Air pollution impacts every aspect of our lives, especially health. Companies across all industries now seek to integrate environmental intelligence into their offerings and provide actionable insights to improve daily health choices.
We created this list of the top 10 air quality influencers to follow to help keep you informed on a variety of environmental topics. From academics to scientists to business leaders, these experts provide fountains of useful information for product managers, marketing analysts, and the general public alike.
1. Simon Birkett – Clean Air in London
A former banker, Simon Birkett left the financial world in 2009 and pursued a new calling – tirelessly campaigning for clean air in London. And no doubt, the city needs him. A few years ago, London earned the title “the most polluted city in Europe.” And while progress has been made, the fight for clean air is not yet over.
As Founder and Director of Clean Air in London, Simon pressured city and federal governments for nearly a decade and managed to get the U.K. government to provide the official figures on premature deaths caused by air pollution. He regularly shares updates on the Clean Air in London website and Twitter account.
2. Sotirios Papathanasiou – See the Air
A Spain-based advocate for clean air, Sotirios Papathanasiou runs the popular See the Air blog, where he informs the public about air pollution and the small actionable steps individuals can take to reduce their daily exposure to poor air quality. Sotirios regularly reviews different air pollution solutions on the market based on his personal experience and interest in air quality.
We were privileged enough to interview Sotirios in 2020 as part of our “Ask The Expert” blog series, and he shared some great insights on how to educate children and adults about air pollution and gave some very useful advice on how to limit personal exposure.
3. Dr. Shelly Miller – Environmental Engineering Professor at CU Boulder
Dr. Shelly Miller is an Environmental Engineering Professor at the University of Colorado in Boulder, specializing in the study of sources/health impacts and control of urban and indoor air pollution.
Dr. Miller’s research focuses on studying indoor air quality, pollution sources, health effects, and solutions. She regularly shares studies and articles about urban air pollution’s impact on health and day-to-day life. Follow Dr. Miller on Twitter to stay informed on air quality solutions and indoor pollution research.
4. Jeffrey K Smith – Environmental Health Solutions
Jeff Smith is an expert on air quality monitoring, a staunch clean energy advocate who consults the World Health Organization on environmental and indoor air quality monitoring as well as community engagement urban health projects with a focus on air pollution.
A huge supporter of air quality data visualization, Jeff works with both individuals and larger organizations including industry groups and policymakers to help translate air quality research and enable making more informed, environmentally responsible decisions.
5. Tim Smedley – Sustainability Journalist
An award-winning journalist based out of the UK, Tim Smedley regularly writes about air pollution-related topics and has authored articles for the BBC, Financial Times, and The Guardian.
His debut book #ClearingTheAir, featured on the shortlist for the Royal Society Insight Investment Science Book Prize, provides keen insights into the full story of air pollution, explains how cities across the world can drastically reduce pollution levels, and offers blueprints to help communities tackle the problem themselves.
6. James Thornton – ClientEarth CEO
James Thornton is the CEO of ClientEarth, an environmental law firm consisting of over 200 people, and provides a unique vantage point on environmental threats. Along with his firm, James holds governments accountable for pollution inaction and regularly advocates for more stringent regulations.
Dedicated to using the law to facilitate systemic change, ClientEarth works in over 50 countries and takes on all sorts of environmental challenges. The firm won multiple pollution-related court cases against the UK government and helped spur the development of urgent local air quality improvement plans.
7. Simon Evans – CarbonBrief Policy Editor
Simon Evans is the policy editor at CarbonBrief, a UK-based media outlet dedicated to fact-checking and analyzing the latest developments in climate and energy science and policy in order to educate the public on all relevant topics.
CarbonBrief specializes in creating clear, data-driven articles and visualizations that help improve the climate change understanding from the scientific and policy perspectives and help individuals increase their air pollution awareness.
8. Dr. Gabriela Adler – Climate Scientist
Owner of a master’s degree and a Ph.D. in atmospheric science, Dr. Adler put her expertise to good use in her work as a research scientist at NOAA and continues to put it to use as BreezoMeter’s Chief Scientist.
A leading climate scientist, Dr. Adler works on the cutting-edge of environmental intelligence technology. She personally oversees the science behind our hyperlocal and accurate air quality, pollen forecasting, and wildfire monitoring technologies, which are utilized by hundreds of millions of people and the world’s leading global brands.
9. Susana Hormingos – Construction & Air Quality Expert
Assistant professor at the Universitat de les Illes Balears in Spain’s Palma de Mallorca, Susana consistently shares useful information regarding indoor air quality and its health impact.
An architect by trade and Head of studies for the Degree in Construction at the Balearic Islands University, Susana provides an interesting perspective on the link between the world of construction and air pollution.
10. Rosamund Adoo-Kissi Debrah – Air Quality Activist
Rosamund Adoo-Kissi Debrah is the leader of a London-based grassroots air quality campaign that led to a revolutionary ruling in 2020 to list air pollution as a ‘cause of death’ for the first time in UK history. Unfortunately, Rosamund’s motivation for the clean air campaign came about after the untimely death of her asthmatic 9-year-old daughter, Ella Roberta, in 2013.
Rosamund Adoo-Kissi Debrah is also co-founder and executive director of the Ella Roberta Family Foundation that seeks to improve the lives of London children impacted by asthma and air pollution by advocating for better medical treatment of asthma and campaigning for clean air legislation.
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