Aggressive and Impactful Reporting on Climate Change, the Environment, Health, and Science
In a daring display of the consequences of pollution, a charismatic man with the build of a former college football player steps into a compact Plexiglas booth heated to a scorching 90 degrees. As the door seals shut behind him, anticipation fills the air. However, instead of winning extravagant prizes, he emerges after two grueling hours with a headache, troubled concentration, watery eyes, and a shocking temporary loss of 22% lung capacity. This man is no mere game-show contestant, and what he just endured is no game.
Back in 1956, S. Smith Griswold, the leader of Los Angeles County’s Air Pollution Control District, willingly subjected himself to this ordeal, all to prove a point. He wanted to demonstrate the harmful effects of smog on the human body and the city of Los Angeles. While the reporters and photographers were present, Griswold experienced firsthand what millions of Angelenos faced daily – breathing in the noxious fumes of summertime smog.
Smog in Los Angeles during 1964
(Los Angeles Times Archive / UCLA Library)
Los Angeles was once akin to a fairytale prince, blessed with stunning sunlight, breathtaking landscapes, and pristine beaches. However, an evil wizard arrived, casting a dark spell with just one caveat: the majestic mountain range encircling the city would act as a lid, trapping the toxic air within. The sun’s rays would create a catastrophic chemical reaction with the smoke, exhaust fumes, and industrial pollutants, transforming the landscape into an impenetrable haze.
The first documented smog attack in Los Angeles occurred on July 26, 1943. People gasped for air, tears streamed down their faces, and they stumbled through the streets. The air reeked and tasted of bleach, obscuring their vision. Gas masks purchased in preparation for an enemy invasion during World War II suddenly served a different purpose. However, the smog wasn’t the result of a chemical attack; it was a byproduct of a rubber plant supporting the war effort. Although the plant temporarily closed, the smog persisted, confounding investigators.
An L.A. driver wearing a gas mask in 1966
(Los Angeles Herald Examiner Photo Collection / Los Angeles Public Library)
In the 80 years since that first smog attack, some of the culprits have been held accountable, while others have been eliminated entirely. However, there are still lingering threats wreaking havoc on our environment and well-being. Remarkably, 401 years before this smog report, the crew of the San Salvador, led by Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo, witnessed proto-smog off the coast of what is now Los Angeles. This smoky haze, caused by seasonal brushfires or fires set intentionally by Native Americans, revealed the geographical factors at play even during the 16th century.
Over the following centuries, inhabitants of Los Angeles grew accustomed to this occasional atmospheric anomaly, which could be attributed to the interplay of air, topography, and seasonal changes. However, it wasn’t until the war brought an influx of defense workers and their cars that all the necessary ingredients for smog fell into place, like tumblers aligning in a lock.
In 1947, the Air Pollution Control District was established in L.A. County, serving as the predecessor to the present-day South Coast Air Quality Management District. This institution even had the authority to activate air raid sirens, warning residents to seek shelter from unbearable air conditions. Despite regulations imposed on major industries, including defense plants, new factories, and construction projects, the system had its loopholes. In 1970 alone, there were 337 petitions from companies seeking waivers for pollution rules, with only 19 being denied.
“Smog Cuts Field of Air Beauties” reads the headline in The Times from February 1947, highlighting the consequences of poor air quality on a Glendale pageant.
(Los Angeles Times Archive)
The detrimental effects of smog were not limited to human health; they began with plants. For four decades preceding 1950, Los Angeles held the title of the most agriculturally productive county in the United States. However, smog’s arrival signaled a decline in agricultural abundance. Beets, spinach, and endive withered, their leaves turning a telltale silver-metallic hue. In 1949, romaine lettuce succumbed to “smog gas,” dying within 36 hours. Growers near present-day Compton and the San Gabriel Valley took a chemical company to court for killing their crops. Even the flourishing orchids – a symbol of the city’s once-booming flower industry – suffered greatly. One Inglewood orchid grower salvaged a mere two dozen plants out of the 3,000 he possessed.
This led to a conflict: the new industrial businesses versus the older agricultural sector and public health. Businesses argued that smog regulations would place an unfair burden on them financially. During a smog summit in 1949, weather forecaster Irving P. Krick firmly sided with industry, maintaining that shutting down refineries on the worst smog days would be a futile expense. Krick believed that living in Southern California meant accepting smog as an inevitable problem until all the pollution sources could be fully identified. He believed the benefits of the region outweighed the negatives.
Despite Krick’s stance, the detrimental impact of smog persisted, and the battle against it continued. Los Angeles, once considered a haven for those seeking respite from ailments like tuberculosis and emphysema, inevitably became a breeding ground for respiratory issues. Smog, once a blight on the landscape, had turned inward, plaguing the city’s inhabitants.
Smog continues to pose a significant threat, compelling us to take urgent action.
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