In a science fiction scenario,
corporate privatization of air
finds us living in domed cities of the future.
Art by German artist, Alexander Preuss
Meanwhile, back in 1957, actor Carleton Young canned smog air in Los Angeles,
to raise awareness of bad air and the lack of political action.
Smog in a Can was made by his Los Angeles Smog Corporation.
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| Smog in a Can, 1957 |
43 comments:
This was the plot of the Mel Brooks comedy "Spaceballs", if anybody has seen it. Its a sad state of affairs that the two resources we as mammals are in most dire need of, water and oxygen, are the two that we do the most harm to by means of pollution. -SAS
Air is one of the few things that we can still enjoy freely. Or can we? Cars, smoke, trash, body odors, and others threaten how we enjoy the air around us. Pollutants endanger clean air, and raw odors compromise our sense of smell. Our generation might not see our world turn into a dome, but if we continue to wreak havoc on our fragile environment it is not hard to imagine that air will no longer be free.
ALB
Although it sounds like a good idea to live in domed cities there is nothing like going out and getting fresh air. It's not like the smoke from cars,factories and people who smoke cigarettes stays in the air. It might make our world a little better but its not like we directly breathe in all the bad air out there.-I.C.
Although we criticize our society for pollution and the state the world is in; we also have to acknowledge that we are in the path of making changes. Most public places are banned from smoking; eco-safe products are used for a safer environment; we recycle; we drive more eco-friendly automobiles; we are more gas and energy conscience; and the list grows. We are far from living in a world that deprives us from natural air, nevertheless we are making great efforts to not head in that direction. T.L.
air should never have a price. reproducing and creating air is not a problem, but putting a price on it should always be put out of thought. as for domed cities, when mankind is able to construct in other planets, domed cities will happen.
AG
The private sector would officially reach an all time low if they were to start charging there citizens for air. Air is a fundamental need for all living things human, animal and plants. Unfortunately, the private sector has contaminated air with pollution and abuse. I propose that responsible companies pay a substantial amount of taxes to the cities or countries were they are contaminating the air that there citizens, animals and plant life consume. However, when never knows are far corporation can and would go legally for a profit. Today, we bottle water and charge people for health clean water, yet no one controls the rain that provides water for all mankind. -YEM
However, one never knows how far corporations are willing to go legally for a profit. Today, we bottle water and charge people for healthy clean water, yet no one controls the rain that provides water for all mankind. -YEM
*I am re-writing the end of my previous post because I noticed after I posted my errors. -YEM
From one extreme to the other! Back in 1957, "Smog in A Can" provided a witty white flag to the lack of action against the miasmatic substance in the air. An article on the Clean Air Act by Jeremy Rosenberg - include photos portraying science-fiction-like landscapes of Angelenos dealing with the smog invasion, wearing gas masks and attaching smog sensors to their automobiles.
Today our science fiction of domed cities provides protection against drastic climate change.
THE MESSAGE IS MUCH ATTENTION MUST BE GIVEN, AND ACTION MUST BE TAKEN!
Air pollution is problem that must be solved soon. Hurricanes and heavy rain have become more frequent in today’s world. The ratio of asthma and lung cancer patients has also greatly increased. This is obviously affecting society, so why don’t we speed up the process of eliminating air pollution? At the end of the day, the answer would most likely be money. –S.S.
Fresh air is on the brink of extinction if you ask me. I can't open my windows to my home or car without exhaust or cigarette smoke getting in. Not to mention the pesticides being sprayed at my neighbors house that get in to make me sick. UGH! You cannot even walk onto school campus without someone smoking, when 25 signs clearly say "No Smoking". If "perriair" was sold in a can, I'd buy it. I think.
G.C.
I would have to agree with ALB statement. Our air is being polluted everyday mostly from cars and people smoking .it might not affect us now but sooner or later we are going to be faced with trying to clean up the air. Doomed cities wouldn’t really help because we would be breathing the same air over and over. AH
Can we still enjoy air freely? With all kinds of air pollution, soon fresh air will be on the brink to extinction. Air is fundamental for humans, animals, & plants.
ABL
This is sad but true we damage these recourses so much. I believe that we can get to that state of living if we as people don’t fight for your right to these needs. We keep letting companies get away with pollution and those sort of environmentally disastrous effects. This can easily be seen in healthcare we get sick we sell you the services to live and medications to live. None of the organ transplants are free. They cost money and yet we neglect basic preventive care so I am pretty sure we will neglect our environment as well. - JPG
In a new kid’s movie, 'The Lorax' by Dr. Seuss, it shows how big corporation people with new ideas take advantage of the environment. Pollution has gotten so bad that everyone lives in a city mad entirely of plastic and the people pay for bottled air. If the world of science fiction becomes a reality and we all end up living in domed cities then we are the ones to blame for polluting the world to begin with. We will be the ones depriving ourselves of the right to a beautiful environment.
M.D.L.
There are people in this post saying that air is the only thing that remains free,but do you really think that still free? Or we are paying it with our health? The world is getting worse every day more, even though the government is doing stuff to prevent that, I think we still have a long way to go, but I don’t see that living in domed cities is a solution.
*NG*
The world needs to reduce, if not eliminate their carbon footprint. We may have fresh air now, but what about our offspring? Conserving energy at home, and buying organic foods locally, does not only save money, but our atmosphere. We all have the right to fresh, clean air! Let’s not take away that right in the future.
- Q.M.
Air quality is extremely important, especially concerning the people in which live in populated cities. We are exposed to great amount of pollutants coming from commercial, industrial manufacturing facilities, automobiles, as well as other sources; Contributing to the phenomenon known as global warming. Air is the key to survival and freedom. J.S
I agree with G.C. we buy clean bottled water now. If clean air was sold in a can or bottle, would we really have to buy that too? The air is being polluted each day from cars, factories, people smoking and natural disasters. Doomed cities would not be the solution. We would be using recycled stale air which would probably cause more harm than anything else.
JJ
If clean air was sold in a can, that would tell me that the inhabitants on this earth would be extinct pretty soon. The air is constantly being polluted by cars, factories and people who smoke. Building doomed cities would not be the solution to this problem. Recycled air would cause more harm than good.
If clean air was sold in a can, that would tell me that the inhabitants on this earth would be extinct pretty soon. The air is constantly being polluted by cars, factories and people who smoke. Building doomed cities would not be the solution to this problem. Recycled air would cause more harm than good.
JJ
With today's world being as polluted as it is; the right to domed cities and canned air isn't such a crazy idea. Just look at the all the chemicals in the can of smog. It contains hydrocarbons, nitrogen oxides, and even formaldehyde. Formaldehyde is the chemical used to preserve dead frogs for dissection! That picture is from 1957 as well, so I'd be scared to see how much the chemical levels have risen since then. MBS.
One would assume that air is something that will be available throughout our existence. But when I think about it, the book "Feed", by M.T. Anderson comes to mind. In this book, air factories replace trees set in a dismal synthetic future. This book is almost reminiscent of "Brave New World", by Aldous Huxley in the sense that we are all imprisoning ourselves by our own creations.
Yes, if we keep leading the lives we are living with our polluted behavior, there is no doubt that we will end up living in domed cities in which our air is controlled by major corporations. Why do we have to take it that far? Why can't we start making changes now and coming up with better ideas to reduce the pollutants? Humans are denying the fact that polluting will one day overcome the environments well-being, and we will have to accommodate to what the pollutants have done to our air by living in domed cities.
Yes, if we keep leading the lives we are living with our polluted behavior, there is no doubt that we will end up living in domed cities in which our air is controlled by major corporations. Why do we have to take it that far? Why can't we start making changes now and coming up with better ideas to reduce the pollutants? Humans are denying the fact that polluting will one day overcome the environments well-being, and we will have to accommodate to what the pollutants have done to our air by living in domed cities. JLF
We should thank producer and director Carleton Young and his wife Noel Toy for their early contribution to aware the public and tourists as well as to press the government to take action in order to improve the right to have clean air. Carleton and Noel's initiative and creativity to can polluted air "so that tourists could take an authentic slice of Hollywood contaminated air" as souvenir, press the politicians to take action on this issue, more than 30 years ago. Improvements have been made since then which include the installation of catalytic converters in cars,and mandatory smog tests. Fidela
Nothing beats stepping outside and inhaling a breath of fresh air. As much as we may complain about air pollution we must realize that it is us who aid in creating it. A domed city might internalize and localize the pollution, making it worse, or maybe there would be ways to expel it from the dome. Either way, I would prefer to fresh air with a little pollution to "domed air" any day. JAY
They see that they can't do anything about the air in the future, but we can do something about it. They are just lazy and should do more about it. -RCT
It would be such a terrible thing to lose our right to air. Thankfully we have started ways to reduce the harm we have caused to the atmosphere, so that in the future mankind can enjoy looking up to a beautiful sunset instead of a plastic dome. leiva
While domed cities seem like an amazing idea and companies would make a killing on selling bottled air. This just goes to show that one day we will live on the moon and othe various planets if we dont take care of our own.
A.M
Maybe if we took care of our environment a little bit more we would not have to worry about things like living in domed cities. Sure, you may think it is a great idea, but we should have the right to live outside of a domed city as well.
B.K.R
Nothing beats stepping outside and inhaling a breath of fresh air. As much as we may complain about air pollution we must realize that it is us who aid in creating it. A domed city might internalize and localize the pollution, making it worse, or maybe there would be ways to expel it from the dome. Either way, I would prefer fresh air with a little pollution to "domed air" any day. JAY
**Re-written comment**
When I first think about the possibility of living in a domed city it intrigues me, but then I think about one source regulating my air supply and I realize that it is a delicate matter. If the instruments used to regulate malfunctions, or there is a problem in the system, there will be no mercy. I appreciate living on Earth which provides me with clean air.
K.R
Eventually, there will come a time when we will be living in dome cities. It may not be in our lifetime... but it is inevitable. Look at how our generation is cutting down so many trees and ruining the rainforest all over the world. What do you think produces oxygen?
BRM
Yes, the air is free and available to everyone. It is sad that our environment and the quality of air is digressing because we do not take care of our earth. We have the right to air but if we do not change our ways soon we soon will be living in domed cities and buying canned air, sadly.
JR
The depictions of these photos foreshadow as to what the future has in store for us. It foreshadows the conditions in which we have to sustain ourselves in order to survive, a choice wouldn’t be optional. The picture of the canned smog air was clearly presented to raise awareness, but we live in a society where we think for ourselves and not through the consideration of others. It is a sad time for planet earth.
It's a fact, we need air to live! So why endanger and impare our ability to breath fresh air? There is no excuse. Ladies and gentlemen, ride a bike,take the bus, put in some elbow grease and for the sake of you and the people that surround you, save our air!
R.F
I cannot imagine life in a domed city, as per the air that we breathe should be free of contaminants and pollutants. planet earth right now is so filled with pollutants that around 65% of the population is suffering the consequences of polluted air causes by us.
S.A.
So much air .. I wish i could fly -SKT
I do not really think air won't be free in the coming years, because it cannot be packed and sold. What I truly believe is that if we continue contaminating the air it will become so polluted that it will harm our health. Saying this I implied that we will kill ourselves in the same way we have done it before in wars; What is happening to human kind's it looks like we want to destroy ourselves. Governments should take immediate actions to reduce contamination worldwide. I recognize president Obama's effort to make automobile factories create cars that last 50 mpg that means that in 2015 we will fill out our tanks once every two weeks reducing dramatically the use of gasoline and pollutions of the air.
BY ASR
Science fiction or not, it is a futuristic view of the world but it may as well become a future reality. The change begins with us and it goes beyond riding your bike, or buying hybrid cars, it is whole ecosystem issue. Because of our actions we are not only polluting the air, but we are creating light, noise, soil, thermal, visual, water, radioactive pollution among others. So unless we take action now, doomed cities and canned air might be a possibility.
AYS
Domed cities are not a solution for pollution or smog. Car and factory use needs to be cut down and the city needs to learn to live with it.
CP
-The post reminds me of the book and movie "The Lorax" by Dr. Suess. Stricter rules and regulations should be put in place by the government so such drastic precautions arent made in the future.-J.D.
I agree with T.L even though were making good efforts to change our bad habits, we are making those changes a little too slow. We have to enforce some of our guidelines and stick with it because we will end up in a dome faster than we would like to. E.P.C
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