Having Clean Air Is Now A Status Symbol In Countries With Severe Air Pollution

There’s something to be said about business people being able to turn anything into a means of earning a profit. In the case of some establishments in China, for example, being able to offer customers clean air is considered a luxury amenity. As crazy as that may sound, it actually makes sense since the elite clients of these places do pay more for the privilege of being able to breathe without coughing smog.

It speaks to how bad things have gotten in China with regards to air pollution that when the Cordis hotel opened in Shanghai, one of its greatest selling points is having clean, indoor air, The Guardian reports. In terms of its other amenities, the hotel is hardly any different from many other luxury establishments in the city. Therefore, it’s a testament to the dire need of fresh air that people have that Cordis can stand out in this manner.

As to how the Cordis actually manages to keep its interior air so clean, this is due to the air filtration system that the builders installed. The dirty air from the outside basically has to go through two layers of filtration to be cleaned and even the air inside the hotel is constantly cycled through the filters to keep it clean.

It’s not just hotels that are getting the luxury clean air treatment either. In India, some of the most expensive schools in Delhi are offering the same amenities, Futurism notes. This basically means that only those who have the means to afford it can have air that is not as dangerous to breathe.

Everyone else will have to breathe in polluted air. This will lead to even more cases of asthma attacks, lung cancer, and cardiovascular issues that are directly linked to air pollution at the scale these countries are experiencing.