Which Apps Can I Use to Monitor the Environment?

With fears about global warming and air pollution at fever pitch, it’s never been more desirable to monitor the state of our environment. Fortunately, the dramatic advances made in the technological world over recent years mean that doing so has never been easier.

The proliferation of Smartphones and the accompanying boom in apps mean that there is now an app for virtually everything. Meanwhile, an evolution in environmental monitoring and the added value of wireless data transmission allows each and every one of us access to accurate, up-to-the-minute information about air quality and other environmental factors in our area – and indeed, around the world.

Here are a handful of the more useful apps which can give you an insight into the state of the world’s environmental health and even provide tips on how to improve it.

 Commute Greener

Created by Volvo, this handy little app monitors your greenhouse gas emissions during your daily commute to work and other locations based upon your preferred methods of transport. It collates your data, encourages you to set targets for curbing your emissions in the coming weeks and even inserts a competitive factor by allowing comparison with other users. £2.39.

Pollution

This free app assimilates data from 1,380 cities across the globe and allows you an instant overview of real-time data on your location (or any other you choose to view). It has the ability to select four different forms of pollution: air, water, earth and radiation from telephone masts. FREE.

Creek Watch

A crowd-sourced app, Creek Watch encourages users to stop for a moment or two every time they pass a canal, stream or river and upload information about, including photographs, videos and comments about the level of the water, amount of rubbish, colour, etc. This information is sent to local water authorities, allowing them to keep abreast of any problems and take action accordingly. FREE.

London Air App

For those living in the UK capital, this app measures air pollution at over 100 sites around the city and gives notifications when air quality levels in your area change. Originally developed to allay fears about air quality during the 2012 Olympics, London Air App offers highly-detailed, real-time information around the capital. FREE.

iViro

This app assesses your energy consumption habits in the home in the shape of water, heating, lighting and appliance use and delivers estimates on carbon emissions and yearly billing. It can offer alternative suggestions to help you save money and energy and project these savings based upon your adapted habits. FREE.

greenMeter

Mounted on the dashboard of your car, this app will measure how quickly you accelerate and break and assess the efficiency of your driving as a result. It can alert you if you accelerate too aggressively or break too quickly and allow you to reach your optimal driving speeds. £3.49.

For more environmentally-minded apps, check out this great resource from Environmental Health Safety freeware.