WQLN PBS NPR
8425 Peach Street
Erie, PA 16509

Phone
(814) 864-3001

© 2025 PUBLIC BROADCASTING OF NORTHWEST PENNSYLVANIA
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
Become a member and start watching.

Clearing the Air: The War on Smog

Season 37 Episode 4 | 52m 39s

In 1943, dark, smoky clouds enveloped Los Angeles, causing residents to complain of burning eyes, nausea, and difficulty breathing. The source of the smog was a mystery. CLEARING THE AIR: THE WAR ON SMOG is the story of the epic struggle for clean air, involving years of scientific study and civic pressure that would lead to the creation of the EPA and the Clean Air Act. From AMERICAN EXPERIENCE.

Aired: 08/25/25 | Expires: 09/24/25
Corporate sponsorship for American Experience is provided by Liberty Mutual Insurance. Major funding by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.
Latest Episodes
Discover how Kissinger’s anti-Communism would shape U.S. foreign policy, from Vietnam to the USSR.
The life of the brilliant foreign policy powerbroker who shaped the world in which we live.
The violent 1970 clash between student protestors and construction workers in downtown NY.
The story of Edwin Land, whose iconic Polaroid camera let everyone instantly chronicle their lives.
The dramatic story of the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in 1990.
The story of one of the most influential yet forgotten civil rights figures, Walter White.
The little-known story of the deadly 1898 race massacre and coup d’etat in Wilmington, NC.
A look at the US vice presidency, from constitutional afterthought to position of political import.
When US inner cities erupted in violence in 1967, LBJ created a commission to investigate.
The story of housewives who led a grassroots movement to galvanize the Superfund Bill.
Extras
Hear what it was like working for Henry Kissinger from former staffers.
The life of the brilliant foreign policy powerbroker who shaped the world in which we live.
Watch a preview of Part One of Kissinger.
Kissinger escaped Nazi Germany and emigrated to the U.S., where he was drafted in the U.S. Army.
Kissinger and Nixon authorized the secret bombing of Cambodia in 1969.
Watch a preview of Hard Hat Riot.
Watch a preview of Hard Hat Riot.
What was The Hard Hat Riot?
In December 1969, the United States Selective Service conducted its first draft lottery since World
At the dawn of the 1970s, blue-collar workers were re-shaping New York City's skyline. But they were
WQLN PBS Passport is a member benefit that provides you with extended access to an on-demand library of quality public television programming!