Prof. Sally Pusede (University of Virginia)

Urban air pollution and climate change disproportionately harm communities of color and low-income communities in the U.S. Air quality can vary substantially within cities; however, we have historically lacked spatially comprehensive observations that resolve air pollution differences at neighborhood scales. Recent and forthcoming satellites offer new opportunities to describe and inform decision-making related to neighborhood-level air pollution inequalities. These satellite measurements also provide temporal information useful for identifying the driving emission sources and situating inequalities in regional air quality and climate contexts. In this talk, I will discuss work advancing application of satellite remote sensing for observing neighborhood-scale air pollution inequalities and improving our understanding of their emission sources, chemistry, and variability with climate change. I will discuss avenues and barriers for the future, with satellite measurements having the potential to transform the demands people can place on their policymakers.