Sarah Knight, UK Data Service Data Impact Fellow and PhD student in the Environment Department of the University of York, talks about how she engaged with the public to discuss air pollution issues and to develop understanding of people’s experiences of air pollution.
This month I have been mostly…talking to the public! I have been lucky enough to be part of a public engagement programme since January 2017 to discuss air pollution issues.
AirFest
Making the Invisible Visible
I was one of seven PhD students on the turkey rcs data NERC-funded Making The Invisible Visible programme. The programme brought together students, researchers, and practitioners at the Universities of York, Leeds and Sheffield, the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) and The Conservation Volunteers to organise and conduct activities that would allow dialogue between us and other public groups. The aims of these activities were to engage people in air pollution issues, provide information and knowledge, and develop our own understanding of people’s experiences of air pollution.
My current research explores how exposure to air pollution, specifically nitrogen dioxide, impacts subjective well-being, so I was really interested in discussing this issue with members of the public. Who knows what fascinating topics we’d discuss.