by Steve Huggins

Created on: January 26, 2009

Derived from the words smoke and fog, smog was originally the word used to describe the air pollution found in industrialized cities.

Though we still use the same word, modern smog is caused less by smoke and more by fuel emissions. Pollutants from vehicles and industry, are affected by sunlight to create photochemical smog. Sunlight reacts with volatile organic compounds and nitrogen oxides to create harmful particles and a variety of noxious gases.

Some of the worlds richer countries have taken steps to reduce smog by limiting the number of vehicles permitted in their major cities. Others have put less emphasis on quantity and more on quality. London, for instance introduced the Low Emission Zone in February 2008, which requires commercial vehicles to meet Euro III particle emission standards or pay 200 per day, per vehicle. This, combined with the Congestion Charge for private vehicles, has helped to reduce smog in the city.

In the US, the Clean Air Act 1993 combines various anti-pollution acts from as early as 1906, (Alkali, &c. Works Regulation Act). In 2007, the Supreme Court ruled that the US Environmental Protection Agency must take action to enforce the Act to reduce vehicle emissions. One of the proposed ways was to replace 15% of the US gasoline usage with more environmentally friendly fuels, by 2017.

Countries such as the UK and US, though suffering from and tackling smog, are not the greatest cause for concern. The problem of smog is far greater in less developed countries, where the burning of organic material and fossil fuels is more common.

In parts of Asia, natural light has become up to 25% dimmer due to smog. The Atmospheric Brown Cloud, (ABC) in Asia is a 3km thick layer of man made particles that, according to a professor at Stockholm University is responsible for hundreds of thousand of cardiovascular and respiratory related deaths per year.

This level of pollution cannot be countered by such measures as reducing the traffic in a few cities. A more holistic approach needs to be adopted. Tackling such a vast problem requires co-operation between nations and international agencies. Many international charities and organizations, including the World Health Organization, (WHO) and the United Nations Environment Programme, (UNEP) realize the seriousness and implications of such a massive problem.

It is not simply a case of curtailing the use of fossil fuels in the Third World. The industries in these countries will need assistance in converting to renewable energy sources, without stifling their economic and industrial development.

The problem of smog is not going to go away without intervention, education, financial aid and legislation on a global scale.

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