The Great Smog is an infamous event that happened back in 1952 in London. Many consider it a shameful part of history due to environmental ignorance by the government. Hence the popular Netflix series ‘The Crown’ is featuring it in its first season. However many facts were not introduced in this specific episode titled ‘Act of God’.
These Netflix series are revealing the attitude of the queen and the government on this deadly event. In more specific they did not take any active measures to protect the public. Although the episode is mostly focused on the queen’s life, it is very obvious that the dense fog caused many problems. The most important problem that the series shows is transportation. Because of the fog, people had difficulty driving.
I was listening to the wireless this morning, where they described this fog as an act of God.
Queen Elizabeth II, 'the crown'
In this episode, the queen has to walk on foot to go to another building. Yet the most important problem is the health issues that the smog causes to people. But the episode is not focusing on that until the end. In the final scenes, it reveals the hospital conditions with many people coughing and dying.
Finally, in the credits, it gives information on the magnitude of the event that caused 12 thousand deaths. So I am revealing 10 important real facts about the Great Smog. Here you will discover the following:
- Why did this event happen
- When did scientists solve its mystery
- What did the government and people do
- Which health problems did the smog cause
- And which other problems did this fog cause
The fog was once his accomplice, such a reliable conspirator. He drew inspiration from its noxious fumes.
Kate Winkler Dawson, 'Death in the Air'
Except for The Crown, there are only a few references to the Great Smog. One of my favourites is the book by journalist Kate Winkler Dawson with the title ‘Death in the Air’. This book is a real-life thriller that tells the story of a serial killer, the Great Smog as an environmental disaster, and the struggle of London to regain its footing.
It took 65 years for experts to find out why the Great Smog of London happened. Now they can use this knowledge for other cities that have problems with air quality. Hence, she is explaining that in the same month of the Great Smog, there was another killer at large in London. His name was John Reginald Christie and he murdered at least seven women.
Finally, the author suggests that the lessons for the present are ‘as clear as the air in front of our eyes’. Hence events like the Great Smog are historical examples that teach us that our own health depends on the ‘health’ of the environment.
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