What 14 Iconic Skylines Would Look Like Without Air Pollution
Updated: Sep. 10, 2019Smog has become a world-wide crisis and not only is it affecting people's health, it's changing the way we see "normal" things, like skylines.
Paris
Paris has become one of Europe’s most polluted capital cities, with air pollution causing 48,000 premature deaths every year, according to the Public Health France agency. Simply living (and breathing) in Paris for a year is the equivalent of smoking 183 cigarettes, according to Transport and Environment.
Why not consider one of these beautiful (and wildly underrated) European destinations instead?
Beijing
Pollution was already a big issue when Beijing hosted the 2008 Olympics—some athletes even opted not to compete instead of risking their health—but by 2017 it was literally “off the charts.” Beijing’s air quality exceeded 500, the max possible on the air quality index, according to the American Embassy.
London
Air quality in London is so bad that it’s begun to affect the health of babies and children, hurting their lung and cognitive development, according to a study published in The Lancet. And the air in London’s famous Underground is 30 times more polluted than above-ground levels.
Despite this, the United Kingdom’s capital is still well worth exploring. Just check out these must-see London attractions!
New York City
First, the good news: New York City’s air is cleaner than it’s ever been since monitoring began. Unfortunately, despite significant improvements in recent years, air pollution in New York City is still a significant environmental threat, according to the NYC Environmental Protection Group.
Check out this awe-inspiring gallery of the tallest skyscrapers in the world.
Sydney, Australia
Pollution affects every single continent in the world. The picturesque Australian city isn’t one of the top offenders when it comes to air pollution but because the skyline is so unique when pollution does overtake it, people notice. And people in Sydney don’t escape the risks, as even their lower levels of pollution were found to increase deaths from all causes, according to a study published in Environment International.
Jakarta, Indonesia
Jakarta has the dubious distinction of being the major city with the worst air quality in the world, according to the World Air Quality Index. It’s gotten so bad that some residents are suing the government in hopes of motivating them to take action.
These are the city names around the world you’re mispronouncing.
Cairo
While Jakarta may win for the worst air quality, Cairo took the top spot for the most polluted city in the world, according to a survey done by Eco Experts. It’s so bad that every fall the city is plagued by “the black cloud,” a fog of pollution so intense it darkens the sunlight.
Los Angeles
L.A. may be the site of a lot of successful people but when it comes to air quality it gets a solid “F”, according to the American Lung Association. The good news is that thanks to legislation passed in the past decade, things are starting to improve.
Bangkok
Earlier this year Bangkok experienced record levels of air pollution. The toxic smog forced more than 400 schools to close in an effort to protect children from its harmful effects, according to the BBC.
Lagos, Nigeria
You have probably gotten an email from a “Nigerian Prince” asking you for help getting his vast fortune out of his country (if only you can send him a few grand first) but perhaps the lying royal should be using his so-called wealth to clean up his country. An astonishing 94 per cent of Nigerians are exposed daily to air pollution levels that exceed the guidelines set by the WHO, according to data from the World Bank. And one of the worst offenders is Lagos.
Salt Lake City
Thanks to the stunning Rocky Mountains that surround this capital city, locals are treated to some spectacular views. Unfortunately, those same mountains also cause a weather pattern, called an inversion, that traps pollution over the valley for months at a time. The Western states, including Utah, also have to deal with pollution from wildfires.
Find out the 10 places you should stop taking photos.
Shanghai
Residents of Shanghai have had to learn to live their lives surrounded by some of the highest levels of air pollution in the world. Sometimes, however, the smog is too pervasive, causing school closures, keeping people home from work, and grounding planes.
Here’s what the most populated cities in the world used to look like.
Kathmandu, Nepal
Even though it’s nestled near some of the most pristine mountains in the world, this fabled city’s romantic history is being tainted by a very modern problem: Kathmandu ranks in the top ten of the world’s most polluted cities. One report ranked it as having the second-worst air quality, adding that respiratory complaints are extremely common and one doctor who works and teaches in a hospital there warns the conditions are becoming “unliveable.”
Explore more destinations that have broken records (for the right reasons).
Mexico City
Like many modern cities, Mexico City is juggling their rapid economic growth with the toll all that infrastructure takes on the environment. Just this last spring, schools were closed and citizens were warned to keep all cars off the roads due to severe air pollution.
Next, check out this gallery of the most populated cities on Earth.
