Galway project aims to raise air pollution awareness

A new community art initiative in Galway is aiming to raise awareness about air pollution and encourage city neighbourhoods to reduce carbon emissions.

‘The Air We Share’ project is part of Galway City Council’s climate action plan.

It will be run in the Westside area, which has been designated a decarbonising zone.

It is hoped emissions there can be cut by over 50%, in the next six years, as part of ongoing local authority targets.

Seven air pollution monitors will record pollution data around Westside to “make the invisible visible”.

The information gathered will be used by the local community to devise and create visual artistic representations of the statistics, in an effort to draw attention to the issue and promote debate.

The project will be assisted by three artists in residence, who will work with locals over the next 12 months.

A website – theairweshare.ie – will allow people to log on and check the air quality readings at a number of designated locations. The information is updated automatically throughout the day, with readings and graphs showing the trends in real time.

As well as identifying sources of pollution, residents will suggest practical solutions to address it.

The city council is hoping that a mix of creativity and dialogue will encourage behavioural change, to help achieve the 2030 climate targets.

Dr Liz Coleman, an air pollution specialist at the University of Galway, said the project would raise collective understanding and create space to experiment with locally driven solutions.

“The Air We Share makes the issue of air pollution tangible,” she said.

The initiative is being launched this weekend, as part of the ongoing Westside Community Arts Festival, which features a programme of free events for locals in the residential area, a short distance from Galway city centre.