Beijing's air quality may be terrible, but EPA photos show the US was no saint before the Clean Air Act kicked in.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Beijing, near the CCTV Headquarters, December 4, 2011

Before wagging a finger at Beijing, perhaps now is a good time to recall when many US cities were also cloaked in haze. Back in the 1970s, when the Clean Air Act (signed by Nixon in 1970) was just getting on a roll, the nascent EPA commissioned a series of photographs for the Documerica project to record pollution in America. The project, which ran from 1971-1977, amassed 20,000 images of our environmental sins, many of which can be accessed through the National Archives Environmental Studies Gallery.

Manhattan skyline enveloped in heavy smog, May 1973

Los Angeles in heavy smog, September 1973: Gene Daniels/NARA

Smoke from the burning of discarded auto batteries from a factory near Houston Texas, April 1972: Marc St. Gil/NARA

Day becomes night in North Birmingham, adjacent to US pipe plant and the most heavily polluted part of the city, July 1972: LeRoy Woodson/NARA

Clark Avenue Bridge in Cleveland, Ohio, July 1973: Frank Aleksandrowicz/NARA

http://motherjones.c...-1970s-america#

[Misha & Ira 113]

Kurt Warner stopped by, he said you should tone down your evangelistic crusading a bit. He said your constant worship of government puts people on their guard.

Edited December 15, 2011 by Misha & Ira

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Kurt Warner stopped by, he said you should tone down your evangelistic crusading a bit. He said your constant worship of government puts people on their guard.

This is a discussion forum. If you find it too challenging to actually discuss intelligently the topics posted, perhaps there's a game forum out there just for you?

Edited December 15, 2011 by Mister Fancypants

[MalaysianGirl 26]

Many major Asian cities have smog too, though I'm not sure if they are as bad the smog in Beijing... I know Jakarta and Manila have atrocious smog. I could cough just thinking about it.

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

And after all that improvement what do we do? Subsidize coal fired electric cars loaded with batteries that will have to be destoyed.

[Misha & Ira 113]

This is a discussion forum. If you find it too challenging to actually discuss intelligently the topics posted, perhaps there's a game forum out there just for you?

You flatter yourself. The premise of your retort presupposes yourself capable of independant thought, something precluded by your slavish proselytizing of radical left wing ideology.

You might try a game forum or two...it may help your panties to untwist just a little.

[SuperDuper! 230]

Fudge Report has really outdone himself this time. Smoggy air, who cares!

Now, back to the television and pop tarts for you!

[one...two...tree 2,762]

You flatter yourself. The premise of your retort presupposes yourself capable of independant thought, something precluded by your slavish proselytizing of radical left wing ideology.

You might try a game forum or two...it may help your panties to untwist just a little.

It's always telling when someone such as yourself is bothered enough with what I post here to attack the messenger rather than the message itself. Please continue to be bothered. It shows that you are someone who is uncomfortable with the truth.

[Misha & Ira 113]

Nice try, the messenger has no idea of the contents of the message....you on the other hand shill.