Thursday, October 7, 2010

Pollution in Egypt



One thing that we have to put up with, if we want to live in Cairo, Egypt, is the pollution. The pollution or smog, can get quite bad at times. We happen to live right outside of Cairo, where the pollution isn't quite as bad, but we have to drive into Cairo almost every day, and on our way we can see the black, luminous cloud, hanging over the city.

Most of this pollution can be blamed on so many cars on the streets and lack of regulated vehicle emissions. Plus, many cars on the streets are old, so they lack modern emission cutting features.

Our family rode in taxis for the first year-and-a-half here. Then finally we got a car. One of the main reasons I was very happy that we finally had a car was because of the pollution. Most taxis, even in the cooler months, drive around with the windows down. When traffic is bad, and sometimes even when it isn't, it is so hard to breathe because of the exhaust in the air.

So, if you are reading this somewhere where the air is fresh and clean, next time you go outside, take a huge breath, thank God for that wonderful fresh air, then take another one for me.