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Episode details

World Service,20 Aug 2024,23 mins

The art of air pollution

The Documentary

Available for over a year

Air Pollution is responsible for around seven million deaths every year. Governments around the world have been trying to tackle it with a variety of measures. But now, the fight against air pollution is increasingly catching the imagination of artists and designers. In Al Hudayriyat Island in Abu Dhabi, a 7m high installation - Smog Free Tower - by Dutch Studio Roosegaarde, bills itself as "the world's first smog vacuum cleaner." It purifies 30,000 cubic metres of air per hour and the dirt filtered from this urban smog is compressed into jewellery, which is sold to finance the project. We speak to environmental and health experts about the benefits this will bring. In Delhi and Bangalore, Air-Ink is "turning air pollution into ink solution" by capturing the black particles that float in the atmosphere and turning them into ink. Founder Anirudh Sharma and his co-founder, Nikhil Kaushik, say taking something as pervasive as air pollution and turning it into something as common as ink means the more Air-Ink on your page, the less pollution in your lungs. We hear how pollution impacts locals in Delhi and how community art projects there are helping to fight climate issues, while Dutch artist Nouch tells us why she so crazy about Air-Ink. Presenter: Harriet Robinson Producer: Louise Orchard (Photo: A Smog Free ring is held up towards the sky. Credit: Studio Roosegaarde)

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