800 Years of Combating Smog
Up until the mid-1200s, the citizens of London mostly burned wood in their fireplaces, but as forests dwindled and wood prices rose, coal became the fuel of choice. However, coal soon proved to have a visible drawback.
In 1272, people in London complained about smoke problems, and King Edward I tried to solve the problem by introducing the death penalty for the burning of coal. However, the ban proved impossible to comply with, and the city remained shrouded in smoke.
Around 1300, a committee was set up to solve the problems, and both Richard II (13771399) and Henry V (14131422) tried to curb air pollution by means of laws and regulations, however in vain. In reality, the people of London had no other way of keeping warm but to burn coal. In the 1600s, the sulphur pollution was so severe that structures and works of art began to fall apart, as pointed out by author John Evelyn and others. In 1661, he wrote a letter – one of the earliest known works concerning air pollution – titled “Fumifugium”, in which he addressed the king and Parliament, describing the damage caused by the smoke, which affected people and structures alike.
In the letter, John Evelyn proposes that the people of London burn wood instead of coal and that manufacturing companies be located outside the city. He also suggests the establishment of parks and the planting of trees in the city.
However, John Evelyn’s arguments did not help either – the people of London continued their burning of coal, and when the fuelconsuming industrialisation gained momentum in the 1800s, the coalburning increased even more. This increased the emissions, which shrouded London and became the city’s landmark symbol: the “pea soup” fog.