la cordillera y el smog

so i've been here for almost three weeks now, and i still stop and stare whenever i see the andes. they are so absolutely awe-inspiring, i'm not sure i'll ever stop gawking. skiing this weekend was surreal, i was constantly torn between stopping to take in the breathtaking views or getting in as many runs as possible in the great snow.



unfortunately el colorado also boasted great views of santiago's smog... i took a lot of deep breaths while i could, and tried not to think about what i was heading for on the way down. our guest lecturer on chile's environment informed us that kids in LA (similar smog conditions to Santiago) who play sports have 20-30% less lung capacity than regular kids. i am contemplating making my runs minimal until september when the smog supposedly subsides for the spring/summer. this is santiago's one real negative point, and thinking about what is filling my lungs every day really bothers me, so i just try to avoid the thought. la cordillera is actually one of the main reasons the smog is so bad, because the air can't move and dissipate the bad stuff- so what would i sacrifice, my breathing capacity or the gorgeous view from my window? :) i want to look into what santiago is doing to try and alleviate the problem- their public transportation is already phenomenal, and crowded enough at all hours to make it feel like literally everyone uses it, so what's the next step?