Smartphone Apps for Measuring Human Health and Climate Change Co-Benefits: A Comparison and Quality Rating of Available Apps.

BACKGROUND: Climate change and the burden of noncommunicable diseases are major global challenges. Opportunities exist to investigate health and climate change co-benefits through a shift from motorized to active transport (walking and cycling) and a shift in dietary patterns away from a globalized diet to reduced consumption of meat and energy dense foods. Given the ubiquitous use and proliferation of smartphone apps, an opportunity exists to use this technology to capture individual travel and dietary behavior and the associated impact on the environment and health. OBJECTIVE: The objective of the study is to identify, describe the features, and rate the quality of existing smartphone apps which capture personal travel and dietary behavior and simultaneously estimate the carbon cost and potential health consequences of these actions. METHODS: The Google Play and Apple App Stores were searched between October 19 and November 6, 2015, and a secondary Google search using the apps filter was conducted between August 8 and September 18, 2016. Eligible apps were required to estimate the carbon cost of personal behaviors with the potential to include features to maximize health outcomes. The quality of included apps was assessed by 2 researchers using the Mobile Application Rating Scale (MARS). RESULTS: Out of 7213 results, 40 apps were identified and rated. Multiple travel-related apps were identified, however no apps solely focused on the carbon impact or health consequences of dietary behavior. None of the rated apps provided sufficient information on the health consequences of travel and dietary behavior. Some apps included features to maximize participant engagement and encourage behavior change towards reduced greenhouse gas emissions. Most apps were rated as acceptable quality as determined by the MARS; 1 was of poor quality and 10 apps were of good quality. Interrater reliability of the 2 evaluators was excellent (ICC=0.94, 95% CI 0.87-0.97). CONCLUSIONS: Existing apps capturing travel and dietary behavior and the associated health and environmental impact are of mixed quality. Most apps do not include all desirable features or provide sufficient health information. Further research is needed to determine the potential of smartphone apps to evoke behavior change resulting in climate change and health co-benefits

Application of scintillometry in the urban atmosphere

5th Symposium on the Urban Environment477-48

Can surface-cover tiles be summed to give neighborhood fluxes in cities?

10.1175/JAMC-D-11-078.1Journal of Applied Meteorology and Climatology511133-14

BUBBLE - an urban boundary layer meteorology project

The Basel UrBan Boundary Layer Experiment (BUBBLE) was a year-long experimental effort to investigate in detail the boundary layer structure in the City of Basel, Switzerland. At several sites over different surface types (urban, sub-urban and rural reference) towers up to at least twice the main obstacle height provided turbulence observations at many levels. In addition, a Wind Profiler and a Lidar near the city center were profiling the entire lower troposphere. During an intensive observation period (IOP) of one month duration, several sub-studies on street canyon energetics and satellite ground truth, as well as on urban turbulence and profiling (sodar, RASS, tethered balloon) were performed. Also tracer experiments with near-roof-level release and sampling were performed. In parallel to the experimental activities within BUBBLE, a meso-scale numerical atmospheric model, which contains a surface exchange parameterization, especially designed for urban areas was evaluated and further developed. Finally, the area of the full-scale tracer experiment which also contains several sites of other special projects during the IOP (street canyon energetics, satellite ground truth) is modeled using a very detailed physical scale-model in a wind tunnel. In the present paper details of all these activities are presented together with first results. The Basel UrBan Boundary Layer Experiment (BUBBLE)was a year-long experimental effort to investigate indetail the boundary layer structure in the City of Basel,Switzerland. At several sites over different surface types(urban, sub-urban and rural reference) towers up to at leasttwice the main obstacle height provided turbulenceobservations at many levels. In addition, a Wind Profilerand a Lidar near the city center were profiling the entirelower troposphere. During an intensive observation period(IOP) of one month duration, several sub-studies on streetcanyon energetics and satellite ground truth, as well as onurban turbulen and profiling (sodar, RASS, tetheredballoon) were performed. Also tracer experiments withnear-roof-level release and sampling were performed. Inparallel to the experimental activities within BUBBLE, ameso-scale numerical atmospheric model, which contains asurface exchange parameterization, especially designed forurban areas was evaluated and further developed. Finally,the area of the full-scale tracer experiment which alsocontains several sites of other special projects during theIOP (street canyon energetics, satellite ground truth) ismodeled using a very detailed physical scale-model in awind tunnel. In the present paper details of all theseactivities are presented together with first results