Vanessa N., OR

During a visit to New York City, I was on a subway that got delayed underground. They asked everyone to exit temporarily, but with no clear place to go, we were stuck. The air was stifling, heavy with an awful smell, and there was no escape—the staircase out was blocked. In that moment, I became acutely aware of how every action people take impacts the air we all breathe. We are all in the same boat because we share the same air.

Back in my small hometown, wildfires have become a constant threat over the past decade. Every summer, I rely on passive activated charcoal window filters just to breathe safely in my apartment, which has no air conditioning. Ironically, I first bought them not because of the wildfires, but to keep out the cigarette smoke from my neighbors—something that makes me extremely nauseous. There’s no way to smoke without affecting others, and honestly, cigarettes should be illegal for that reason.

My mother has lung scarring that has impacted her singing voice, a painful reminder of how air quality affects our health in ways we don’t always realize. We have the power to make this planet a paradise—but only if we take the right steps with environmental policies.