#29: Pollution In New York City, 1969

The pollution levels in New York in the 1960s were alarming. The air quality was so poor that you could hardly see the skyline, and the smell of exhaust fumes hung thick in the air. But it wasn’t just the polluted air – the city’s waterways were contaminated with industrial waste, and garbage was piling up in the streets.

Rachel Carson’s 1962 book Silent Spring warned the public about the poisonous effects of pesticides on the environment. This led to a growing awareness among the public of the need to protect the environment. Establishing the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was a major milestone in this effort.