- Earlier than President Nixon created the EPA in 1970, water and air air pollution weren’t federally regulated.
- Within the Seventies, the EPA enlisted 100 photographers to doc environmental circumstances within the US.
- The outcome was 81,000 pictures, usually full of smoke, smog, acid, oil, trash, and sewage.
Do not let the mushy, sepia tones idiot you — the USA was dangerously polluted.
Earlier than President Richard Nixon created the Environmental Safety Company in 1970, the surroundings and its well-being was not a federal precedence.
Within the early Seventies, the EPA launched the “The Documerica Venture,” which leveraged 100 freelance photographers to doc what the US regarded like. By 1974, they’d taken 81,000 pictures. The Nationwide Archives digitized almost 16,000 and made them out there on-line.
Most of the pictures had been taken earlier than water and air air pollution had been totally regulated. The Clear Air Act was handed in 1970, and the Clear Water Act was handed in 1972.
This Earth Day, we have chosen 35 of the pictures to mirror on how cities throughout the US have modified — Baltimore, Birmingham, Cleveland, Delaware, Denver, Kansas, Los Angeles, New Orleans, New Jersey, New York, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and San Francisco all characteristic right here, in pictures full of smoke, smog, acid, oil, trash, and sewage.
Not one of the pictures we have chosen are fairly, however it’s value remembering what US cities was like earlier than we cared what we put into the air, soil, and water.
