Build A Kinder Earth

Sundar Christopher compares satellite data with ground measurements in well-studied areas. With these comparisons he can determine surface air quality using only satellite data. He examined 20 cities with populations greater than 10 million and discovered that in 15 of them, pollution levels were 5 to 10 times higher than the World Health Organization’s guidelines.

More than 10 million people are at high risk of developing serious health conditions such as cancer and respiratory diseases. These people live in the 10 most polluted places in the world.