Ordinary citizens are stepping up to tackle environmental challenges through citizen science, significantly contributing to research and data collection efforts worldwide.
Andrew Kersley reports for Wired.
In short:
- Citizen scientists in Ilkley, UK, driven by the neglect of official bodies, have successfully identified harmful levels of pollution in their local river, leading to its recognition as a protected bathing water site.
- This grassroots effort exemplifies a global trend where individuals, motivated by a lack of official support and the availability of affordable technology, are becoming pivotal in monitoring environmental health.
- Safecast, a nonprofit, has harnessed the power of volunteer efforts to create a vast open database of environmental data, demonstrating the potential for citizen science to influence global environmental policy.
Key quote:
“Citizen science doesn’t just let people collect data, it empowers them and gives them a voice.”
— Steffen Fritz, International Institute for Applied Systems Analytics
Why this matters:
The rise of citizen science not only fills gaps left by underfunded and politically constrained scientific research but also fosters a more democratic and participatory approach to science. Leah Segedie, who runs the blog and wellness community Mamavation, was dubbed the "PFAS Hunter" by Consumer Reports for her work testing products for evidence of PFAS chemicals.
