When the pollution appeared in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, I began to wonder how bad the air has been since I’ve lived in the United States. The toxic air that fills your lungs makes you cough and makes you wear face masks all the time.
On Dec. 9, I landed in Mongolia where I spent my winter break. I forgot about the intense Mongolian winter. When I stepped outside of the airport, a smoky smell pierced my nose, and I started to cough because I wasn’t used to the smell; I had forgotten it.
Mongolian citizens started to think about when this pollution would stop or when we would get a chance to breathe in fresh air. I’m one of them. Some may start to wonder when pollution happened or if it is this bad every single day. Surprisingly, the air quality is only a major issue in winter.
Outside of Ulaanbaatar, many live in houses with automatic heating systems. They use chimneys to get heating for their house and make their daily foods.
Using coal and biomass for everyday heating is a major health problem for citizens of Mongolia. During winter, the temperature can drop to negative 30 degrees Celsius (negative 22 degrees fahrenheit) at night and negative 15 degrees Celsius (5 degrees fahrenheit) in the afternoon.
Ulaanbaatar is ranked as the No. 57 most polluted major city by IQ Air.
One day when I was in Mongolia for winter break, I saw a group of citizens protesting. The Mongolian government hasn’t take any action toward eliminating pollution in our city. Sometimes they use police force to get rid of protestors who are fighting for their futures and families.
Some days you want to look at the sky and just daydream, but during the daytime you will only see thick smoke in the air, blocking the view. If you go outside, you will start having dry eyes, coughing and more.
One day, as a dual citizens of Mongolia and the United States, I hope that the government will make a great decision to clear the pollution or find a solution for it so, in the future, we can live peacefully without getting sick.
