The latest Air Quality News magazine is out now!

The 24th issue of Air Quality News magazine is now available to read online.

The magazine was officially launched yesterday, at the Northern Air Quality Conference and the digital version can be read here.

In the previous issue of the magazine we looked forward to Clean Air Night, a January sibling to the well-established Clean Air Day, organised by Global Action Plan. The initiative aimed to highlight the dangers of domestic wood burning and how can impact on the local environment.

Matthew Clark at Hertfordshire County Council was involved with Clean Air Night from its conception and in this issue he explains how those involved formulated the campaign, evaluated its success and looks forward to future events.

Also on this subject in this issue Dr James Heydon, Assistant Professor in the School of Sociology and Social Policy at the University of Nottingham looks at the failings of having Smoke Control Areas as the main regulatory tool for tackling domestic burning.

Our cover story looks at an altogether different fire-related air quality issue. Forest fires in South East Asia can see the Air Pollutant Index regularly reach 500. Last year thousands of citizens of Chiang Mai, were hospitalized with respiratory problems. In this article, written by Greenpeace staff on the ground, blame is apportioned and remedies suggested.

Our Special Report is on the built environment, where new technologies are be leveraged into the building, heating and operation of our buildings.

Martin Guttridge-Hewitt discusses the need for the UK to use timber in construction more enthusiastically than we currently do. To illustrate his point he visits the second tallest timber-framed tower on the planet The Wood Hotel in Skellefteå.

Also on the theme of building better, Simon Guerrier speaks to the team behind a pioneering heat network being developed in the heart of London.

We also sit down for a chat with Quentin Willson, who was a star speaker at our National Air Quality Conference last year. We discover how his early obsession with cars developed and what led to his subsequent conversion into an EV advocate and campaigner.

In fact, the subject of campaigning recurs throughout this issue, ending with Dr Andrew Boswell, discussing his efforts to block a road development.

Read the magazine here.