A Perspective on Global Air Pollution
Problems
JOHAN C. I. KUYLEN STIERN A, W. KEVI N H ICKS AND
MICHAE L J. CHADWICK
1 Introduction
Few of Man’s activities have zero environmental effect. For centuries, societies
have suffered a wide variety of environmental damage, not least in terms of the air
pollution that primitive, uncontrolled methods of combustion caused. People of
Roman Britain, with fires in their huts, found the smoke a hazard to health and
examination of human skulls shows a pitting that indicates a high frequency of
sinusitis. The UK was the first country to widely experience massive industrial
development based on coal. Between 1580 and 1680, imports of coal to London
increased from 20 000 tonnes a year to 360 000 tonnes and London became a city
of ‘great stinking fogs’. These were only really to disappear some years after the
episode in December 1952 when cold temperatures and moist air resulted in the
condensation of moisture on particles in the air from coal combustion. Over a
radius of 20 miles the resulting fog rendered the atmosphere opaque and it was
found that in the week ending 13 December 1952 there had been an excess of 2851
over the usual weekly number of deaths. In response, the Clean Air Acts of 1956
and 1968 dealt mainly with smoke in cities. Two decades after the smog disaster
the Control of Pollution Act (1974) was brought in and systematically began the
long haul towards comprehensive improvements in air quality as part of overall
environmental protection. Similar experiences were encountered across Europe
and North America during the 20th century.
Industrialization, Urbanization and Intensity of Energy Use
The steady advance, world-wide, of industrialization, urbanization and intensification (the amount of energy or materials use per unit of product delivered) has
had significant effects on the environment, not least on the pollution of the
atmosphere. Figure 1 shows the remarkable increase in energy use over the
previous 100 years and how this has been tracked by the rise in SO
emissions.
Figure 2 indicates how trends in efficiency of the use of raw materials, including
fuel, proceed only slowly and sequentially. Reduction in the intensity of energy
use by significant amounts (the lowering of the energy requirement to manufacture
P. Brimblecombe, The Big Smoke, Methuen, London, 1987.
Issues in Environmental Science and Technology, No. 17
Global Environmental Change
© The Royal Society of Chemistry, 2002
21
Problems
JOHAN C. I. KUYLEN STIERN A, W. KEVI N H ICKS AND
MICHAE L J. CHADWICK
1 Introduction
Few of Man’s activities have zero environmental effect. For centuries, societies
have suffered a wide variety of environmental damage, not least in terms of the air
pollution that primitive, uncontrolled methods of combustion caused. People of
Roman Britain, with fires in their huts, found the smoke a hazard to health and
examination of human skulls shows a pitting that indicates a high frequency of
sinusitis. The UK was the first country to widely experience massive industrial
development based on coal. Between 1580 and 1680, imports of coal to London
increased from 20 000 tonnes a year to 360 000 tonnes and London became a city
of ‘great stinking fogs’. These were only really to disappear some years after the
episode in December 1952 when cold temperatures and moist air resulted in the
condensation of moisture on particles in the air from coal combustion. Over a
radius of 20 miles the resulting fog rendered the atmosphere opaque and it was
found that in the week ending 13 December 1952 there had been an excess of 2851
over the usual weekly number of deaths. In response, the Clean Air Acts of 1956
and 1968 dealt mainly with smoke in cities. Two decades after the smog disaster
the Control of Pollution Act (1974) was brought in and systematically began the
long haul towards comprehensive improvements in air quality as part of overall
environmental protection. Similar experiences were encountered across Europe
and North America during the 20th century.
Industrialization, Urbanization and Intensity of Energy Use
The steady advance, world-wide, of industrialization, urbanization and intensification (the amount of energy or materials use per unit of product delivered) has
had significant effects on the environment, not least on the pollution of the
atmosphere. Figure 1 shows the remarkable increase in energy use over the
previous 100 years and how this has been tracked by the rise in SO
emissions.
Figure 2 indicates how trends in efficiency of the use of raw materials, including
fuel, proceed only slowly and sequentially. Reduction in the intensity of energy
use by significant amounts (the lowering of the energy requirement to manufacture
P. Brimblecombe, The Big Smoke, Methuen, London, 1987.
Issues in Environmental Science and Technology, No. 17
Global Environmental Change
© The Royal Society of Chemistry, 2002
21