jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Scientists have figured out what made the fog of 1952 so deadly.

http://gizmodo.com/we-finally-know-how-londons-famous-killer-fog-formed-1789015786

lamiaceae Loc: San Luis Obispo County, CA

Yes, not good to breathe Sulfuric Acid! This is one reason Sulfur containing gasoline is not allowed to be used in California, especially not in L.A. L.A.'s smog was caused mostly by un-burnt hydrocarbons and odd nitrogen oxide compounds such as Nitric oxide and Nitrogen dioxide. Now my eye don't burn half the time like they did in the sixties and seventies, today the L.A. smog is only bad a few days per year. More cars, but clean cars! Low quality Oil often contains sulfur -- not good.

Who would have thought London could be like the planet Venus!

rpavich Loc: West Virginia

Lol...the article explains how a series of events led to a one time disaster and that "in theory" it "could" happen again and then at the end it's happy that this event led to clean air laws and hopes that it will be "the impetus for ridding the world of coal".

You can't get around this loony environmental propaganda no matter where you go.

John N Loc: HP14 3QF Stokenchurch, UK

I can't remember this (born 1954) but I can remember many other fogs and they continued through and beyond starting school in September 1958. The 'clean air' act was instigated, there were no ifs and buts your fire was replaced with a more efficient glass fronted burner. You could pay a few bob extra for a different tiled surround, but choice of burners was limited to whatever your local authority had signed a contract for. I think it was basically free, as officials then realised that spending on this would be more than compensated by savings on health care. But this was in the time when officials dealt with problems not budget sheets.

Best things I remember were parents picking kids up from school (those that could find their way there) because you couldn't see across the road, and fog dampened any vehicular noise - not that there was much of that around then. And listening to the venerable London bus (RT series) trundling past the house - but not being able to see any lights. For a 5 y.o. it was bordering on fun.

shagbat Loc: London

I950, Me John, I remember the smog hurting my ears, because I wasn't holding the handkerchief over my face as Mum had instructed! That would be just off the City road. London at that time had many chemical plants etc. These no longer exist and haven't done for years. Big probs. come from vehicles now. In those days of course Father Thames was classified as 'dead' and polluted. There are salmon in it now.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

This coming from a man in coal countryl.

No offense intended.

Duggy

Is there anything in California not regulated , I hope they do succeed out of the US like soon. Please take Hillary and the Control freaks with you build a wall surrounding the most , off course and highest State to survive in. Everything is bassackward there.

Colin Holmes Loc: Luton England

Yes I remember this as a 10year old, travelling from Luton to St Pancras station, then walking to a hospital in Queens square to visit my father.
I remember seeing the bus conductors walking ahead of the bus with a light for the driver to follow.
Walking along Grays Inn Road, with people walking with a torch to see where they were going, easy to bump into someone coming the other way.
For me something I have never forgotten, a journey we made once a week for 10 months.

shagbat Loc: London

Trolley buses Col? Grays Inn Rd is only a few hundred metres from the area I was speaking of.

Colin Holmes Loc: Luton England

Yes quite possibly, they were red is the only thing I can now say. It was the yellow glow from the torches/lamps? coming through the smog that really sticks in my mind. And the long walk for a 10 yr old to the hospital in Queens sq then back to St Pancras.

shagbat Loc: London

The yellow lights I do remember, they were gas lamps. We had a one bedroom flat near Kings X and I often watched the lamp lighter on his rounds. I have quite vivid memories of my childhood, they are good!