Air quality project in Buffalo, New York, could one day help residents breathe easier » Yale Climate Connections

Transcript:

Gas cars and diesel trucks emit climate-warming carbon dioxide as well as tiny particles of air pollution that are dangerous to breathe.

And in many cities, low-income neighborhoods of color are disproportionately exposed to tailpipe exhaust.

Murawski: “In Buffalo, we’ve had several urban highways that were developed in the 50s and 60s that cut through Black neighborhoods in the city.”

That’s Chris Murawski with the Clean Air Coalition of Western New York.

To learn which areas in the city are most vulnerable, his group is placing air sensors outside the homes of volunteers. The devices will measure particle pollution for about six months straight.

And his group is working with the state on a related project.

Murawski: “What they did was they drove mobile air monitors that were attached to cars and they drove through all these different neighborhoods block by block.”

The results of both projects can help ensure that solutions reach the people who need them most.

For example, the data could inform where to expand public transit options. Or it could guide efforts to help residents acquire air filtration systems for their homes.

So the people who have been the most burdened by air pollution can literally breathe easier.

Reporting credit: Sarah Kennedy / ChavoBart Digital Media