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🗞️ Driving the news: A new interactive tool developed by Climate TRACE, a global coalition of scientists and nonprofits, allows the public to track air pollution exposure and identify major emitters in over 2,500 cities worldwide
• By combining emissions data with weather simulations, the platform visualizes pollution plumes from super emitters—facilities in the top 10% of PM2.5 polluters—highlighting their impact on public health and climate
🔭 The context: Climate TRACE, co-founded by Al Gore and supported by organizations using AI and satellite monitoring, has compiled a database of over 660 million sources of pollution
• The platform now integrates data on both greenhouse gases and hazardous air pollutants, a significant advance especially for regions lacking detailed pollution inventories
• In many cities, major emitters include ports, industrial sites, and shipping activity, which often go unnoticed in public discourse on pollution
🌍 Why it matters for the planet: Air pollution remains a leading global health risk, responsible for nearly 9 million deaths annually, while many polluting facilities also contribute significantly to climate change
• This tool not only improves transparency and accountability but also empowers civil society, policymakers, and researchers to target interventions more effectively
• By visualizing how pollution travels and whom it affects, Climate TRACE provides a unique bridge between local public health concerns and global climate objectives
⏭️ What's next: Climate TRACE's platform is publicly accessible, and its creators hope it will drive community action, policy reform, and emission reduction efforts in the world's most polluted regions
• The tool highlights previously underreported sectors like domestic shipping and port infrastructure, pointing to potential new regulatory targets
• With nearly 2 billion people living in pollution plumes of top emitters, the data could become a catalyst for local advocacy and global coordination
💬 One quote: “It’s one thing to measure how much pollution is coming out of a smokestack, but it’s even more important to see where it ends up.” – Al Gore
📈 One stat: Over half of the 1.6 billion people living in high-pollution zones are exposed to hazardous air from the top 10% of PM2.5-emitting facilities globally
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