Sir, – In "Can I erect my own air-monitoring station to measure pollution in my area?" (Property, April 13th), you do not mention any "citizen science" monitoring that is actively taking place in Ireland.
I would like to highlight the Sensor Community project, which has over 14,000 sensors around the world and over 40 of those around the island of Ireland.
These won’t replace sites run by the Environmental Protection Agency or compare to officially certified sensors, but they still have a part to play. They make air quality a local issue by bringing it to ordinary citizens regarding the air quality outside their home.
These sensors can be self-built for under €50, self-installed and connected to your home wifi to put the data online immediately.
There are no payments or ongoing fees to join the network. It’s all free.
A recent initiative by Abbeyleix Tidy Towns has seen a network of these sensors being built and rolled out by citizens to better understand how climate change is shaping the small Laois town. This is a model many towns and cities could follow. – Yours, etc,
JEFFREY ROE,
Blackpitts,
Dublin 8.