Wednesday 10 January 2024

Net Hero Podcast – Polish people power – how a pressure group changed their country

The air we breathe is probably the biggest marker of how we feel.

In parts of the world, cities are choked with smog and during the pandemic one of the clearest indications of our effect on the environment, was the sight of clear skies and fresh air, when everyone was locked down and vehicles were off the roads.

From chimneys and smoke stacks, to oil flares and vehicle exhausts. We are constantly polluting our air and this has a direct effect on climate and our health. On this week's podcast I speak to Anna Dworakowska from Polish Smog Alert, a group of concerned citizens who took action to clean up the air in their city and their country!

What started as a pressure group in Krakow, became a national movement which forced politicians to act and now pollution laws have been tightened up, improving the quality of the air across the nation.

Polish Smog Alert were recent finalists for the Earthshot Prize, so what has Anna learned and what can we do to change the climate where we live for the better?