The World Needs An Air Pollution Anthem
Did you know that every year 6.5 million people die because of air pollution? That’s almost 18,000 people every single day. For some perspective, that’s more than the deaths caused by HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and traffic accidents combined. Do you know how good or unhealthy the air in your city is right now? You can talk to Smokey, a Facebook Messenger chatbot, to easily find out.
Despite the worldwide global health crisis caused by air pollution, not many people know the truly scale of air pollution, maybe an air pollution anthem can help! Unfortunately pollutants, especially the deadly PM2.5 particles can’t actually sing, so I’ve taken the liberty to imagine what they’d say in a song.
Please enjoy this in the first-person voice as sung by a PM2.5 particle. For best results: Play this karaoke tune while singing the song below!
Every Breath You Take Every breath you takeEvery move you make
Every bond you break
Every step you take
I’ll be killing you Every single day
Every word you say
Every game you play
Every night you stay
I’ll be killing you Oh, can’t you see
You belong to me
How your poor lungs ache with every breath you take Every move you make
Every vow you break
Every smile you fake
Every claim you stake
I’ll be killing you *This verse is by a Delhi resident singing back to the smog*
Since you’ve come I’ve been lost in all your haze
I dream at night I won’t ever see your face
I look around but it’s you I can’t escape
I feel so cold and I long for my airways
I keep crying baby, baby please Oh, can’t you see
You belong to me
How your poor lungs ache with every step you take Every move you make
Every vow you break
Every smile you fake
Every claim you stake
I’ll be killing you Every move you make
Every step you take
I’ll be killing you I’ll be killing you (Every breath you take
Every move you make
Every bond you break) I’ll be killing you (Every single day
Every word you say) Ooh
(Every claim you stake) I’ll be killing you.
Credit: Obviously a slight rip off of Every Breath You Take by The Police. :)
Air pollution is a serious global health crisis!
It is imperative that those of us living in cities with toxic air quality monitor it closely. It’s literally a matter of life and death.
If you are in India, China, United Kingdom, Chile, Netherlands, Germany, France or the dozen other countries with unhealthy levels of air pollution, you should set up daily alerts with Smokey. Smokey will send you a short message every morning in Facebook Messenger with a real-time air quality update. You can use that information to decide whether you need to wear a face mask or not — or whether you should hit the treadmill rather than run outdoors. Smokey is an innovative way to effortlessly find out the air quality around the world. It’s free!
