Impact case study database

1. Changing climate psychology, awareness and education.

In April 2019, as Pinsky was installing Pollution Pods in Vancouver, Canada commissioned as part of the annual TED conference, the Mayor of London announced that 2 million Londoners – including 400,000 children – were living in areas exceeding legal air pollutant metrics (S1). The global health implications of air pollution continue to require urgent and drastic action from individuals and governments.

In surveys of audiences after they experienced Pollution Pods, many participants reported an “ awareness of the environmental consequences of their action, their willingness to take responsibility for their consequences, and *belief in the relevance of environmental problems for daily life.*” (S2)

Figure 4. Visitor enjoys Norwegian air at Somerset House, London

Pinsky’s Pollution Pods succeed in provoking the emotions and cognitions which are most likely to incite positive behavioural change in audiences and, in turn, the global atmosphere. The effectiveness of Pinsky’s approach was recognised in the 2019 textbook Public/community health and nursing practice: caring for populations as an aid to help nursing students comprehend the dangers of public health hazards like toxic air and convey them to patients (S3).

Figure 5. Pollution Pods exhibit at TED

Pollution Pods pairs well with educational events such as the King’s College seminar series which was funded by the Medical Research Council (S4) and the events surrounding the UN Youth Climate Summit New York City, 2019. Pinsky continues to be involved with TED Talks, exhibiting at the annual 2019 conference and delivering a talk at TEDx Freiburg. (S5)

2. Global Collaboration for Global Problems

As illustrated by the inter-connected pods, Pinsky emphasises the need for global participation in solutions to climate change. From the inception of the project, Pinsky worked closely with international institutions and corporations: NTNU, IFF, AirLabs, Hubs and the Norwegian Institute for Clean Air. In particular, his commission for IFF and their perfumers brought new opportunity for expert perfumers from those areas to showcase their craft and to participate in political art.

Pinsky’s commitment to promoting international responsibility for air pollution has translated into a relevance which extends beyond language barriers, demonstrated by international coverage in English, French, German, Spanish, Korean, Italian, Luxembourgish, Portuguese, Japanese, Swiss, Czech, Chinese, Russian, Vietnamese and Indonesian. The sustained, global interest in Pollution Pods results in sustained interest in air pollution and access to commentary about the project is crucial to reaching people who will not have the opportunity to view the pods in person.

Since the initial exhibition in Norway, Pollution Pods has toured to eight different countries and over 30,000 visitors have experienced the sensations of the pods (S6). In each new location, the installation attracts media coverage and engagement. (S7a, b, c, d, e)

Figure 7. Deputy Secretary General of the United Nations Amina Mohammed and Director-General of the World Health Organization Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus talk with Pinsky

Figure 8. Greta Thunberg visits the pods

Figure 6. Dr Ghebreyesus' Twitter feed

Pollution Pods has also reached prominent health and climate activist spokespeople, such as Greta Thunberg and Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus , Director-General of WHO. Between those two figures alone, 6.3 million Twitter followers were engaged specifically with the challenges and consequences of air pollution in the context of wider climate and health concerns. Pollution Pods even featured on an episode of Daily Planet, a scientific news show aired on and produced by Discovery Channel Canada.

3. Engagement with policy makers

Figure 9. The pods in Madrid

Pollution Pods was exhibited December 2019 in Madrid, Spain concurrent to the COP25 UN Climate Change Conference. It was officially endorsed and opened by Minister for the Ecological Transition Spain Teresa Ribera, WHO Director Dr Maria Neira, and the Deputy-Executive Secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, Ovais Sarmad. (S8)

During this time, the pods hosted members of the public and delegates from the conference. Pollution Pods was especially topical to the delegates, as the conference discussed the parameters of the 2015 Paris Agreement and emission targets.

The pods were exhibited as part of Manchester’s 2019 Clean Air Week, a collaborative project between local councils, charities and communities to help reduce air pollution in Greater Manchester and alert the public to health hazards. (S9)

4. Moving forward

As a result of the positive reception and success of Pollution Pods, Pinsky is now working with Professor Stephen Holgate, Medical Research Council Clinical Professor of Immunopharmacology, to create a response to the dangers of indoor pollution through olfactory art. (S10)