Why am I starting a blog?

I think of it like as a public diary. They are a good way of expressing what you feel about something that you are passionate about. In my case, it’s environmental protection. You can write about literally anything you want to and no one is grading you! The research and writing that goes into writing blogs is often more laid back then, let’s say writing an essay for school. It helps others learn something and can also benefit yourself. Blogs also attract people that are interested in what you’re passionate about and you can in a way, form a community of like-minded people.

---

Dangerous smog in Beijing, 2013

Why an Environmental Protection Blog?

This has a lot to do with my family members. My parents and I live in the US, but most of my relatives live in Beijing, China. In 2013, Beijing had the highest recorded level of PM 2.5 (particulate matter smaller than .5 micrometers in size). This is a measure of pollution and it had reached 550 during that time. Breathing in this pollution was comparable to smoking 25 cigarettes. My relatives were severely affected, they had to stay indoors and wear face masks outside, just like during the pandemic. What this showed me is the true disastrous effects of pollution. From that time on, I’ve been interested in climate change and it has led up to me starting this blog about it. In fact, I’ll probably write a blog post about smog issues in cities around the world.