Take a deep breath. Now imagine that air shortening your life. That’s the reality for most of the planet. This year’s International Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies (Sunday, 7 September) calls attention to that hidden killer with the global theme “Racing for Air”.
The idea: clean air is as essential to human performance as water, food, or rest - and it should never be a privilege.
Here are 5 things you need to know about our air:
- Almost no one is breathing “clean” air. According to the World Health Organisation’s 2021 air quality guidelines, 99% of the world’s population lives in places where air pollution exceeds safe limits.
- Air pollution shortens our lives - quietly. Exposure to fine particulate matter (smaller than a red blood cell) cuts an average of one year and eight months off lifespans. And 91% of air-pollution-related deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries.
- Children are the most vulnerable. With developing lungs and brains, children face the greatest risks - air pollution is linked to 1 in 4 newborn deaths globally. It’s also tied to far more diseases than you might think: strokes, heart disease, diabetes, cancers, and even impacts on mental health.
- Air pollution isn’t just in cities. While traffic and industry are major culprits in urban areas, rural regions are also affected by cooking and heating with wood or coal, crop burning, and natural sources like dust storms.
- Clean air and climate action go hand in hand.Cutting emissions that pollute the air also reduces the same gases driving global warming—a double win.
Cape Town Spotlight: Walk for Breathing Spaces
On Saturday, 6 September in Mfuleni, advocacy meets action with Black Girls Rising’s Clean Air Now campaign. They’re hosting a Walk for Breathing Spaces to highlight the stark contrast between children’s playgrounds in marginalised communities - often unsafe, toxic, and neglected - and the lush, green parks enjoyed in affluent suburbs.
The day will encompass storytelling from children, visual documentation comparing playgrounds across the city, and a powerful social media campaign under the hashtags #CleanAirNow, #RightToBreathe, #RightToPlay, and #BreathingSpaces.
Join them as they push for clean, safe play spaces as a children’s rights issue and greater government accountability.
How you can get involved
- Join this Black Girls Rising’s Mfuleni walk: cleanair.intern@blackgirlsrising.org.za
- Spread the word online using this year’s global theme, “Racing for Air”.
- Push for policy change - ask your municipality how it’s tackling air quality and playground standards.
- Make small shifts: cut back on car trips, reduce waste burning, and support clean energy initiatives.
Whether in Cape Town, Bangkok, or New York, this Clean Air Day is a reminder that the fight for clean skies is also the fight for healthier, longer, and fairer lives.
ICYMI: Changemaker: Xoli Fuyani, Founder of Black Girls Rising