Air quality in Irish towns is a serious problem, but CityTrees won't solve it

There are more effective ways of combatting air pollution than robot trees, writes Dr Dean Venables

Whether for climate or air quality, reducing vehicle usage must become a priority at local and national levels. File photo: Larry Cummins

Five 'CityTrees' are being installed in Cork city centre this week. These high-tech towers are intended to improve air quality by filtering air pollutants like particulate matter and nitrogen oxides.

So why is the council installing these expensive CityTrees? Is air quality so important? Most importantly, will they work?