How air pollution has become the new hallmark of inequality in Asia

Certain things imagined in Western science fiction are, unfortunately, already a reality in the East. One of them is the issue of severe air pollution in China and India. What once became an inspiration for creating a fashion accessory, a mask to filter pollution that also features crystals as high-fashion adornments, is now also a luxury item in the business world of major Asian cities.

In an article published on the Futurism website, Lou Del Bello highlights the Cordis hotel, a luxury lodging that offers perks such as a beautiful pool, proximity to train stations and the local airport, and double-filtered air. "Indeed, air quality seems to be a selling point at this luxury hotel—each of its 396 rooms is equipped with a pollution monitor," writes Del Bello.

Thus, in heavily polluted cities like Shanghai, Beijing, and Delhi, breathing clean air has become the new "cool"—that is, the new way for the wealthy to distinguish themselves from the poor, who are constantly subjected to this polluted air. On this website, for example, you can track the air quality index in real time, as well as a forecast—it is expected, for instance, that this Wednesday, April 4th, the index will show worse quality.

In 2014, the World Health Organization quantified the effects of being exposed to toxic air like that in these cities. In short, this type of pollution can cause about 7 million premature deaths per year, in addition to being responsible for a variety of medical conditions including lung cancer and heart attacks. Even so, the governments of different countries have tried to downplay this problem, especially due to relationships established with industries like thermal power plants, but situations like those in Asian megacities have reached such a critical level that it is impossible to ignore. For this reason, the Chinese government was forced to take action or end up having its population reduced due to these health problems stemming from pollution..

Although the idea of charging for access to clean air is absurd, in some countries this was the only solution that emerged naturally—and private companies took advantage of it. From the most expensive schools in Delhifrom those frequented by the children of the local elite or wealthy immigrants to luxury hotels like the Cordis in Shanghai, various companies are attempting to turn clean air into a commodity.

In an interview with The Guardian, Cordis hotel manager John O’Shea said: “I think back to the days when everyone had to buy credits to use the internet. Now, the internet is like hot water—if you don’t have high-speed, fast, and easy access to free internet, then you’re finished. Indoor air quality will be just like that—if you can’t guarantee your customers much better air quality than your competitors, then you’re failing. It’s always about gaining that kind of edge.”

Del Bello concludes that, in many parts of the world, wealth has become synonymous with health—or at least with greater and easier access to it. In other words, extremely expensive health plans mean that if you aren't wealthy, managing your diabetes or cancer may not be a matter of choice. “The divide caused by pollution may also soon become the new normal,” the journalist writes.

The expectation (and hope) is that national governments will begin to make decisions and take actions to control and improve air quality within their borders, though this will likely be a slow process. Once again, the problem here is not a lack of technological solutions, as projects like the Smog Free Tower are suggesting ideas such as building a tower that sucks in pollution and releases clean air while simultaneously turning that pollution into diamonds. Beyond that, other changes not directly applied to air purification, but which alter how we consume energy, are also focused on solving the air pollution problem. This includes electric cars, self-sufficient homes, new types of edible and biodegradable packaging, and more.

With the proper funding and attention directed toward these solutions, it is possible to believe in a reversal and shift not only in environmental conditions but also in our approach to consumption—whether it be energy or our lifestyle—thereby making luxury hotels that offer pure air as a perk something that belongs only to fiction once again.