Healthy Spaces Podcast Season 3, Episode 1: Clearing the Air

Jun 13, 2023 7:00 AM ET

Audio File

[Note: This episode was recorded before the wildfires in Canada spread out of control and reminds us how much human and planetary health are connected. We want to acknowledge the impact this event is having on the people of Canada and eastern U.S. and hope that everyone is staying safe. We believe that continued advancement in sustainable climate technologies will bring clearer skies for us all.]

Scientists, doctors, and policymakers all agree that cleaner air means better outcomes for people and the planet. But is it possible to reduce air pollution without compromising energy efficiency?

In this episode of Healthy Spaces, host Dominique Silva speaks to three clean air innovators who are out to prove just that.

“There's a tendency within every industry to focus on your specific area, and that can often lead to an inability to see the bigger picture,” says Sara Karerat, Managing Director for the Center for Active Design. But by considering energy efficiency and indoor air quality goals together, she argues, “we can move the needle forward in more effective ways." And she’s not the only one.

Listen to the full episode to learn how Pierre Dornier and the Chercheurs d’Air (“Air Seekers”) are using citizen science and data collection to impact city planning and improve air quality in Brussels, Belgium; how Sara Karerat and the Center for Active Design are advocating for the intersection of public health, equity, and climate change; and how filtration, ventilation, and smart technologies can make our buildings more efficient and the air we breathe, cleaner – inside and out.