The Visible Air Project
Air is the most basic, and universal, human need.
Because it is invisible, most people don’t even think about it.
But they should.
Because it is invisible, most people don’t even think about it.
But they should.
Figures from the World Health Organisation (WHO) show that 1 in 8 of total global deaths in 2012 were due to air pollution. Most people know air pollution causes breathing problems, but it turns out that just one of many medical effects. WHO figures show that 40% of the deaths due to air pollution are from heart disease. Strokes cause another 40%. Air pollution can also lower the IQ of children and reduce their lung development.
These health issues have a huge financial cost. It is estimated that health impact of outdoor air pollution in OCED (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) countries was US$1.7 Trillion in 2010. It’s a major issue here in Australia. A 2005 study estimated the health cost associated with air pollution in the Greater Sydney Region was $893 per capita, or a staggering 1.9% of the Gross State Product for NSW.
Air pollution in cities harms the planet too. Cities are also the major source of greenhouse gas emissions, accounting for over 70% of global carbon dioxide emissions from energy consumption. The Climate leadership group C40 notes that “90 precent of the world’s urban areas are situated on coastlines. Cities are at high risk from some of the devastating impacts of climate change, such as rising sea levels and powerful coastal storms.”
Of course, there are no easy answers. But in management there is a saying: “you care about what you measure”. Making air pollution “visible” makes it possible to identify the problem, as well as the solutions that work.
That’s why Wirriga is starting the “Visible Air Project”: a network of sensors across Sydney where air quality will be measured, and the analytics needed to interpret what it means. It will provide detailed, scientifically-credible, real-time data for subscribers.
These health issues have a huge financial cost. It is estimated that health impact of outdoor air pollution in OCED (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) countries was US$1.7 Trillion in 2010. It’s a major issue here in Australia. A 2005 study estimated the health cost associated with air pollution in the Greater Sydney Region was $893 per capita, or a staggering 1.9% of the Gross State Product for NSW.
Air pollution in cities harms the planet too. Cities are also the major source of greenhouse gas emissions, accounting for over 70% of global carbon dioxide emissions from energy consumption. The Climate leadership group C40 notes that “90 precent of the world’s urban areas are situated on coastlines. Cities are at high risk from some of the devastating impacts of climate change, such as rising sea levels and powerful coastal storms.”
Of course, there are no easy answers. But in management there is a saying: “you care about what you measure”. Making air pollution “visible” makes it possible to identify the problem, as well as the solutions that work.
That’s why Wirriga is starting the “Visible Air Project”: a network of sensors across Sydney where air quality will be measured, and the analytics needed to interpret what it means. It will provide detailed, scientifically-credible, real-time data for subscribers.