In the modern world environmental pollution has become a concerning issue as it has

been causing a lot of health problems not only among humans but also among animals.
Due to the industrial revolution from the late 20th century, the environment has been
polluted to such an extent that it has become a global issue. In recent times it has been
seen that pollution is increasing day by day.

In Hanoi, air pollution has become a particularly concerning issue. Everywhere you go,
you see motorcycles, after all, it is the most commonly used vehicle in Vietnam. There is
a plethora of them in every street you cross. Traffic congestion is a menace unless
you’re in a car or bus because if you were riding on a motorcycle yourself, you would
breathe in the carbon monoxide fumes from your motorcycle, cars, and other
motorcycles on the road with you. That’s why a lot of people have been wearing masks
long before the pandemic started.

Industry, transportation, coal power plants and household solid fuel usage are major
contributors to air pollution. Air pollution continues to rise at an alarming rate, and
affects economies and people's quality of life. Transportation is a big factor in Hanoi
because almost every family here has a motorcycle–sometimes 2 even.

The solution won’t be as fine and simple as “Why not just stop using motorcycles?”.
Motorcycles are popular because they are cheaper [than cars] and more convenient, as
you don't have to go through the pains of car parking, and a lot of roads in Vietnam are
simply too narrow and dangerous for big four-wheeled vehicles. Because of those
reasons, people can’t simply abolish motorcycles, we would have to go through another
slew of problems.

Though there might be a silver lining in this smog-polluted cloud, a law, which went into
effect on January 1st of 2022 required owners of factories to use the best available
technology to control pollution and limit environmental impacts and defines residential
communities as an essential part of the environment to be protected.