My partner (Katie) and I decided to make a visual piece relating to Canadian pollution, specifically carbon monoxide pollution. We wanted our audience to be able to connect to the data, which is why we chose to select Canadian data over world data. From my partner and I’s perspective, researching only Canadian data downsized the thought of ‘there’s nothing I can do about it because I can’t control the world’. We wanted our audience to clearly understand the data, which is why we chose to create a 3D graph containing colour coordination to represent a variety of information. Creating the 3D graphs allowed us to show 29 years worth of carbon monoxide emissions (in intervals of 5), breakdown what was causing/adding up to those emissions, and show the depletion of emissions over time. Carbon monoxide can be nicknamed ‘the silent killer’ as it is tasteless, odorless, colourless, and exposure at 150ppm-200ppm concentration of CO can result in death. This is why we decided to make the CO towers clear/see through and just colour the frame to show data. The reason we decided to show data for what is contributing to the problem, was to try and answer the question of ‘well how can I help’. Taking a look at our visualization, transportation emissions are the main contributor, this can tell the audience that to make a difference it can be as simple as walking or biking to their destinations more often. Below are photos of our journey/progress to reach our final piece.

PPM: parts per million or milligrams per litre

Our Journey:

Our Final Product:

Data:

Core Competency Reflection:

Sources:

https://www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/services/environmental-indicators/air-pollutant-emissions.html

https://www.cpsc.gov/Safety-Education/Safety-Education-Centers/Carbon-Monoxide-Information-Center/Carbon-Monoxide-Questions-and-Answers#:~:text=As%20CO%20levels%20increase%20and,unconsciousness%2C%20and%20death%20are%20possible.