On Chicago’s Southwest Side, residents living near the MAT Asphalt plant can sometimes tell when production has started up just by sniffing the air. Anthony Moser is one of those people. If he leaves his windows open and the facility’s been running overnight, he can smell it without even getting out of bed the next morning.

But Anthony can tell another way too: by watching the levels of particulate matter climb higher and higher on nearby air pollution monitors. Thanks to Neighbors for Environmental Justice—a community group that Anthony cofounded after the controversial asphalt factory opened in 2018—nearly a dozen PurpleAir sensors now dot the area. These sensors transmit the data online for everyone to see. Residents can then better understand trends, like where and when pollution is highest, and demand action by lawmakers and enforcement agencies to better protect their health.

Efforts like these are examples of community science—a growing field of participatory research conducted by people who aren’t formally trained as scientists—and it’s changing how environmental justice communities fight pollution. This week, we’re sharing a few inspiring stories from the frontlines. Next week, we’ll share tips on how to get started as a community scientist yourself.

Reporting pollution in the petrochemical capital

In the Houston area—home to the highest density of petrochemical refineries in the country and one of the busiest ports in the world—the grassroots group Texas Environmental Justice Advocacy Services (TEJAS) recently launched a pilot version of its web-based tool, EyeAlerta.

EyeAlerta allows residents to easily document common signs of pollution, like flares or acrid chemical smells, as well as the location of the incident and their own health symptoms. The reporting tool, which was developed in partnership with NRDC, isn’t meant to replace official channels or relieve appropriate authorities of responsibility. But it gives residents an opportunity to report health threats in real time. TEJAS will also use the data to build a body of scientific evidence that helps shape its community education efforts and environmental advocacy.

Air monitoring to address inequity in St. Louis

Last year, Metropolitan Congregations United, a faith-based organization in St. Louis, launched AirWatchSTL, a program that installed PM2.5 monitors on the roofs of 14 churches across the city and now publishes hourly data online. This is particularly important for addressing long-standing environmental and health inequities in the area, like the fact that the city’s Black children visit the emergency room due to asthma complications nearly 11 times more frequently than white children. With more complete data, advocates can more accurately identify specific pollution sources, like heavy traffic or industrial zones, and better protect the most impacted St. Louis residents.

Read more about the wave of community science initiatives in Chicago, Houston, and St. Louis.

Plus: Tell the EPA to clean up power plant pollution

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has proposed new regulations on power plants, which are some of the biggest sources of climate- and health-harming emissions. While the proposed regulations represent a powerful step by the federal government, they don’t go far enough. And we can expect Big Polluters to fight them with everything they’ve got. So as @ClimateTown’s Rollie Williams reminds us in the video above, now’s your chance to speak up.

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