Local air-quality advocate launches tool to translate government data into plain language
Toronto resident Amrit Sharma created toronteau.com/air to help residents understand whether conditions are safe to exercise, walk dogs, or take children outside.
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As wildfire smoke becomes a more frequent part of Toronto summers, one local advocate has built a tool to help residents understand what air quality numbers actually mean.
Toronto resident Amrit Sharma created toronteau.com/air, a website that translates air-quality readings, forecasts, and advisories into plain language. Sharma serves on the board of OpenAQ, a non-profit focused on making global air-quality data more accessible, and works at ecobee designing utility grid-resiliency programs.
"Torontonians are struggling to interpret AQHI numbers and have been left guessing to make sense of it," Sharma wrote. "Is it safe to go outside? Is the AQHI getting better? When might the smoke clear?" Instead of creating his own advisories, Sharma's site takes air-quality information from Environment and Climate Change Canada and the Ontario government and presents it in a format resembling an iMessage conversation — acting like a smart friend who understands air quality and answers the common questions people ask.
Sharm stressed that "everything on my website is official government" information. Toronto typically has clean air, which is why residents haven't had to deeply understand what air quality numbers mean. But with smoke events becoming more common, accessible translations of government data help residents make informed decisions about whether to exercise, walk their dogs, take their children outside, or change their plans entirely.
The facts
Who created the air-quality tool for Toronto?
Amrit Sharma, a Toronto resident, created toronteau.com/air to help residents understand air-quality readings and forecasts.
What does toronteau.com/air do?
Toronteau.com/air translates air-quality information from Environment and Climate Change Canada and the Ontario government into plain language, presenting it in a format resembling an iMessage conversation to help residents decide whether it's safe to exercise, walk dogs, or take children outside.
What is Amrit Sharma's background in air quality?
Amrit Sharma serves on the board of OpenAQ, a non-profit focused on making global air-quality data more accessible, and works at ecobee designing utility grid-resiliency programs.
