Abstract
Through an analysis of three case studies, this chapter proposes a new kind of democratic risk communication that can be realized through environmental sensing by citizens with smartphones, and considers the challenges involved. The three case studies, which the authors have implemented in the society, are as follows: (1) The Pocket Geiger (Pokéga) is a radiation sensor for citizens developed immediately after the Fukushima nuclear accident. More than 100,000 Pokéga units have been produced under an open source license. (2) The Unreal iSOTOPE is a mobile simulator developed for training Japanese law enforcement agencies during radiation disasters. (3) The Pocket PM2.5 Sensor visualizes the distribution of invisible air pollutants indoors and outdoors. It is particularly useful for fieldwork in developing countries where environmental assessments are inadequate.
TopBackground
Environmental disasters that cause severe damage to public health and the natural environment are a constant global threat. In traditional risk assessments, such as those described by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (1992), risk management is determined by expert discussion and top-down decision-making. In contrast, the authors believe that citizen-centered participatory monitoring holds the key to effective disaster prediction, prevention, and response.
Burke et al. (2006) originally presented the concept of participatory sensing and predicted that the data collected from mobile sensors held by citizens could be used for public health, urban planning, natural resource management, and documentary filming. With the spread of smartphones, this concept has become a reality. For example, road congestion, consumption behavior, location information, and travel history are widely collected and utilized through Global Positioning System (GPS) sensors and payment modules pre-built into smartphones. The authors take this concept one step further with the addition to smartphones of environmental sensors for crisis communications.
Key Terms in this Chapter
Participatory Monitoring: A situation where the public takes the initiative in sensing, voluntarily sharing measurement data, and engaging in discussions on social media. It is expected to speed up environmental risk-awareness, improve risk literacy, and create voluntary risk-avoidance behaviors.
Open Source Research: Research conducted in collaboration with researchers and engineers from around the world through the publication of research results and resources under an open source license. It has been adopted by many in the software sector, but there are some examples in the hardware and healthcare sectors.
PM2.5: Airborne particulate matter having a diameter of 2.5 µm or less. Because it is so small, it can pass through the cells of the embryo and enter the circulatory system, causing death from respiratory and cardiopulmonary diseases.
Nudging: A method that encourages people to voluntarily choose the desired action rather than forcing them. For example, providing incentives, gamifying and entertaining, and engaging the unconscious through affordance in the design of products, architecture, graphics, and information.
Social Product: A product that is valued because of the social context in which it was made and its ethical significance. In addition to the traditional values of brand, price, and function, it is considered a fourth value in consumer purchasing behavior.
Crowdfunding: A method of fundraising via online platforms that allows details of any project to be published on the web and investment to be collected from individuals who are interested in investing in it. If put to good use, it can yield not only funding but also good public relations and networks.