Privatizing our lungs: What if the air we breathed became a profitable business?

This text is published as part of Let’s Imagine, an open file featuring texts, blogs, stories, interviews, and journalistic reports through which we envision the future we wish to live in—or one that will be imposed upon us.

It is August 1st, 2050. A notification pops up on my phone from the Ministry of Public Health:

"Warning: The air outside is toxic. Stay indoors."

This message reminds me of a trip I took to China in December 2017. At the time, I visited the city of Wuhan in Hubei Province, where I received a similar message informing me that the air outside was highly toxic and advising me to stay inside my residence.

As someone suffering from chronic lung issues, receiving such a message is a crushing blow—even before stepping outside and breathing in the polluted air.

In developed countries, public spaces have been designated for people to enter special chambers to inhale purified air for a set period—at no cost, of course. After all, in these nations, how can public health not be a priority for their governments?

But Lebanon always has an exception to the rule. Despite all of its advancements, I have never seen any air-purification chambers here. Instead, the government came up with what it saw as the "best possible solution"—a stopgap measure, like so many other short-sighted policies we’ve seen for generations: providing clean air in bottled form for citizens.

In developed countries, public spaces have been designated for people to enter special chambers to inhale purified air for a set period—at no cost, of course.

Unfortunately, though, these air bottles, or canisters, are not free. Instead, the government granted a private company the exclusive right to monopolize the air. Do not be surprised, dear reader—Lebanon, despite all its progress, has managed to preserve its long-standing legacy of monopolies. And now, that legacy has extended to clean air as well.

I left my house wearing a mask, just like everybody else, as it was a necessity now due to the extremely poor air quality. Do you remember the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020 that swept across the world, claiming millions of lives? It was a long, long time ago, but the scene today is almost identical—young and old alike wearing masks to protect themselves from the toxic air.

When I arrived at the store, I saw a long line of people waiting. I won’t take you down memory lane to the bread, fuel, and dollar queues the people had to endure—because, even in 2050, we are still living through them. Successive governments have continued their endless search for effective solutions, but to no avail. If any of you happen to find these "effective solutions," please report them to the nearest security station. If no one answers, well, that’s nothing unusual.

Unfortunately, the bottles of clean air are not free in Lebanon. Instead, the government granted a private company the exclusive right to monopolize the air. Do not be surprised, dear reader—Lebanon, despite all its progress, has managed to preserve its long-standing legacy of monopolies. And now, that legacy has extended to clean air as well.

I stood in line like everyone else, waiting my turn to get a canister of clean air, struggling to breathe in the suffocating, toxic atmosphere. My coughing was so violent I felt like my lungs were going to burst out of my chest. I asked those ahead of me why there was such a rush to buy the canisters when they were widely available and can be purchased every day. They replied, "The company didn’t deliver to the store today because it is in a dispute with the government over the pricing of the canister.”

At that moment, I felt a deep sense of distress—how will we be able to breathe again? What was I supposed to do? I got into my car and drove to another store, only to find the same scene—more endless lines of people waiting for air canisters.

This was a crisis that demanded media attention to shed light on this issue. After a long wait, the government finally caved to the monopolizing company’s extortion and announced the new pricing: the cost of a single air canister would increase from one dollar to two. This, of course, added yet another burden for the people.

But the people no longer cared; they had long since grown accustomed to this. Ever since the Lebanese Civil War of 1975, they had mastered the art of adaptation. Prices rise, and they adjust—what matters is finding a bottle of air, so they can breathe and continue living with their children and families in this exceptional country.

When I arrived at the 'clean air' store, I saw a long line of people waiting. I won’t take you down memory lane to the bread, fuel, and dollar queues the Lebanese people had to endure—because, even in 2050, we are still living through them.

Still, every few months, we began to see the same scenes of long queues. Eventually, the government came up with another solution: launching an official platform to regulate air pricing. But, unsurprisingly, a black market soon emerged, and air canisters started vanishing from stores. If you wanted one, you had to buy it from a shoe seller.

Why a shoe seller? No one even asks anymore. In times of crisis, everyone becomes a merchant.

This terrifying scenario may seem far-fetched to some, and others might call me overly pessimistic. But what if I told you that in 2024, one million people in India died due to air pollution? What if I told you that air pollution is currently the leading cause of death worldwide? And this pollution continues as major industrial nations evade the recommendations of successive climate summits, which emphasize the urgent need to reduce hazardous emissions—chief among them carbon dioxide and methane.

In Lebanon, this looming danger is compounded by the systematic destruction of green spaces that protect the country, its people, and its environment—without any serious efforts to replace them by planting trees, which are essential for absorbing toxins, regulating the climate, and mitigating the effects of climate change.

This terrifying scenario may seem far-fetched to some, and others might call me overly pessimistic. But what if I told you that in 2024, one million people in India died due to air pollution? What if I told you that air pollution is currently the leading cause of death worldwide?

The failure to adopt environmental policies will lead us to ruin. Discussions about reducing emissions become meaningless in the face of a collapsed public transportation system, the lack of modern, eco-friendly transit options, and the privatization of electricity, leaving it in the hands of generator mafias that continue to dominate our streets. If we do not transition to state-produced electricity—most of which should come from renewable energy sources—and if we do not adopt proper waste management through sorting instead of incineration, then we will be trying in vain.

Some may ask: Could things really get this bad? Yes, absolutely. This environmentally destructive path will inevitably lead to the serious deterioration of air quality.

Others may wonder: Could clean air actually be sold? Yes, it is possible. The same forces that have made you buy bottled water—fearing contamination, despite the fact that water should be a universally available and free resource—will have no qualms about selling you bottled air. And just as you buy bottled water today for your health, you will one day buy bottled air to protect yourself and your loved ones.

Some may wonder: Could clean air actually be sold? Yes, it’s possible. The same forces that have made you buy bottled water—fearing contamination, despite the fact that water should be a universally available and free resource—will have no qualms about selling you bottled air. And just as you buy bottled water today for your health, you will one day buy bottled air to protect yourself and your loved ones.

To prevent this surreal future from becoming our reality—to keep our lives from falling under the control of a monopolistic company owned by a minister, a member of parliament, or their inner circle, selling us air just as they have sold us water—we must tackle air pollution now. Otherwise, selling air will become a thriving industry in a future where that lines the pockets of those who profit from our crises.

*The views and opinions expressed in Opinion and Blog articles are those of the author’s, and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Raseef22