Air quality for all

Poor air quality is a global problem but one could be forgiven for not always recognising its extent both spatially and in terms of the number of people affected.

Greenhouse gases and activities to limit the effects of climate change have become far more newsworthy in large sections of the popular media and it is not surprising that air pollution has for a lot of people become synonymous with carbon dioxide emissions.

Yet insufficient focus on air quality has led to some shocking statistics coming from almost every nation and few countries able to claim cleaner air above their cities today compared to ten years ago.

The challenge for geographers is not only how to raise the need for clean air up the political agenda but also how to come up with new and inventive solutions to the increasing levels of particulates in our homes and skies without compromising the economy of our cities. This all needs to be done in a viable and meaningful timeframe so that future generations are not overwhelmed by the legacy of poor air management that we seem set to leave.

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