Columbia University

Hikes along the Great Wall. Sharing freshly fried green onion pancakes from a food stand with my cousins. Three-person moped rides through busy streets. Dinners with my extended family. Every trip back to Wuhan, China, is marked by these events and numerous other shared moments with family. Yet, when I am reminded of China, I instead envision people rushing around busy streets wearing face masks to avoid pollutant inhalation, the rarity of blue skies on any given day, and the disturbing level of air contamination that prevents my relatives from leaving their homes. Seeing this phenomena so…