Environmental activism is uncommon in Serbia. Most discourse seems to revolve around issues of politics – autocratization, corruption, EU membership, the wars of the 90s, Kosovo’s independence, migrants, recent school shootings … the list goes on and on. There are protests against environmental issues, uncommon as they are. Air pollution is the most unifying topic. “Foul coal plants, vast landfills, old vehicles and bad heaters spew a cocktail of toxic particles that land in the lungs and veins of the city’s residents.” – from a Sep 2023 Guardian article about air pollution in Belgrade. In winter, air quality in Belgrade plummets even further, as coal-fired heaters increase the quantity of pollutants. The abysmal air quality has been a source of protests for decades, yet no significant improvements have been made. “Last year, Serbia adopted a €2.6bn (£2.2bn) action plan to reduce air pollution over the decade. It includes measures to clean up factories and speed up the phase-out of old cars, boilers and stoves. Critics say there is not enough political will to clean the air quickly.”  –  https://theguardian.com/world/2023/sep/22/belgrade-serbia-air-pollution  

I have begun to notice the decrease in air quality. My throat feels scratchy when I walk on the street for too long, like I have inhaled too much of something. I take refuge in the city’s green spaces, like Kosutnjak forest.