The Air We Breathe

The research indicates that imagery of air pollution is more effective at communicating the health impacts of climate change to the UK public than images of floods, heat stress, or infectious disease. The document recommends using the high salience of air pollution to build a relatable visual narrative that introduces other climate-health links, while combining vulnerability-focused images with solution-oriented photos to foster a sense of efficacy.

• Images depicting air pollution are more effective for communicating the health impacts of climate change to the UK public than images of infectious disease, heat stress, or floods, as other health consequences are not yet visually salient.
• Effective visual communication should leverage the existing salience of air pollution to create a people-focused narrative, clearly link air quality to climate change (such as urban hotspots during high summer temperatures), and pair images of vulnerability with solution-focused photos that highlight positive social norms.

APA

Climate Outreach (2020). The Air We Breathe. https://climateoutreach.org/reports/the-air-we-breathe/

Chicago

Climate Outreach. The Air We Breathe. 2020. https://climateoutreach.org/reports/the-air-we-breathe/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Climate Outreach |title=The Air We Breathe |date=18 February 2020 |url=https://climateoutreach.org/reports/the-air-we-breathe/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{climateoutreach2020air, author = {{Climate Outreach}}, title = {{The Air We Breathe}}, institution = {Climate Outreach}, year = {2020}, month = feb, url = {https://climateoutreach.org/reports/the-air-we-breathe/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }