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Climate and Environment

How arts and humanities can help in the fight against pollution

Published: 

Dan Riskin on starting a dialogue on air pollution Dan Riskin reports on how scientists are using art and theatre to connect with residents of Nairobi, Kenya, on the threat of air pollution.

Scientists tend to listen to what science has to say, and like to believe that everyone else operates the same way.

But that's not always the case. Sometimes a scientific message can be ignored or dismissed because of the way in which it is communicated. Sometimes it can simply go over the heads of its intended audience.

That's what happened in Nairobi, Kenya, where scientific explanations of how local behaviours were contributing to pollution, which in turn adversely affected human health in the area, were never able to break through.

In this week's Riskin Report, CTV News Science and Technology Specialist Dan Riskin explains how turning to the arts helped get the message across in a way traditional scientific communication never could.

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