England (Commonwealth Union) – Poor air quality has been an issue transcending borders as witnessed recently by many residents of Sri Lanka and the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu which came about due to winds blowing air pollutants all the way from Delhi in North India. Global air pollution is a significant problem particularly in densely populated cities, and a second round of London community groups is set to obtain free sensors which will help them track air pollution.
The Breathe London Community Programme, consisting of 30 local groups, are set to be facilitated to measure air quality with support from Imperial College London researchers, to act on lowering air pollution in communities.
The Mayor of London and Bloomberg Philanthropies recently announced another round of 30 community groups to obtain free air quality sensors distributed as part of the Breathe London Community Programme, with 11 of the sensors distributed to communities in outer London boroughs. The initiative has already distributed 40 sensors to 40 community groups since 2021, empowering communities all over areas of London affected by low air quality with hardly any green spaces to monitor their exposure to toxic pollutants and alert communities of the significance of clean air.
Poor air quality has indicated multiple health impacts such as elevated risk of dementia, lung cancer and low birth weight. It is also capable of stunting children’s lungs and further deteriorating chronic illnesses like asthma. UN Special Envoy on Climate Ambition and Solutions and Founder of Bloomberg LP and Bloomberg Philanthropies, Michael R. Bloomberg, said: “Everyone deserves to breathe clean air, and these new sensors will empower communities to fight pollution by giving them the real-time data they need to do it. The communities that have suffered the most from dirty air will see the biggest benefits, and we’re glad to support the mayor’s efforts to continue improving air quality all across London.”
