A beacon of light in the smog: Mexico City
What we can learn from one of the world’s most notoriously polluted cities
Whenever I speak to a fellow Chilango — the nickname for Mexico City residents — anywhere outside the city, the conversation naturally drifts towards the same thing: air pollution forced him or her to leave.
“Thirty years ago, the air pollution was so terrible that we just had to leave,” Armando, my Lyft driver in Denver, said. “My doctor told me, ‘If your kids grow up here, they will live a life full of asthma.’ I didn’t want that life for my children.”
Armando’s story is all too common from former Mexico City residents. It’s something I’ve heard, and something I’ve lived. Growing up, school often was cancelled due to bad pollution. The air would be so thick with smog that it was unsafe for children to be outside. Our birds were choking from the pollution, and dropping dead from the sky. Who would want to live in such a city?
Mexico City’s bad air was the stuff of legends. At its absolute worst, in the mid-’80s, Mexico City only had eight days of “good” air in one year. The other days weren’t much better, and still were harmful to human health. Although I was not living there during this period, I did get to experience the pollution that my city is so famous for.
To Mexico City residents, the United States’ air seems almost utopian. In my first visit to Colorado, three years ago, I could feel my nose clear up. Back home, I would get respiratory illnesses almost monthly. However, in just a few months in Colorado, the clean air alleviated most of my issues. Now, every time I travel back home, I realize that my body has grown so unaccustomed to the pollution that as soon as I land, my nose runs and my eyes itch. Let me tell you: It’s no fun feeling allergic to your own hometown.
Of course, I am not trying to say that Mexico City is the lone offender. Cities in the United States also suffer from air pollution. However, key legislation such as the Clean Air Act has protected the air that citizens breathe. But as our technological needs grow, so does air pollution.
Much of America has the luxury of relatively clean air. But that luxury is at risk, if we do not take appropriate measures to protect it. And despite its reputation, Mexico City is a shining example of how anti-pollution action can lead to results. Programs for shared bicycles, limitations on days when people can drive, and an increase in public transportation have all helped clean our air up. In 2012, Mexico’s clean air improved enough to be on-par with Los Angeles. With the technological prowess of the United States, it is absolutely possible to take steps to provide cleaner air for its citizens. Buses and transportation systems could be revamped, for example. Electric cars are becoming more and more common every day.
We should be doing everything in our power to keep our air clean, as bad air causes many problems. Growing up, I had friends who could not come play with us during recess because of their asthma. They had to stay inside the classroom, while the rest of us were free to play outside — though at our own risk. The morning after national holidays, you could expect the air to be thick with firework smoke. You could almost predict how bad your eyes would get depending on the level of noise.
Achieving clean air is an uphill battle that requires constant attention. Although the air in Mexico City is still not perfect, it had been steadily improving for years — until recently. Now, the quality of the air in Mexico City has declined again, despite all the preventative measures. The reality is that as long as a city’s population keeps growing, it needs to implement new regulations to control air pollution. We can always do more. But hey, at least birds aren’t falling from the sky anymore.
Now, I’m worried that the clean air in America is in jeopardy. The Trump administration could reinstate the air pollution that has diminished in many U.S. cities over the past several decades. Instead of going forward, it seems to me that we are regressing in regards to pollution. America’s relative clean air is a great privilege, and to tarry it recklessly would be nothing short of foolishness.
With the technology we currently have, it is absolutely possible to work on ensuring clean air for all of our citizens. Clean air should be a human right; it is essential for our proper development and healthy lives. Mexico City is a living and breathing example of the possibility of change. If we continue to fight for our right to clean, breathable air, I believe that improvement is within reach. When it comes to fighting air pollution, my city is all the inspiration I need.
