LONDON — Look! Up in the sky! It’s a bird. It’s a plane. Oh, well, we should have stopped at it’s a bird.
This could seem like a bird-brained idea: relying on a team of pigeons to carry out scientific studies on air quality. But that’s exactly what’s flying around London.
Meet… the Pigeon Air Patrol!
Our #PigeonAir patrol are all roosting and we're signing off for tonight. Goodnight London – see you in the morning! pic.twitter.com/R8MkU1Gz1V
— Pigeon Air Patrol (@PigeonAir) March 14, 2016
A flock of “superbirds,” armed with backpacks packed with sensors, are on a three-day mission to measure nitrogen dioxide in a city with some of the highest levels of air pollution in the world.
A live map brands areas of London with — fresh, moderate, high, very high or an extreme rating.
Pigeons fighting pollution: Simply tweet your London area to @PigeonAir & we'll tell you how toxic it is! #PigeonAir pic.twitter.com/S3CKPx35Ry
— Pigeon Air Patrol (@PigeonAir) March 14, 2016
If all goes well in the UK, we wonder if this will fly some day in the US.
