HISTORY This Week: A Detailed Summary of "A Toxic Turkey Day"

Episode Title: A Toxic Turkey Day
Release Date: November 28, 2024
Host: Sally Helm
Production: Back Pocket Studios in partnership with the History Channel

Introduction

In the episode titled "A Toxic Turkey Day," hosted by Sally Helm, HISTORY This Week delves into a lesser-known yet pivotal moment in environmental history—the deadly smog event that struck New York City during Thanksgiving in 1966. This event not only caused significant loss of life but also acted as a catalyst for nationwide environmental protection measures.

The 1966 New York City Smog Event

On Thanksgiving Day, November 24, 1966, New York City was buzzing with the annual Macy’s Day Parade. Amidst the festivities, an unusual and severe smog began to descend over the city. The episode vividly describes the scene:

• Visuals During the Parade: "An awkward top-heavy Superman balloon is floating down Broadway... Nina Simone sings 'Blue Skies.' But the skies are not blue in New York City today. They're gray. The clouds look dirty." (00:08)

• Immediate Health Effects: As the parade concluded, participants and spectators began experiencing respiratory distress. Sally Helm narrates, "their eyes might be stinging. They might even find it hard to breathe" (00:46), signaling the onset of the deadly smog.

• Death Toll: By the end of the event, approximately 200 people succumbed to the smog, marking it as one of the deadliest air pollution incidents in U.S. history. Professor Frank Jukater emphasizes, "It's a matter of life and death" (09:36), highlighting the severe impact of the smog.

Historical Context of Smog

To understand the 1966 event, the podcast provides a comprehensive background on smog:

• Origin of the Term 'Smog': Professor Jukater explains, "Smog is a combination of smoke and fog, a term coined by a Londoner in 1904 to describe the pollution in London" (07:33).

• Types of Smog:

  • London Smog: Primarily caused by coal combustion, leading to dense, visible smoke.
  • Los Angeles Smog: Identified later as photochemical smog, resulting from car exhaust and industrial emissions reacting under sunlight.

• Previous Smog Events:

  • Donora, Pennsylvania (1948): An inversion trapped pollutants, leading to 20 deaths and igniting national attention on air pollution (13:55).
  • London Smog of 1952: A catastrophic event causing approximately 12,000 premature deaths, subsequently leading to the UK's Clean Air Act (15:27).

Scientific Explanation and Causes

Professor Jukater provides an in-depth explanation of smog formation:

• Inversion Layers: Normally, warm air rises and disperses pollutants. However, during an inversion, "warm air slips on top of cold air," trapping pollutants near the ground (10:17).

• Pollution Sources in 1966 NYC: The city’s "garbage, car traffic, factories, and power plants" contributed to the high levels of pollutants that became lethal when trapped by an inversion (18:01).

• Meteorological Conditions: The specific weather patterns during Thanksgiving created a "deadly smog bubble" over the city (18:15).

Immediate Response and Decision-Making

The response to the smog event was pivotal in shaping future environmental policies:

• City Leadership: Austin Heller, the Commissioner of Air Pollution Control, faced the critical decision of declaring a smog alert. With the mayor out of town, Heller engaged with deputy officials and experts. He stated, "We are dealing with a situation where shutting down the city is no small measure" (19:20).

• Measures Taken: Although an initial assessment deemed the pollution levels manageable, precautionary steps were implemented:

  • Switching from fuel oil to cleaner natural gas with Con Edison (19:32).
  • Turning off city-owned garbage incinerators to reduce emissions (20:28).

• Public Reaction: As the day progressed, citizens began to notice the deteriorating air quality. Medical professionals reported an increase in asthma and other lung-related issues, and public advisories emerged, such as eye doctors recommending the avoidance of outdoor contact lenses (21:33).

• Late Night Alert: Despite early efforts, the smog intensified, leading to a city-wide smog alert issued around 1 AM. Hospitals reported a surge in respiratory cases, underscoring the severity of the situation (21:26).

Aftermath and Legislative Impact

The 1966 smog event had profound long-term effects on environmental policy:

• Death Toll: The task force attributed 168 deaths to the smog, a number significantly lower than previous events but impactful due to the scale and visibility of the incident (21:33).

• Policy Responses:

  • Strengthening of pollution guidelines within New York City.
  • Upgrades to pollution monitoring facilities, including the Harlem lab.
  • Expansion plans to open 36 additional air quality monitoring locations (22:57).

• National Legislation:

  • President Lyndon Johnson recognized the severity of air pollution, advocating for comprehensive legislative action. This led to the Clean Air Act of 1967, which, despite initial limitations, laid the groundwork for more effective regulation.
  • The establishment of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 1970 under the Nixon administration, which took over the enforcement and implementation of clean air regulations.

• Long-Term Effects: The 1966 smog event was instrumental in shifting the approach from localized efforts to a more unified national strategy in combating air pollution. As Professor Jukater notes, "It’s a shift from a patchwork of local and state regulations towards a halfway uniform national approach" (24:16).

Broader Insights and Reflections

The episode concludes with reflections on the nature of environmental disasters and public response:

• Public Perception: "What captures the public imagination is the disaster, the acute episode... something you can see, something you can respond to directly" (25:05). This reflects a tendency to prioritize immediate, visible disasters over ongoing, less tangible threats.

• Narrative and Action: Professor Jukater warns against the oversimplification that one disaster leads to a comprehensive solution. Instead, "more disasters are really more like it opens political opportunities for some time, but the moment passes" (25:56), emphasizing the need for sustained efforts rather than reactive measures.

• Global Perspective: While the U.S. made significant strides post-1966, many cities worldwide continue to battle severe smog, highlighting that solutions remain elusive and require ongoing commitment.

Conclusion

"A Toxic Turkey Day" offers a compelling exploration of a critical yet often overlooked environmental disaster. By intertwining firsthand accounts, expert analysis, and historical context, HISTORY This Week not only recounts the tragic smog event of 1966 but also underscores its lasting impact on environmental policy and public awareness. The episode serves as a poignant reminder of the importance of vigilance and proactive measures in safeguarding air quality and public health.

Notable Quotes:

• Professor Frank Jukater (07:33): "Smog is a combination of smoke and fog, a term coined by a Londoner in 1904 to describe the pollution in London."

• Professor Frank Jukater (09:36): "It's a matter of life and death."

• Sally Helm (19:20): "Shutting down a city is no small measure."

• Professor Frank Jukater (24:16): "It’s a shift from a patchwork of local and state regulations towards a halfway uniform national approach."

Additional Information

For more insights and episodes from HISTORY This Week, visit historythisweekpodcast.com or contact via email at historythisweek@history.com.

Disclaimer: This summary is based on the transcript provided and aims to facilitate understanding for those who have not listened to the episode.