The Formerly Good Earth
When Herblock portrayed his John Q. Public figure in a gas mask, standing on a filthy planet Earth overwhelmed by toxic spills, polluted waterways, and unprecedented levels of air pollution, he was showing his support for the passage of the Clean Air Act of 1970 and the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency on December 2, 1970. Reports by researchers who investigated the dumping sites that leached toxins into local food and water supplies had increased public awareness of life-threatening hazards and the need for better care of the earth.
When Herblock portrayed his John Q. Public figure in a gas mask, standing on a filthy planet Earth overwhelmed by toxic spills, polluted waterways, and unprecedented levels of air pollution, he was showing his support for the passage of the Clean Air Act of 1970 and the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency on December 2, 1970. Reports by researchers who investigated the dumping sites that leached toxins into local food and water supplies had increased public awareness of life-threatening hazards and the need for better care of the earth.