University Atmospheric Control Laboratories Poland, and Silesia in particular, contends with “London-ty-
ganic compounds, plant pollen, zooplankton, gas compo-
pe” smog in the winter season because heat engineering
nents and soot concentration (Black Carbon). The balloon is
and power industry are based, first of all, on burning coal
an excellent laboratory which shows the problems we con-
and wood, and with “Los Angeles-type” smog in the sum-
tend with and what should be done to change the situation
mer, which is caused by the increase in the number of cars
and improve the quality of air in the region, which will have
and by using them by residents of the Silesian agglomera-
a global effect on the improvement of the condition of the
tion, who constitute nearly 1/10 of the population of Poland.
atmosphere.
University of Silesia in Katowice has created University At-
Research results are presented to children and school youth
mospheric Control Laboratories (ULKA) and the aerial mo-
at symposia, conferences and meetings of local community
bile laboratory, the only one of this kind in Poland, located
in order to educate and cooperate with the local govern-
in the basket of a hot air balloon designed for research on
ment with the aim of implementing innovative ecological
atmosphere pollution and widely understood ecological
actions in line with the principles of sustainable develop-
education of the youth. The balloon is equipped with sta-
ment gions of the world. Today, while coal is still an impor-
te-of-the-art equipment which allows for registering pollu-
tant commodity of the Silesian economy, heavy industry is
tion changes vertically, up to approx. 4,000 m above ground
being replaced by high-tech enterprises. It is the entrepre-
level, and migration of pollution horizontally, according to
neurial energy of well-educated young Silesians that directs
wind directions. The research covers both mineral and or-
the future of the region.
Mariola Jabłońska, PhD hab. Faculty of Earth Sciences, University of Silesia in Katowice Project manager of University Atmospheric Control Laboratories (ULKA)
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S pac e I n va d e r s / W e Da r e to I n v i t e Yo u
