Voices for Clean Air: How a Grassroots Movement uses Technology to Transform Poland’s Battle Against Smog

The Silent Killer: Poland’s Air Pollution Crisis

Poland has been grappling with some of the worst air pollution in the world for years. In 2013, “The New York Times” highlighted Krakow as one of the most polluted cities globally, revealing that residents breathed substandard air for 150 days of the year. During winter the benzo(a)pyrene concentrations reach alarming levels — sometimes ten times higher than what EU regulations deem safe. 

But despite the alarming stats, few people seemed concerned back then. Smog had become a ubiquitous presence, so ingrained in daily life that it was often ignored. The severe health implications, including numerous respiratory diseases, were dismissed as mere consequences of common infections rather than the result of toxic air.

Ewa Lutomska, Andrzej Guła, and Anna Dworakowska, three friends from Krakow, decided they had to act. In 2012, they launched the first Krakow Smog Alert campaign, using the power of social media to educate and mobilize the public.

SOS sign in the center of Krakow. Source: PSA, fot. Tomasz Wiech.

Co-founder Ewa Lutomska recalls: “Together with friends, we decided to finally do something about it. It was a time when Facebook was very popular as a communication channel, so we decided to use it. We started by showing people what the air in Krakow was really like, how bad it was, and why it was so bad. We showed the numbers—the concentrations of dangerous particles (PM10, PM2.5) compared to the standards. And it made an impression. Residents learned that the air in Krakow exceeded standards for 150 days a year, and the daily average PM10 concentration often exceeded 200 µg/m³.

We wanted to make this information accessible and explain it. When we started showing daily measurement results, the residents of Krakow finally began to realize the magnitude of the problem we were facing. In December 2012, we created a Facebook page. It was a tough December. As is usually the case in Krakow during the winter, the concentration of suspended dust PM10 repeatedly exceeded the standards. We started organizing open meetings for residents, and more and more people joined the movement.”

The first triumph in the face of smog: public involvement and policy changes

By 2015, it was clear that the smog problem extended beyond Krakow. This led to the launch of the Polish Smog Alert(PSA), a nationwide movement now consisting of over 60 groups. These groups have been instrumental in advocating for effective anti-smog regulations, conducting independent air quality research, and educating the public about the dangers of smog.

Thanks to PSA’s efforts, Krakow has seen remarkable improvements in air quality. The introduction of a ban on coal and wood burning and the elimination of approximately 30,000 polluting stoves resulted in a significant reduction in smoggy days—From 2012 to 2023, the number of smog days decreased by about 100 days. Annual pollution levels are now within acceptable limits at all monitoring stations.

The key to this transformation has been public awareness and involvement which led to changes in policy and citizen behavior. Without these grassroots efforts, there would be no financial program worth 100 billion PLN, no anti-smog resolutions, and no new legislation for clean air. 

The role of digital technologies in the fight with air pollution

Despite these successes, many areas in Poland still struggled with severe pollution, particularly during the heating season. Magdalena Cygan, campaign coordinator at PSA, explains their innovative approach to creating a national movement around the need for better air quality: “Our biggest campaign is ‘See What You Breathe. Change It!‘, which aims to show what is invisible—air pollution, draw attention to the problem, and convince residents to take action. Every winter, we use a two-meter model of human lungs covered with white fabric. The lungs ‘breathe’ in pollutants through special fans, and the fabric becomes covered with dust. After two weeks, the white material turns graphite or even pitch-black. 

The mobile installation “See what you breathe! Change it!” on the road in Poland, 2023. for. Polish Smog Alert

The campaign gained significant interest from local communities and the media. In the 2023-2024 winter season alone, there were 1,300 media mentions, reaching over 14 million people.” With the high demand for the campaign and installations in many towns across Poland and the limited number of lung installations, the Polish Smog Alert was challenged to find new ways to expand its impact further.

A movement-building milestone – the Tech To The Rescue hackathon 

To further scale their impact, Polish Smog Alert turned to digital technology. Participating in the pro-bono Air Quality Hackathon organized by Tech To The Rescue Foundation (TTTR) in collaboration with AWS, they PSA team started working on the the “Virtual Lungs” tool with pro-bono support from the Brainhub team, a software engineering company that specializes in solving complex technical problems.

The hackathon proved to be a pivotal moment. Łukasz Pluszczewski, senior Full-stack developer at Brainhub, recalls: “The Polish Smog Alert challenge was an obvious choice: we live in Poland, breathe the polluted air here, and see the problem with our own eyes every day, especially in large cities. Even before the final decision, we already had many ideas about how the ‘lungs’ should look like, so this challenge inspired us from the very beginning. Then, we came up with the idea of creating a game that would engage the users even more and allow them to actually ‘fight’ the pollution. So it was decided: we’re going to create the best lungs out there, gamify them all the way, and we’ll get rid of the smog!”

On the new digital platform, users can visualize the health effects of the air quality in their region

The result is a digital tool that simulates how lungs would look after two weeks of breathing air from any location worldwide, similar to their physical campaign. The website also features a game where players eliminate pollution sources, learning about their origins and impacts. An educational section provides comprehensive information on the causes, effects, and solutions to air pollution.

The future of air quality advocacy in the digital age 

The “Virtual Lungs” campaign is launching in 2024 during the winter season in Poland, intending to reach more people than ever before. 

“Every year, we received many requests to come with our mobile lung installations, many of which we couldn’t fulfill due to their limited number. Now, thanks to the tool developed during the Tech To The Rescue Hackathon, everyone will be able to see what the campaign would look like in their town. By digitizing our campaign, we will reach a larger audience to whom we want to show what is invisible—air pollution. All you need is a smartphone or computer”. says Magdalena Cygan. 

The story of the Polish Smog Alert is one of determination, innovation, and community spirit. From a small group of friends to a nationwide movement, their efforts have significantly improved air quality and public awareness. With the introduction of digital tools, they continue to inspire and educate, proving that even the most daunting challenges can be overcome with collective action and a commitment to change. 

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