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Community Science Is Changing How People Can Fight Pollution

Summary

Grassroots groups across the United States are taking pollution monitoring into their own hands to increase accountability and demand environmental justice. In cities like Houston, Texas, the grassroots group Texas Environmental Justice Advocacy Services (TEJAS) has launched a web-based tool called EyeAlerta, allowing residents to easily report pollution incidents and symptoms in real-time. The tool aims to monitor health threats, provide scientific evidence, and raise awareness among community members. In St. Louis, Missouri, the faith-based organization Metropolitan Congregations United (MCU) has installed PM2.5 monitors on church roofs and encourages residents to report qualitative data, helping to identify pollution hotspots and address environmental inequities. Meanwhile, in Chicago, the group Neighbors for Environmental Justice (N4EJ) has installed PurpleAir sensors across the city to monitor particulate matter levels and create awareness about pollution's impacts. These community science initiatives empower residents to collect data, advocate for change, and demand stricter enforcement of environmental protections.

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