Highlighted in earlier reports and included in this APNews brief:
In some places, the U.S. air quality monitors propelled nations to start their own air quality research and raised awareness, Krishna said.
In China, for example, data from the U.S. Embassy in Beijing famously contradicted official government reports, showing worse pollution levels than authorities acknowledged. It led to China improving air quality.
( earlier:
https://phys.org/news/2025-03-embassies-pollution-popular-ch... +
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43265021 )
The United States since 2008 has monitored air quality through embassies—as a service to Americans overseas but also, increasingly, as a way to share accurate scientific data that may otherwise be censored overseas.
In China, authorities in 2014 banned a popular app from sharing data from the US embassy ahead of a major international summit attended by then president Barack Obama.
But researchers say that the transparency has had a noticeable effect, with China taking action after being embarrassed by US embassy data released on social media that showed far worse pollution than official figures.
Obama's ambassador to China, Gary Locke, faced scorn in state media after he presided over the introduction of monitors at the embassy and consulates that tracked the so-called PM 2.5 particulate matter carried in the thick blankets of smog pervading China's capital.
The air quality data from the US embassy is also frequently used as a reference in New Delhi, which has severe pollution issues.
This is a low cost to gather and deliver data stream that has a profound effect on global air quality and improving health and well being for all.
