Volunteers monitored the air pollution in Beloit. A new worldwide report shows how bad it is.

Back in the fall of 2022, a group of Beloit residents concerned about climate change began monitoring air pollution in the southern Wisconsin industrial city. It was the first time that anyone had systematically surveyed the community’s atmosphere.

The early results were troubling, indicating notably high levels of air pollution. The monitoring efforts continued, with the data recorded and displayed in real time on a publicly accessible website.

Now a new report that compiles the results of 30,000 air monitoring stations around the world has thrown a new spotlight on the project — identifying the city’s air pollution in 2023 as worst among U.S. cities and 14th worst in North America....
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