The Secret Pact These men recognized the urgency of their industry’s
role in a world adapting to the effects of air pollution. In 1946, they
struck an agreement to fund comprehensive research into air pollution’s
impact, motivated by a desire to understand the results from the oil and
coal industrys’ production, a report warned of the consequences of pollution
and its potential impact on climate. Their research forecasted a dark future, a
warning of the environmental crisis waiting in Earth’s atmosphere.
