The Carbon Tree Project aims to support young people (and other citizens) to think critically about a problem that directly affects their lives and those from their community: air pollution. During the project, participants build low-cost air quality monitoring stations that they next use to investigate environmental and public health issues of interest. The stations are equipped with several sensors for different relevant air pollutants (carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide and PMs) and also with a sensor for carbon dioxide (CO2) – a greenhouse gas – so participants may study and reflect on issues related to anthropogenic CO2 production and its climatic consequences. Throughout this process participants identify problems in their communities related to air quality and propose behavioral, societal and public policy solutions.

This project promotes environmental awareness and social justice and practical contact with the scientific process on a daily basis. This experience will hopefully contribute to more informed and active citizens solving other real-life problems in their community.

The Carbon Tree project was developed with contributions from Professor Cristina Pinho from Escola Secundária Sebastião e Silva and the educational startup company INOVLABS, which was responsible for the design of the air quality monitoring station. 

The project Carbon Tree participated in the form of a workshop at the Teachers Climate Change Forum 2020 organized by the University of Helsinki that occurred August 3rd-4th 2020. The project was also presented at the European Researchers’ Night (ERN) 2020. 

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