Irish Examiner view: Air quality data

Twitter could be a force for good

Picture: John Giles/PA Wire

It’s unlikely that there was ever a time in the past when people were more concerned about their environment — or had as much information about that environment.

For example, yesterday this newspaper revealed that the overwhelming majority of people surveyed in Cork — 93% — are concerned about the quality of the air they breathe and would welcome updates on its quality. 

Given that, out of the 500 people surveyed, over one third had one to three household members with a respiratory issue, it’s no surprise to see an appetite for information, though the general awareness of environmental issues and climate change is surely another contributing factor. 

Atmospheric photographs of Cork and other Irish cities from past decades often feature a picturesque cloudy haze from fossil fuels, car emissions and the like: Atmospheric is the precise word.

Social media is a perfect forum for sharing information on air quality, a far more beneficial activity than can be seen on many platforms. 

It’s disappointing, therefore, to see Twitter move to introduce costs for its application programming interface, or API.

Up to now, Twitter’s API has been free — it allows third parties to retrieve and analyse public Twitter data, and a communal effort such as monitoring air quality is the perfect example of how to use API for the common good.

It’s unfortunate that Twitter is now seeking to monetise a feature with the potential to benefit people’s health, but that shouldn’t stop the drive to monitor our air quality. A greater awareness of what we’re breathing can only benefit everyone.