Explanation Document
Our outcome was to move further with our CP and tackle the problem of masks being uncomfortable . Therefore, we first made our poster communicate what our CP were and how we were taking an initiative to fix that problem . We then carried out our activity in school amongst the age group of 12-40 by giving out free masks along with bands to make the mask wearing experience more comfortable . In addition to this, brochures were also presented as they effectively communicated our CP and had a QR code which people could scan to be redirected to a short three minute video was also developed to further educate people about the problem. A dialogue from the principal investigator at CITY (Center for Urban Informatics, Technology, and Policy) was included to shed light about the role of vehicle emissions in smog, thus making the sources in our video more credible.
Cultural perspectives in Pakistan
The main CPs we got were that most people (93.5%) knew the hazards smog posed and also knew the main contributors to air pollution (vehicular emissions). However, many (37%) didn't want to take precautions to protect against smog/ air pollution as they felt masks were uncomfortable (75%) or perhaps they did not know the extent or severity of the problem. They tended to only run air purifiers in their homes (36%).
Cultural perspectives in India
57 percent of respondents in Delhi believed that air pollution had gotten worse over the years. Also, aligned with facts, 65 percent of individuals believed vehicular emission were the main culprit of high levels of pollutants. In addition, 95 percent of peoples lives were affected as 1 out of 2 people complained of breathlessness and irritation in breathing.