An outdated sewage system released all human waste into the capital’s water supply, smoke poured from both factory and domestic chimneys and streets were caked with coal, mud, vegetable matter and animal waste.Īs urban life became increasingly distanced from nature, Andersen’s fairy tales thrived. London’s population swelled, prompting a century-long struggle with filth. Global warming is not a 20th-century phenomenon rather, humans have been impacting the environment for over 180 years.įrom 1760 to 1914 in England, vast numbers of people moved from the country to the city for financial security. While today Andersen is known for his agonised mermaids, disabled tin soldiers and disenfranchised match sellers, his Victorian readers celebrated tales that raised environmental concerns during an age of rapid industrialisation.Īccording to a recent international research project, human activity has been the leading cause of global warming since the early stages of the Industrial Revolution – decades before scientists had previously estimated. Danish writer Hans Christian Andersen was one of the most popular European fairy tale authors in 19th century England.
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