Smog in Santiago, Chile

Northeastern Santiago is beautiful, insofar as a city goes. There are many trees whose canopies cover the main streets and the streets are normally litter-free. The backdrop view of the 15,000 foot foothills (much of the Andes range peaks being 20,000 feet to 24,000 feet high), sometime snow-covered, are splendid. Plus, the modern buildings and infrastructure of Santiago are sublime. People are generally peaceful and orderly. Every amenity and every kind of modern store or shop is available. I cannot think of anywhere in the world that I have been with a higher standard of living for a reasonable sum than Santiago. Just look at the photos of Santiago below.

But to listen to the USA's leftist commentators, typically radical environmentalists, Santiago is a poor, dirty, and smoggy place. They focus on poorer sections of the city and generalize, making their comments as if they were a reporter visiting New York which never talked about Manhattan but instead only emphasized the filth of Queens and the Bronx. These leftists are myopic and do not see that Santiago's middle class and wealth continue to expand. Of course production and growth yield undesirable consequences, including air pollution. But consider again in the photos below the affluence of Santiago an its beautiful spires with mountains as a backdrop.

Like other major world cities nestled up against large mountain ranges, e.g., Los Angeles, Santiago is often beleaguered by smog. I remember driving up the mountains over Santiago to local ski areas and seeing in the morning a spectacular view of Santiago's spires and vast expanses. Only to be disgusted by midday that the entire view had become obscured by a brown soup. Since there is little manufacturing in Chile, most of the smog comes from automobiles and trucks, as well as light industry and construction.

Smog is mainly a problem, even reaching hazardous levels, in late May, June, July and August (wintertime) when there is climatic inversion. During the rest of the year, smog levels are much lower on account of constant breezes or windy days. Of course there are clear days in the winter too, especially after a good rainfall. Like Southern California and Italy, it only rains in Santiago in fall and winter. There is rarely ever rainfall from late October through March. The pictures of Santiago below show the city on smoggy days.

Noise pollution is far more rapant in Santiago than air pollution most of the time. The noise in high-rise apartments with open windows is ferocious.

Despite the smog, there are tremendous benefits to living in Santiago. There are many activities for single people and for children. There are many cultural attractions. There are many good jobs. There are first class hospitals. The infrastructure (e.g., toll highways and metro) is top-notch. Private schools and universities are good. Many large businesses locate here. Indeed, many multinational firms in the region prefer to locate their headquarters in Santiago with its brilliant lifestyle and secure property rights rather than in countries suffering from constant regime changes and instability. The international airport (SCL) is excellent and there are many flights across the region and abroad, and the national flights for weekend getaways are cheap. The weather is warm most of the year, even hot sometimes, but with a dry heat like in Southern California. There is a fair amount of rainfall, perhaps 15 inches per year, but not enough to scare away most fair-weather seekers. And those who want perfect weather during the rainy (and smoggy) season can always buy a condo in another part of Chile where they can reside for a few months. Check out Arica and Iquique for instance, or perhaps La Serena.

Santiago has everything and it is said by the locals: "Santiago is Chile." Thus, it is for good reason that Santiaguinos put up with the smoggy months.

Americans who analyze Chile before arriving in country are often too quick to say that they would not live in Santiago, preferring to live out of the big city like they do in the USA. They fail to realize that urban areas in other countries are different. Indeed, major cities outside of the USA often offer a better living situation than suburbs or smaller towns within those countries. Such is the case with Chile.

The ten panoramic photos below were taken today, Sunday, November 14, 2008, at 3:25 p.m., great weather 82 degrees, from an apartment tower in northeastern Santiago. Santiago smog is not much of a problem in these photos, as you can see.