Dr Malini Sur Comments on Air Pollution in Sydney
Dr Malini Sur has appeared on ABC News Afternoons and Evenings, commenting on the current smoke and dust pollution in Sydney and about air pollution as a global epidemic.
ABC News Afternoons interview, 10 December (malini sur (opens in a new window)on Vimeo).
The coverage was prompted by her article in The Conversation, co-authored with Dr Eric Kerr (National University of Singapore), titled 'What Do Sydney and Other Cities Have in Common? Dust’ (opens in a new window).
Dr Sur has been researching dust in various contexts including how the ground is broken in Parramatta's current construction boom and the effects of air pollution on cyclists in cities.
The following are excerpts from Dr Sur and Dr Kerr's essay 'Breaking the Ground' (opens in a new window)in Society + Space.
"To make cities, the ground is constantly broken. As excavators dig the earth cracks and crumbles. Dust and mud particles scatter. Engineers and construction workers rearrange these; mud is heaped, used and disposed, and the ground flattened for foundation. Excavators and drillers resituate emergent urban forms in real time. Their dynamism contrasts notably from corporate images of shining shovel-holding executives at the highly publicised ground-breaking ceremonies."
"On ordinary days in the Parramatta Square, the operator’s humming motors guide the repetitive motions of the ground engaging tools. The rollers constantly flatten precious structural fill generating neat geometric patterns. The fumes of the motor and the dust that gathers creates a haze close to the ground."
Posted: 18 December 2019.
