If there were any doubts about the noxiousness of the air on Avenida Abancay, the bus-clogged thoroughfare here that runs past Peru’s Congress, they have been dispelled by the real-time air monitoring system installed last August by the National Environment Council (Conam). The system confirmed what most limeños who frequent the city center knew: that they were breathing large quantities of airborne particulates and other pollutants spewed out by poorly maintained vehicles. The monitoring system is part of a growing effort by Conam and the Ministry of Health to raise awareness about air quality, increase oversight and develop local plans to clear the air. In that effort, Lima is following in the footsteps of other large Latin American cities, including Mexico City, São... [Log in to read more]