Clearing the air in China

I have a simple, though unscientific, method of checking the air quality here in Hong Kong. If I can't see across the harbor to Kowloon from my window, I opt against running outside.

In mainland China, air pollution is a particularly contentious issue. The government is resistant to independent monitoring of its environment.

But kites could help residents of Beijing breathe easier.

Photo courtesy FLOAT Beijing

The project is called FLOAT Beijing. It puts the tools to map and monitor air quality directly in the hands of people who live in the city.

And it looks pretty cool at the same time. The kites are equipped with sensors that change colors depending on the level of pollution, creating what the group calls a "constellation of air quality indicating lights in the night sky."