8pm Thursday CLEARING THE AIR: THE WAR ON SMOG – Documentary
War on Smog tells the story of this pivotal battle for clean air and the legislation it inspired.
In the summer of 1943, thick smog blanketed Los Angeles, causing burning eyes, lung irritation, and even nausea—some feared it was a chemical attack. As the crisis grew, crops withered, and suspicions turned to factory emissions. But Caltech chemist Arie Haagen-Smit discovered the true cause: sunlight reacting with car exhaust. Meanwhile, toxicologist Mary Amdur found that even low levels of air pollution could permanently damage lungs. Both faced backlash from industry, yet their findings fueled a growing public outcry. In 1963, that movement led to the Clean Air Act, a landmark in U.S. environmental policy.
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