Blue sky and fresh green tree
In so many ways, fighting air pollution is a collective effort. Many of us have a vague idea of how bad air is impacting our health. Still, when you really zero in, the whole thing becomes more concerning.
With that in mind, there are things going on to combat the effects of air loaded with things like No2 and VOCs. That’s not to mention the PM 2.5 that accompanies not only factory emissions, but wildfires, too.
Across various offices, people are working on making sure that we have a robust response to the issue at hand. Here are some of the things going on at various community levels.
Global and Regional Conferences
Stakeholders are coming together each year to figure out how to work on the problem of air pollution. There’s the Climate and Clean Air Conference put on by the United Nations Environment Program and the Climate and Clean Air Coalition happening February 21–23 in Nairobi, Kenya. And there’s the WHO Global Conference on Air Pollution and Health which happened March 25–27, 2025, in Cartagena, Colombia.
Regionally, we have the Clean Air Conference hosted by the Clean Air Society of Australia and New Zealand (CASANZ), which focuses on the science of air quality, as well as policy and management.
And don’t forget the IAQVEC, (Indoor Air Quality, Ventilation, and Energy Conservation in Buildings) held in Los Angeles (dates TBD?)
In addition, the UN is involved in the Global Climate Action Summit. Here, world leaders meet to talk about regulations on industrial emissions and vehicle standards, and other air quality issues.
Urban Efforts
Then there are programs that occur at a city level. Many of them have some involvement in terms of national governments. At least, there’s often acknowledgement and collaboration. Take a look at some of these ground-breaking efforts.
The Green Riyadh project intends to plant 7.5 million trees throughout the city, for more greenery and pollution-fighting power. New York’s Green Infrastructure Program includes funding projects like green roofs, rain gardens, and permeable pavements for overall environmental improvements.
Then we have China’s Sponge City Initiative, where cities like Wuhan and Shanghai get updates to systems in order to promote better ecological results. There’s the Bosco Verticale or “Vertical Forest,” in Milan, where 20,000 trees and plants festoon a pair of towers (this project is very impressive-looking!). Down under, there’s One Central Park in Sydney, featuring the world’s tallest vertical gardens, with over 85,000 built in.
Another such project is the Al Shaheed Park: Kuwait’s largest urban park, with 78.5 acres of green space, as well as museums and cultural venues, and a rich arbor.
Want more? Check out Singapore’s “City in a Garden” design, with biodomes and waterfront gardens, and more, or Philadelphia’s Green City, Clean Waters program, which involves infrastructure like rain gardens and green roofing systems.
Technology-Driven Advancements
Then there’s the raft of innovations that we are relying on for improving the air that we breathe. A number of AI-related projects are revolutionizing the tools that we have at our disposal to keep the air clean. We have to figure out how to deal with challenges around contaminants. To be sure, some of these, like forecasting, are more about damage control, but there is the idea, promoted by stakeholders like the World Economic Forum, that all of this collected information is going to help empower public planners to make cities smarter, and decrease pollutants. That happens, in part, with tree planting and other arborial or horticultural projects, since plants can actually remove some contaminants from the air.
Air Pollution in Your Home
All of this planning is generally directed toward outdoor air, but there’s also the challenges of purifying the air in your home. Some contaminants will leak in from outside, but others are generated within a building, and get trapped there, cycled through a living space. That includes items like:
· Mold spores
· Dust mote debris
· Pet dander and allergens
· Volatile organic chemicals (VOCs)
· PM 2.5 from combustion
What do all of these things have in common? They can be reduced by running a modern air purifier, which will scrub your indoor air clean. You can choose from a whole-home system, or one or more portable, floor-standing air purifier units for a given space. Check out applicable ACH (air changes per hour) and CADR (Clean Air Delivery Rates) to see how to match your needs for improved air quality in your home. US Air Purifiers LLC can help! We have a great track record of assisting customers with questions and concerns about finding the right air purifier. Invest in your health, in your home.