRIVE TO SCHOOL

HOPLEY, E. BRIMBLECOMBE, P. Clean Air & Env Prot. 32, 75-77 (2002)

THE SCHOOL RUN

PARTICLES IN THE PARIS METROPARTICLES IN THE PARIS METRO

0 5 10 15 20 25

EC

OC

Soluble

Iron

Other elements

PM2.5PM10

S. Mazoue et al (2001)

… role of iron wheels, rails and brakesand Fe may be 280 µg m-3 (80%)

µg m-3

The world and London has changed –PM, winter NO2, summer ozoneCAA(1956) incorporated into CAA(1993)Iconic status

CONCLUSIONSCONCLUSIONS

THE END

Peter Brimblecombe School of Environmental Sciences

University of East AngliaNorwich NR4 7TJ UKJacqueline Morreau

Impression of Killer fog - Embankment, 1952