Meeka Outlaw mounted a temperature sensor to the front passenger side window of her navy blue Nissan Altima just before daybreak Saturday, then attached an air pollution sensor to the rear passenger side, waiting for it to blink green and let her know the mission was a go.
Concerned that the air pollution monitor didn’t seem to be blinking — a signal that the GPS was working — she waited a few more minutes until it finally went live. Relieved, Outlaw climbed into the driver’s seat, her son, Rashid, 12, next to her, and started to drive a carefully laid-out 13-mile route through South Philadelphia, starting at Marconi Plaza.
“I hope this helps to show the city of Philadelphia that there is a need for more green space to help their environment, and that not every single lot in the city needs to have a house or building on it,” said Outlaw, founder of the Grays Ferry-based Residents Organized for Advocacy and Direction . “In Grays Ferry green spaces are few and far between. Trees and parks are important for gardening, bees, and just to have space for peace of mind.
Each vehicle like Outlaw’s was to cruise through the city in three, one-hour shifts starting at 6 a.m., 3 p.m. and 7 p.m., according to organizer Richard Johnson, director of community science at the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University. The volunteers planned to cover about 100 square miles, or more than 70% of Philly’s 140 square miles.Johnson said the study will show the areas of the city suffering the most from heat and pollution.
“I hope it creates a lot more awareness for the issues because we involved the community in the process of gathering all the information,” Johnson said. “It will allow the city to make more informed decisions about equitable solutions for heat and air quality.”