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 industry’s 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.
