J3.1
AIRNow Educational Tools: A Targeted Approach to Informing the Public About the Quality of the Air We Breathe
Scott A. Jackson, U.S. EPA, Research Triangle Park, NC; and N. D. Conatser, J. E. White, T. Dye, R. A. Wayland, and P. Dickerson
The AIRNow program, a joint effort between the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and state and local air quality agencies, has been providing the current and forecast air quality index (AQI) to the general public for almost a decade. The program's goal in providing this information is to arm the public with knowledge they can use to protect their health and take action to reduce air pollution. AIRNow has developed several educational tools specifically targeting professionals who can be partners in relaying this information to a broader audience. Tools include toolkits for weathercasters and teachers, materials for health professionals, and online resources for children. This presentation demonstrates these tools and explains how they are made more widely available through web technology. With the support of these groups and through the use of these tools, the public can be effectively and efficiently educated about the quality of the air we breathe. .
Joint Session 3, Toward a Cyberinfrastructure for Education in Atmospheric and Related Sciences (Joint with 23rd Conference on IIPS and 16th Symposium on Education)
Tuesday, 16 January 2007, 3:30 PM-5:45 PM, 206B
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