Nepal, Dec. 28 -- As plumes of black sooty air rush out of the tailpipes of the countless diesel buses that snake through the streets of Kathmandu, poisoning the air we breathe and discolouring our blue skies, we do nothing to revolt. It begs a question: Do we even get what this dirty air is doing to us?

Do we realise what this poisonous air is doing to our throats, to our lungs, to our tissues, and to our lives? Do we get what this is doing to our children, the elderly and everyone in between? In Kathmandu, air pollution has become the single greatest threat to our lives. Air pollution is now the greatest risk to our health, well above the usual suspects like high blood pressure, malnutrition and tobacco use. On average, we are losing 3...