Global Clean Air News


This month’s highlights include:

  • Hyperlocal air quality monitoring in Mexico City is poised to deliver clean air benefits.
 
  • Wildfire season is here, how can we reduce the air pollution we can control?
 
  • Children in Houston are telling their stories about what it’s like to live with air pollution. 
 
  • Meet Dr. Melissa Bilec, associate professor in the Swanson School of Engineering’s Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering.
 
  • Learn how EDF China is finding data-driven solutions to improving air quality. 

Hyperlocal air quality monitoring in Mexico City is poised to deliver clean air benefits.


EDF’s Global Clean Air Initiative, in collaboration with environmental authorities from Mexico City, launched a proposed methodology for designing and implementing a community-level air quality monitoring system in Mexico City. The Mexican capital has had a long and tumultuous journey in their fight against air pollution. The proposed monitoring system, once implemented, has the potential to enhance institutional capacities, build community support and forge evidence-based policies that drastically reduce pollution while building more resilient communities. We are excited by the opportunity that this partnership offers in advancing clean air for all.

Read more.
 

Wildfire season is here, how can we reduce the air pollution we can control?


Wildfire season is here in the United States. During the 2020 fire season, air-quality monitors in Portland, Oregon, and Seattle, Washington, measured the highest particulate matter levels of anywhere in the world. Living with more intense and extreme wildfires is our new climate reality. In addition to increasing guidance and resources for limiting exposure to wildfire smoke, we need to take immediate action to reduce our exposure to air pollution from burning fossil fuels.

Read EDF’s new Voices blog. 
 

Watch Winning Video


The results are in from Environmental Defense Fund's fourth annual “Houston Teens Care About Clean Air” video contest. Thirty-six youths in Houston -- the most participants ever -- all submitted video entries about living with pollution.

Watch their submissions here and read about first place winner Kystal Mireles’ story here. 
 

Partner Profile: Dr. Melissa Bilec 


Dr. Melissa Bilec is an associate professor in the Swanson School of Engineering’s Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering; she is the Deputy Director of the Mascaro Center for Sustainable Innovation. She is also the Roberta A. Luxbacher Faculty Fellow, and she serves as the Pitt STRIVE Director of Faculty Community Building and Engagement for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Dr. Bilec’s research is motivated by her strong commitment to develop positive, quantitative, and sustainable solutions for the built environment. Most recently, she is working to solve the global plastic waste challenge through the advancement and development of design for circular economy.

Learn more about Dr. Bilec’s work.

Taxis played an important role in hyperlocal air quality monitoring for the Cangzhou Clean Air Pilot Project. 
 

New On GlobalCleanAir.org: Cangzhou Clean Air Pilot project releases new Blueprint


Organizing air quality monitoring and initiating enforcement activities with the city and local level environmental authorities play a key role in improving China’s air quality. However, existing air quality monitoring networks and enforcement systems are still far from being effective and efficient. 

The Cangzhou Clean Air pilot project, organized by Environmental Defense Fund China in partnership with the Cangzhou City government, HD Environmental Consortium, and SUSTC Engineering Technology Innovation Centre (Beijing), demonstrated how monitoring technologies can deliver hyperlocal data to advise environmental officers to locate air pollution hotspots accurately and improve enforcement efficiency, explore a data-driven solution to improve air quality. Of 1,204 hotspots identified during the three-month campaign, suspected emission sources were reported within a 500m radius of 852 hotspots, yielding a pollution source detection rate of 71%. The majority of hotspots were caused by traffic, followed by construction, restaurants and industry emissions.

Learn more. 


In other news...

Best regards,

Sarah Vogel
Senior Vice President, Health