Smog cloud in Mexico City...
We want to make students aware that pollution occurs all over the world. An emphasis will be made on discussing Spanish speaking countries and current events within these countries. By making students globally aware and teaching them about the world around them, we are creating social justice in the classroom.
Mexico City’s environmental report card, if it were to exist, would not make for particularly pleasant reading. In the past, this vast metropolis has suffered a wide array of environmental problems, some more well-documented than others.
Whilst most people are aware of the cloud of smog that hovers menacingly above the city, indeed for anyone touching down in the city for the first time it is often the first thing they see from the plane window, less are aware of the deathly impact the high levels of pollutants used to have on its populace; 35,000 hospitalisations a year at its very peak. Yet with the city having made promising strides towards cleaning up its act, it’s time to ask whether Mexico City can finally shed its dirty reputation, or is it too big to go truly green? And, where is the line being drawn being economic progress and environmental stewardship in a city that wants to balance the books whilst keeping the air clean?
The city has, undoubtedly, made progress in its aim towards lessening its massive environmental footprint. Indeed the horror stories of yesteryear, of air pollution so bad birds dropped from the sky mid-flight, are thankfully just that, of the past. The introduction of the low-emissions (and not to say well used) Metrobus has meant thousands of fewer cars clogging up the city’s already congested streets. Its buses speed along specially designated lanes that are designed to complement the city’s already extensive underground Metro system, offering a credible alternative to taking the car.
Mexico City’s environmental report card, if it were to exist, would not make for particularly pleasant reading. In the past, this vast metropolis has suffered a wide array of environmental problems, some more well-documented than others.
Whilst most people are aware of the cloud of smog that hovers menacingly above the city, indeed for anyone touching down in the city for the first time it is often the first thing they see from the plane window, less are aware of the deathly impact the high levels of pollutants used to have on its populace; 35,000 hospitalisations a year at its very peak. Yet with the city having made promising strides towards cleaning up its act, it’s time to ask whether Mexico City can finally shed its dirty reputation, or is it too big to go truly green? And, where is the line being drawn being economic progress and environmental stewardship in a city that wants to balance the books whilst keeping the air clean?
The city has, undoubtedly, made progress in its aim towards lessening its massive environmental footprint. Indeed the horror stories of yesteryear, of air pollution so bad birds dropped from the sky mid-flight, are thankfully just that, of the past. The introduction of the low-emissions (and not to say well used) Metrobus has meant thousands of fewer cars clogging up the city’s already congested streets. Its buses speed along specially designated lanes that are designed to complement the city’s already extensive underground Metro system, offering a credible alternative to taking the car.
EcoBici
To help the situation, Mexico City created a bicycle rental system, EcoBici, launched in 2010.A lready 9,000 trips are made a day, with plans to more than double it to 20,000 next year. The distinctive red and white bikes are an increasingly common site on the streets, with many people recognising that its introduction has prompted a gradual change in attitudes towards cyclists, who must navigate a ferocious mix of chronic traffic and less than considerate drivers.
Current Events: Midway disasterThere has been a youtube video that has 'gone viral' in the past few weeks. The video is about an island that is over 2,000 miles away from the nearest continent, yet the birds on this island are dying from polluted oceans. Watch the video on the right--->
You will be amazed! |
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