Air Quality Stripes have long-term trends of air pollution in many cities across the world. Here is London. Nice work @jimmcquaid.bsky.social & @kirstypringle.bsky.social. airqualitystripes.info/stripes/?con... h/t @edhawkins.org - ThreadSky

hannahritchie.bsky.social • 100 days ago

Air Quality Stripes have long-term trends of air pollution in many cities across the world.

Here is London.

Nice work @jimmcquaid.bsky.social & @kirstypringle.bsky.social.

https://airqualitystripes.info/stripes/?continent=Europe&country=United%20Kingdom&city=London&plot=stripes

h/t @edhawkins.org

Comments

jimmcquaid.bsky.social•99 days ago

And we just invoked the @bsky.app sharing feature for every city too.

https://bsky.app/profile/jimmcquaid.bsky.social/post/3lc3khp3erk2s

ir-iran.bsky.social•100 days ago

We in the Islamic Republic of Iran are experiencing first hand the effects of pollution in Tehran. We must look at renewable energy and new battery technology. Our great nation will recover!

mikewehner.bsky.social•100 days ago

This is super cool. Any idea what the little blips were in the early 2010s? Some kind of regulation rollback that was eventually reinstated?

hannahritchie.bsky.social•100 days ago

Here is Beijing:

https://airqualitystripes.info/stripes/?continent=Asia&country=China&city=Beijing&plot=stripes

kevinleecaster.bsky.social•100 days ago

It would be interesting to see fossil fuel use line along with those.

I guess I'm just wondering if the early onset of India's dangerous air quality this year might be related to how cheap the low prices for fossil fuels they're now getting by still buying from Russia.

hannahritchie.bsky.social•100 days ago

We have energy data on OWID here: https://ourworldindata.org/explorers/energy?tab=chart&Total+or+Breakdown=Select+a+source&Energy+or+Electricity=Primary+energy&Metric=Annual+consumption&Select+a+source=Coal&country=~IND

Coal burning certainly has a big impact.

But another big contributor in India — especially during peak season — is crop-burning to clear fields.

busbyj2.bsky.social•100 days ago

Is it that much earlier this year? Seasonal after agricultural stubble burned, starts to get cold, everything trapped at base of Himalayas.

kevinleecaster.bsky.social•100 days ago

@hannahritchie.bsky.social
Considering that crop stubble burning causes only about 15% of Delhi's air pollution and it usually ends by now I'm not so sure it is the major thing to focus upon.

Perhaps, the access to cheaper fossil fuels they have by supporting the war in Ukraine is not related, idk

busbyj2.bsky.social•100 days ago

What I was pointing to was the multi-causal nature not just crop stubble. Not sure there was a change in seasonality. Crop stubble burning seasonally makes it worse this time of year.

busbyj2.bsky.social•100 days ago

Different studies have different estimates for how much is driven by different sources.

https://urbanemissions.info/blog-pieces/whats-polluting-delhis-air/

https://urbanemissions.info/wp-content/uploads/images/2023-10-Delhi-AQ-Review_05.jpg

jason38911.bsky.social•100 days ago

Cool, but wish the US contained cities between the East and West coasts, but I guess we don’t.

sanerefrain.bsky.social•100 days ago

Pittsburgh? One of 7 US cities that matter
https://airqualitystripes.info/stripes/?continent=North%20America&country=USA&city=Pittsburgh&plot=stripes
Be thankful, India, the most populous nation, has 5 cities that matter.

jason38911.bsky.social•100 days ago

Fair enough, and I think it’s a great idea. Would love to know how things look in coal country where I’m from.

busbyj2.bsky.social•100 days ago

This one for Delhi is telling. Why air quality has not taken off as an issue in India yet is a bit baffling as it taking multiple years off people's life expectancy there. Air quality stripes plot for Delhi, India: https://airqualitystripes.info/stripes/?continent=Asia&country=India&city=Delhi&plot=stripes

passivehousebb.bsky.social•77 days ago

Next please look at two items in all three cities: the increase in cycling and the adoption of electric vehicles. London & Beijing have both significantly increased cycling. Not sure about Delhi…

subu.bsky.social•99 days ago

You seem to mean well, but to say "air quality has not taken off as an issue in India" suggests a lack of awareness of the work actually being done in India to combat air pollution, the associated public conversation (e.g. my pinned post), spatial variation in AQ - not all of us breathe Delhi air.

busbyj2.bsky.social•99 days ago

Happy to know there is more going on. I note that Delhi’s air is particularly bad and am not claiming that is the reality country wide. Will check out the pinned post.

subu.bsky.social•99 days ago

Fair, thanks.

We get a lot of media requests especially during these winter months, which are linked on @cstep-india.bsky.social feed.

busbyj2.bsky.social•99 days ago

The core question in my mind is whether politicians are winning and losing elections on this issue. Some recent news coverage of AAP and BJP suggests the issue may be more electorally salient than it has been. https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/delhi-chokes-due-to-air-pollution-as-aqi-breaches-severe-plus-mark-bjp-aap-engage-in-poster-war-2635295-2024-11-18

jayscarlett.bsky.social•95 days ago

Notice the correlation of London's air quality improving as we send our most polluting activities to places like India and China.
Have we become blind to the consequences of our modern lifestyles?

jovicu.bsky.social•100 days ago

📌

fransfie.bsky.social•100 days ago

Bit different compared to the data on Our World in Data 😉. Other methodology and other pollutant indicator, but personally I also think that there is more evidence that the pollution peak is around 1900 with a more steep decline afterwards.

nellieo.bsky.social•100 days ago

Do air quality trends generally mirror industrialization? Do global north countries see air quality improvements when manufacturing moves elsewhere? 1/2

nellieo.bsky.social•100 days ago

I don't want to be be overly pessimistic - air quality does improve with car emissions standards, industrial regulation, and increasing renewables - but I'm wary of the contribution of an emissions whackamole to the impressions from these charts.