The World Health Organization issued a press release on October 17th 2013 confirming the global hazard of air pollution causing cancer and death.

In 2011 we started AiREAS in Eindhoven (Netherlands) to take local responsibility for air quality and human health. It is not a new institution. It is a cooperative effort of the four pillars that constitute a modern society: local people (behaviour), government (territory), business (innovation) and science (knowledge and education).

The way AiREAS works

The problem we face is that air pollution is a consequence of our way of structuring society (the system) around consumption. To address this issue we can try to modify the parts that pollute. This has been done for many years already through government regulations and bureaucracy. It produced certain important levels of results. The application of norms was related to the unhealthiness of environmental pollution. These norms did not account for the mortality of cancer produced by the outdoor pollution. This now changes.

The situation compares with the awareness of energy consumption in 1970’s in relation to oil shortages. People started to take action by using energy saving light bulbs and other measures. The increase though of energy consuming household appliances multiplied the usage of energy through lifestyle despite the awareness. Energy itself does not necessarily kill people, now we know that air pollution does. Air pollution has to do with lifestyle and what we burn.

Another example is the cancer producing asbestos. Severe measures are still needed to clean up the environment from this lethal substance.

Many law suits were fought in court for negligence or negation at expense of human health. The current acknowledgment of the World Health Organization should start worrying powerful organisations that are on the pollution end. We will enter now a transformation phase of society that will solve a lot of related problems.

What we find is that the system that produced wellness and economies of growth also produces the highest outdoor pollution. The relationship between booming economies and pollution is a challenge of its own. We have seen system’s managers, political and economic leaders choose in favor of the system’s lobby and against human sustainable progress.

Stress between the system and human evolutionary progress should be positive, not killing

AiREAS is unique in the sense that it positions the formal multidisciplinary cooperation at the natural human being side, inviting leading people from the dominant system to take responsibility together for the local environment and health. And they accept (in Eindhoven where we started).

Within the ruling system the different partners act as competitors or through financially interdependent relationships (sales, subsidies, taxes, wages, etc) on which power and authority is claimed. Within AiREAS this inequality disappears. They all take responsibility together by submitting their talents and authority around a common purpose introducing a new lobby: the health city or region from an air quality and human health point of view.

It works surprisingly well when the multidisciplinary group is complete. The institutional systems become positive instruments in hands of responsible human beings that have a leadership position in each system. They join forces at human, not system’s level, out of self interest and with a creative purpose: sustainable human progress through health and safety.

Cancer has no hierarchically positioning, nor does responsibility. It both affects us all. The effects of combined progressive authority (as opposed to usage of power and blockage of institutional selfishness) can be decisive when addressing sustainable life issues. Bringing together the entire diversity at a regional level does make that difference. It can now even be demanded. Health was maybe abstract but cancer is not anymore.

* Those who individually pollute need to transform voluntarily or they will face the consequences by those who claim responsibility, No finger pointing at others will help anymore. If in need of help it should be asked, not waited for.

* Those who can contribute to the transformation  through talent and authority should work together through ventures like AiREAS. Not participating in the solution of one of the most serious issues of modern times is also liable to disputes while participating has obvious benefits.

AiREAS can be applied anywhere in the world on a local for local for global basis.

Curing is a cost and negligence, solving and preventing is an investment in ethics and responsibility.

By doing so we transform the world by affecting the environment, human interests and economies positively.

If in need of help just contact me: jp@stadvanmorgen.com

In Eindhoven:

• we designed, manufactured and installed our own fine maze measurement network for fine dust, ultra fine dust, NOx and any other environmental point of reference. We need this to watch our progress.

Airboxes were designed and position by technology, science, region and residents together.

• 4 universities (heart, lung, botanic, modulation, climate, space, behavior, perception, etc) combine the data with practical health information obtained from the field and provide knowledge to the team.
• Stip-Step measures are taken in co-creation in infrastructure, traffic flow, public communication and interaction, civilian initiatives and value driven entrepreneurship.
• a transformation economy is established to finance progress through a circular, result driven structure independent of local tax money feeding local progress.
• World wide we present our innovations through our multinational partners and by establishing Local AiREAS wherever sufficient multidisciplinary commitment is united.

Interest has been shown in other regions. Transformation steps are being taken by citizens in Breda (Netherlands), Rotterdam (Netherlands), Rio de Janeiro (Brasil) and Poland while via multinational partners initiatives are rolled out commercially as well.

Interested in AiREAS?
Contact me: jp@stadvanmorgen.com

Or one of the many partners.