"One voice on the map that distills the clean air opportunity for COP leaders is  Owomugisha Julian 's from  Public Square EA  in Kampala, Uganda — “To achieve true climate resilience, you must prioritize local air quality solutions now.” Listen to her full clip:  https://lnkd.in/d9M-k9r6 " Director Clear Air Program, U Chicago, EPIC Air Quality Fund" Interestingly, we didn't need to be in Belem for COP Leaders to take our views on air quality. It's was a true honor to be fea

In one of the Kampala divisions where we planted an air quality monitor ( An initiative that is going on by  Public Square EA  under the  #EmpewoBweBulamu  project in partnership with University of Wisconsin, New York University ,Abu dhabi with  Melina Platas  and supported by  Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago (EPIC)  as coordinated by  Dorothy Lsoto , we chose a compound in a slum in Kitintale, Nakawa division. I've been doing these AQ conversations for a

Our  hashtag#KampalaBreathes  campaign was featured on NTV Uganda's 9 pm news! This segment is a monumental step in our mission to bring the air quality crisis out of academic reports and into the public conversation. The report highlighted the sobering data we have been collecting: 1. The shocking reality that Kampala's air is among the most polluted in the world. 2. The serious health implications, with a recent study linking almost 1 in 5 non-accidental premature adult dea

Let’s be clear, High-level science doesn't just happen in lab coats and sterile rooms. It happens on a walk with a 40 year old market mama and the back of a boda-boda in the middle of Kalerwe Market. Our work on air quality in Kampala moved from the dusty streets of our city to the global spotlight in New Orleans. Our colleague,  Dorothy Lsoto  , presented our findings at the AGU25 Fall Meeting, the world’s premier Earth and Space science conference. Our presentation, "Advanc

It is one thing to collect data, it is another entirely to ensure that data speaks to the heart of policy. Seeing our air quality work from the streets of Kampala to a classroom in the United States is a reminder that while air pollution is a local struggle, the fight for environmental justice is global. There is often a massive gap between the research done plus data collected daily and the actual understanding of the people living through the pollution.  We can have loads o

It is exciting every time a new Citizen Scientist on boards to contribute to the air quality data gap. At Public Square, we believe that the most sustainable way to transform our city’s health is the ground-up approach. That's why the portable monitor borrowing programme is entirely run by a couple of university students. Our latest data reveals a beautiful trend, over 58% of our contributors are under the age of 30, with 54.2% falling in the 20-29 age bracket alone. They are

Most of us view the AC as a refuge from heat and dust, but without proper management, your cooling system can become a concentrated source of the very pollutants you're trying to escape. In my latest radio talk show at at radio city, I talk about AC and air quality data, having these conversations is one critical way to drive better policy adoptions. It is partly giving the data collected a voice . Few ways to keep safe as an ardent user of AC: 1. Service Your Filters Monthly

We all love the smell of a Sunday afternoon grill. It’s the scent of family, tradition, and good food. But behind that familiar aroma lies a data point that should not be ignored, charcoal usage can push PM 2.5 levels to 473, 31 times over the Daily health limit. This is 31 times over the WHO health daily limit. An occasional grill is a choice, but for millions of mothers across our country, it is a daily reality. In many homes, mothers spend hours every single day hunched ov

At Public Square we are thrilled to celebrate the successful installation of the air quality monitor at Bulange, a significant achievement for the health and sustainability of the Kingdom of Buganda. We are honored to collaborate with  Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago (EPIC) , the University of Wisconsin, New York University Abudhabi and Buganda Kingdom on this groundbreaking initiative. This milestone is central to the  #EmpewoBweBulamu  project, embodyin

Static sensors tell a story, but according to latest research, they are missing nearly half the plot. A recent study published in Nature Health (2026) highlights a critical "Mobility Gap" in urban environmental science( https://lnkd.in/dkfZ8RN2 ) .Traditional stationary monitors, while useful, can leave up to 44% of air pollution hotspots undetected because they fail to account for how people actually move through their environment. At Public Square, we aren't just observing