Air pollution, both inside and out, is known to have a negative impact on health and the environment. Air pollution at best, irritates the eyes and slows brain function. At worst, it results in premature death.
Air pollution is also known to kill plants. Plants suck carbon dioxide from the air, making it safer to breathe. Fewer plants mean more air pollution.
Fewer plants also mean less wild animals with habitat destruction and less food. That means natural predators die, leaving pests, such as rats free to experience a population increase, creating further problems for public health.
Air quality is important and affects all aspects of life.
Air Sensors
Smog can be seen, but it is best to prevent the problem in the first place. Air sensors monitor the particles in the air. Air sensors can be installed both inside and outside your premises. Indoor air pollution is just as hazardous as outdoor air pollution for human and animal health. Airly.org provides hyper-local details about the air quality in your community. It can help you and your neighbours change your habits for cleaner air.
Awareness
Air quality monitors provide awareness of the air pollution issues. If people are more aware of what they are doing that causes damage, they are more likely to change. Seeing a report on the TV or in a magazine about car exhaust fume contributing to air pollution is a bit too abstract for most people to change their habits. However, with a real-time, hyper-local air quality sensor people can see what damage the school run is causing and encourage their children to walk instead. It will encourage people to take less short trips in their cars. If enough people do that, air pollution can reduce significantly.
Community Action
You can’t put a giant air filter on the entire outside world. It just isn’t practical. With awareness of what problems the morning commute is causing, communities can arrange carpools and make walking routes safer. Some communities may decide to plant trees and flowers, not only to suck up the excess CO2, but also give a sense of community spirit to cleaning the air. Everyone can change habits together.
Businesses
Businesses may be resistant to change as they see it as a needless expense. An office might be willing to install an air quality monitor and swap cleaning chemicals, but a factory is going to be a lot less inclined to cut down on their air pollution levels.
Economies may be reliant on manufacturing. We can all cut down our consumerism in some way, but everyone has a basic need for clothing, furniture and technology. People not running out to buy the latest smartphone will help. If the factories that make the phones go bust; however, a lot of people will be unemployed. This is where the UN can step in and help factories take action to improve air quality.
Air pollution can seem like an abstract concept. Air quality sensors can make it more relatable.