This map shows how air pollution changed in 2020 - Fast ...

Around half of the cities in Europe exceed health guidelines for PM2.5, a type of dangerous air pollution. [Image: IQAir] That doesn't mean that ... Co.DesignTechWorkLifeNewsImpactPodcastsVideoRecommenderInnovationFestival360IF360SubscribeFastCoWorksAWSDeloitteGenpactHomepageCo.DesignTechWorkLifeNewsImpactPodcastsVideoRecommenderInnovationFestival360SubscribeHelpCenterfastcoworksAWSBostonScientificDeloitteDeptElevatePrizeGenpactKlarnaLogitechSquareVerizonAWSVisaFastCoWorksAnaward-winningteamofjournalists,designers,andvideographerswhotellbrandstoriesthroughFastCompany'sdistinctivelensFCExecutiveBoardcollectionsFastGovernmentThefutureofinnovationandtechnologyingovernmentforthegreatergoodMostInnovativeCompaniesOurannualguidetothebusinessesthatmatterthemostMostCreativePeopleLeaderswhoareshapingthefutureofbusinessincreativewaysWorldChangingIdeasNewworkplaces,newfoodsources,newmedicine--evenanentirelyneweconomicsystemInnovationByDesignCelebratingthebestideasinbusinessNewsletterEventsInnovationFestivalCoursesandLearningAdvertiseCurrentIssueCurrentIssueSUBSCRIBEFollowus:advertisementadvertisementByAdelePeters2minuteReadAstheworldwentintolockdownayearago,airpollutionplummeted.Butthecleanerairdidn’tlast.Forone,inplaceslikeCalifornia,Oregon,andWashington,record-breakingwildfiresmeantthatatleasttemporarily,77oftheworld’smostpollutedcitieswereintheUnitedStates.advertisementadvertisementAnddespitethefactthatthepandemiccanceledflightsandshranktrafficonroads,onlyaroundafifthoftheworld’scitiesendedupmeetingtheWorldHealthOrganization’sannualguidelinesforairquality.AnewreportfromIQAir,aSwitzerland-basedairqualitytechnologycompany,mapshowairpollutionchangedaroundtheworldin2020,usingdatafromtensofthousandsofairqualitysensorsin106countries.Thepandemicinitiallycausedamajorshift;airqualityimprovedin84%ofallthecountriesthatweremonitored.“In2020,wewerepartofthisunexpectedscientificexperimentinwhichwewereabletodeterminethatwithachangeinbehavior,wecanstoptheviciouscycleofhavingreallyelevatedlevelsofpollution,”saysGloryDolphinHammes,CEOofthecompany’sNorthAmericanbranch.[Image:IQAir]Thechangesthathappenedindailylives—withmillionsofpeoplesuddenlyworkingandstudyingfromhomeandnolongercommuting,andpassengerairtraveldown60%—alsodidn’teliminatepollutionentirely.InChina,where86%ofcitieshadcleanerairin2020comparedtothepreviousyear,thecountrystillsawlevelsofairpollutionthatweremorethanthreetimesworsethantheWHOguidelines.(Climatepollution,whichcomesfromthesamesources,increasedinChinain2019.)advertisementThemajorityofcitiesinIndiaalsoexperiencedcleanerair,butthecountrystillhadsomeofthemostpollutedcitiesintheworld.AroundhalfofthecitiesinEuropeexceedhealthguidelinesforPM2.5,atypeofdangerousairpollution.[Image:IQAir]Thatdoesn’tmeanthatwehavetostoptravelingtoreduceairpollution.Thechangesthathavetohappenaredeeper:Whileitcanhelpairpollutionalittleifmorepeopleareabletoworkfromhomeanddriveless,forexample,it’smostcriticalthattheentireenergy,transportation,andmanufacturingsystemsmoveawayfromburningfossilfuels.ButthetemporaryboostinairqualityduringthepandemicgivesasenseofwhatwillbepossiblewheneveryonelivinginacitylikeLosAngelescandriveanelectriccar,orrideabike,oreasilyusepublictransportation,andhowmuchtheaircanimprovemoreiftheentireeconomytransforms.Asairpollutionfromcarsandpowerplantsshrinks,thatwillalsohelpmitigateclimatechange,whichiscausingmoreairpollutionitself.ThemostpollutedcityintheworldlastyearwasHotan,China,wheresandstormsthathavebeenmadeworsebyclimatechangemadeithardtobreathe.advertisement[Image:IQAir]“Wecertainlyhopethatwecanlearntheselessons,andthatwecanseethathumanbeingsarethesourceofpollutionandwecandosomethingaboutit,”Hammessays.“It’snotjusttheweather,it’sus.Andnotonlycanwestopthecycle,butwecanmakeimprovementsthatwillturnthetide.”Thathasn’thappenedyet.ArecentreportfromtheInternationalEnergyAgencythatglobalCO2emissionsfromenergy—again,closelytiedtolocalairpollutionthatimpactshealth—hadjumpedbacktopre-pandemiclevels,andwarnedthattheworldhasn’tdoneenoughtoinvestinagreenrecovery.“Ournumbersshowwearereturningtocarbon-intensivebusinessasusual,”IEAexecutivedirectorFatihBirolsaidinastatement.advertisementadvertisementadvertisementadvertisementVideoImpactImpactUtrechtwantstobethefirstcitytouseitselectriccarfleetasagiantbatteryImpactDell’snewprototypelaptopshowshoweasyitcouldbetorepairandrecycleelectronicsImpactThisnewultraefficientHabitatforHumanityhouseisalsoeasyforvolunteerstoassembleNewsNewsPfizer’sCOVID-19pill:Here’sthelatestonPaxlovidNewsKronosransomwareattack:ThenightmarethatcouldhitpaychecksrightbeforeChristmasNewsSnapchatmemories2021:Here’showtoseeyour‘yearend’storyCo.DesignCo.DesignTornadocleanupisexpensive,time-consuming,andwasteful.It’stimetofixthatFastCompanyMagazineAcloserlookattheworld’shighesthorizontalskyscraperCo.DesignWait,wasthatracist?!AnewencyclopediacanhelpyouavoidsayingsomethingoffensiveWorkLifeWorkLifeWhatpeopleactuallywanttheirofficeholidaypartytolooklikethisyearWorkLife5thingsemotionallyintelligentmanagersdodifferentlyWorkLife3thingsleadersneedtodotohiremorewomenintech