Welcome to 2017

With the new year starting the topic of conversation among returning expats and Mongolians alike isn’t American politics, but the terrible air pollution in Ulaanbaatar.  So I thought I would take on this topic (you know me if there’s a cause I’m right there).  Below are snapshots of two recent articles from the UB Post that go into quite a bit of detail about this major concern.  One article shows two photos comparing air quality in December 2010 and December 2015--not a very pretty picture.  There’s a graph comparing UB with Beijing.  Beijing refers to their air pollution as the “airpocalypse” and according to this article we have surpassed Beijing about 50% of the time in “airpocalypse.”  A teacher from a well-known Mongolian university has said that Mongolians are considered a fast-adapting people, but that we should NOT be adapting to the toxins in the air instead what’s happening is that our cells are changing for the worse.  If possible, take the time to read both articles which are filled with lots of interesting information.

 

More people are wearing masks and/or taking taxis even if their destination is not that far away.  I walk to school early in the morning when the air quality is worse and I always wear a mask.

Since returning to school my class has been doing a study and paper on Stop Pollution!  This is on our bulletin board right outside our classroom for parents and all to see.  I figure I’m teaching the future leaders of Mongolia and even at the age of seven they can make a difference.