Does air pollution derive more from cars or from coal burning plants? Listen to find out this age-old question and much more on the premiere episode of Air pollution in Central Asia podcast with Airkaz.org website founder Pavel Alexander. Pavel initially started monitoring air pollution levels out of curiosity, simply for the level of safety of keeping the apartment window open. After 3 years, the website expanded to multiple live sensors in six cities throughout Kazakhstan as well as Bishkek. Listen along while you check your city/neighborhood PM 2.5 levels on www.airkaz.org

This is the first installment of the Innovation for Change Central Asia podcast series Air Pollution in Central Asia. Stay tuned for further episodes every Wednesday!

Timestamps:

0:15 - The beginning of Airkaz.org

1:20 - Number of cities and number of sensors

2:18 - Crowdsourcing

3:50 - Response from community

5:13 - Air pollution Sensors

6:10 - Smog and PM2.5

7:04 - Source of air pollution in Almaty

9:21 - COVID 19 and new air pollution data

11:56 - Coal plant quality & omissions

14:07 - Government action towards PM2.5 levels

15:25 - Airkaz.org relation with government organizations

17:59 - Ban coal

18:58 - Shift to natural gas

20:22 - Pollution in Central Asia compared to the rest of the world

21:50 - Civil society interest in air pollution levels and transparency

22:29 - Health problems

25:19 - How to make change and the importance of uniting.