Air quality dashboard helps communities with monitoring

CLEANAIRE NC

Daisha Wall, CleanAIRE NC’s community science manager, installs an air monitor in Historic West End. Charlotte-based CleanAIRE NC launched the AirKeeper Dashboard, a platform of real-time air quality and information to empower community advocacy for clean air.

A new interactive mapping tool allows North Carolinians to track air quality.

CleanAIRE NC launched the AirKeeper Dashboard, a platform of real-time air quality and information to empower community advocacy for clean air. 

The dashboard, developed in partnership with AirKeepers, or community scientists who host a network of air monitors used on the map, centers the experiences of people most affected by pollution. The platform provides access to environmental data, demographic information, and health statistics.

The dashboard can be accessed by computer or tablet at cleanairenc.org/airkeeper-dashboard. 

"Our goal is to equip North Carolina communities with the information they need to advocate for cleaner air and healthier living conditions," Z Strawderman, CleanAIRE NC’s environmental justice manager said in a statement. "Through the AirKeeper Dashboard, community members can examine air quality, investigate pollution concerns, share their findings through maps and reports, and continue to build the case for positive change."

The dashboard includes:

• Real-time and historic data that allows users to view and download current and historical air quality data from a network of air monitors.

• Data from community scientists provides hyper-local insights.

• Pollution source mapping in proximity to locations with health-sensitive populations such as childcare centers and assisted living facilities.

• Demographic data including race, income and education alongside health statistics to understand the intersection of exposure and environmental justice.

"The dashboard interface is both intuitive and thorough. This tool will really help fill an information gap," said Ryke Longest, Director of the Duke University Environmental Law and Policy Clinic and a beta tester.

The digital platform displays local air quality information for communities near pollution-emitting sources and health-sensitive populations. Users can also cite the data to advocate for accountability from polluters and policymakers.

"The AirKeeper Dashboard is a game changer,” said Kibri Hutchison Everett, founder of Key Environmental Consulting and a CleanAIRE NC board member who was one of 20 beta testers during the platform’s development. “It brings together real-time air quality data and community demographics in one place, making it easy and convenient for residents, advocates, and decision-makers to understand local environmental risks."

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