I can't believe it’s gotten this bad…
No Swimming!
Credit: China Photos/Getty Images
A boy swims through trash-filled waters in the Philippines, one of the most polluted nations in the world. Just imagine if all of that garbage had been recycled…
The Philippines has been alleged to be one of the worst water polluters in the world (behind China and Indonesia). For years now, international environmental efforts have been directed at the country, which is spread out across more than 7,600 islands. The pollution, however, is worst right in the capital, in Manila Bay. According to Dr. Laura David of the University of the Philippines-Marine Science Institute, “When you think of Manila Bay, contrasting images come to mind. First of a coastline littered with trash, and second, of a beautiful sunset. But what is really interesting is that underneath these familiar images, Manila Bay, with all its pollution, still contains life and gives life.”
China’s “Red Alert” Pollution Problem
Credit: Hung Chung Chih/Shutterstock
This boy must use a mask with a filter as Beijing’s air pollution levels reached more than 20 times higher than what’s considered “safe.” Even when not enacting the rare “Code Red,” many of China’s cities regularly experience air pollution well beyond the standards that the World Health Organization has set.
China’s infamous smog and air pollution even led to the creation of a new word: Airpocalypse.