The Killer Smogs of Donora and London, January 10 6 pm
The Series kicks off on January 10th with a film that includes witness accounts of the killer smogs of Donora (1958) and London (1952). In London, more than 12,000 people died as a result of a sustained air pollution episode that triggered environmental awareness around the world. Davis wrote the National Book Award finalist book When Smoke Ran Like Water about the Donora smog- an incident credited with triggering the movement that lead to the Clean Air Act of 1970.
- Three award-winning documentary films describing the killer smogs of Donora (1958) and London (1952). Pennsylvania’s Killer Smog tells the story of a freak weather event that caused the worst air pollution disaster in US history, gripping the small, industrial town of Donora in its clutches for 5 long days in 1948. By the time the smog lifted 20 townspeople were dead. Four years later a similar event occurred in London, England that killed thousands. The double tragedy radically altered the way we interact with our environment. The documentary brings the tragic events to life and reveals the science behind them through interviews with experts and survivors, gripping archive footage, lively science demonstrations and dramatic reconstruction. A discussion of current problems, policies and solutions will follow.
