A new tool offers a window into some of the invisible polluting particles that can make it harder to breathe — and where they are located.
CleanAIRE NC’s AirKeeper Dashboard is an interactive map that shows air quality data and the location of polluters. It also highlights demographic and health data, such as a community’s average rate of asthma or different cancers.
“To look at things on a map, you really get a bird's eye view and a sense of proximity to these like polluting sources,” CleanAIRE NC’s Z Strawderman said. “Maybe there's something in your community that you didn't even realize was there, or an air permit that you didn't realize one of these facilities had, because they might be away from view.”
Over 100 “AirKeepers” who host monitors on their houses across the state contribute air quality data to the map.
“We're concentrating on communities that are overburdened by these polluting facilities,” Strawderman said. “People reach out to us, and they express an interest in working with us. Community involvement is really key to a successful community science program.”
According to Strawderman, the tool aims to both educate and empower communities.
“What we hope is that community members will take a look at these reports, see what's around them, and potentially share it with their neighbors, their family," said Strawderman. "And, especially if there is an opportunity for public input, share with decision-makers about what is in the community and why they do or don't want a new facility moving in. It's an advocacy tool as well as a data tool.”
You can access the tool at https://cleanairenc.org.