Making a Difference (02:46)

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Smartphones, computers, and mobile technology allow citizen scientists to collect information about the world. Hosted by Waleed Abdalati, "The Crowd and the Cloud" describes how every person can help advance scientific knowledge and serve as an environmental watchdog against pollution.

"Philly Unleashed" Citizens and Scientists, United: Part One (02:50)

In Philadelphia, over 270,000 homes were built prior to 1919; the water department estimate at least 50,000 still contain lead pipes. Citizens became concerned about safe H20 after the controversy in Flint. Media outlets reported that the Philadelphia water department was not following EPA guidelines on testing for lead.

"Philly Unleashed" Citizens and Scientists, United: Part Two (03:44)

"The Philly Unleaded Project" gathers more precise data on lead levels in Philadelphia. Marc Edwards offered to test everyone's water at cost. "Witnesses to Hunger" group members photograph their lives to show lawmakers how poverty affects families.

"Philly Unleashed" Citizens and Scientists, United: Part Three (05:37)

Debra McCarty, the Philadelphia Water Commissioner, announced that the drinking water was lead-free. Marc Edwards explains how the government is not forthcoming about shared-responsibility laws in regards to lead. Penn Environment collaborated with Virginia Tech to test 150 of the highest risk locations.

"Philly Unleashed" Citizens and Scientists, United: Part Four (03:58)

PennEnvironment and "Witnesses to Hunger" began testing on July 19th and taught participants how to use the kits. Philly Unleaded travels around Philadelphia asking people to survey their water.

"Philly Unleashed" Citizens and Scientists, United: Part Five (02:30)

Virginia Tech receives the first lead testing kits from "Witnesses to Hunger; Jeff Parks tests the Philadelphia samples. King's home exceeded the EPA action guidelines for lead. Install filters on the faucet to cut down on contaminants in the water.

The Bucket Brigade and Air Quality: Part One (03:30)

Deb Thomas describes why she moved to Clark, Wyoming. Oil and gas companies are allowed to build the pools and pads required, without obtaining permits to drill. On August 11th, 2006, a blowout occurred at the fracking site which required the company to evacuate the homes surrounding the facility.

The Bucket Brigade and Air Quality: Part Two (03:04)

The blowout in Wyoming caused extensive contamination of groundwater. Denny Larson founded the Bucket Brigade to discover what hazards were being emitted into the atmosphere. Thomas decided to create her own chapter to research the fracking company.

The Bucket Brigade and Air Quality: Part Three (02:50)

ALS Laboratories analyzed the samples of the Warning Signs Study for volatile organics. Dr. David Carpenter runs the University of Albany's Institute of Health and the Environment. Forty percent of the samples recovered exceeded emission standards.

The Bucket Brigade and Air Quality: Part Four (04:07)

The governor of New York banned fracking after the Bucket Brigade's report was released. While the peer-reviewers integrity was questioned, no one disputed the findings. Legislators gave the oil and gas industry exemptions to the Clean Air Act, The Clean Water Act, and the Safe Drinking Water Act. Without the citizen scientists who recorded the fracking emissions there would be no protection.

"Trout Unlimited" Fishing for Data (07:24)

Jim Weaver fly fished for decades in Tioga County. The Marcellus region of shale accounts for 40% of shale gas production. Trout unlimited grew from a small group in Pennsylvania to a national organization.

The "Black and Smelly Rivers" App: Part One (05:44)

Ma Jun wrote "China's Water Crisis" and formed the Institute of Public and Environmental Affairs. 1.6 million people die each year from pollution; over 300 million lack access to safe drinking water. The government installed sensors in all factors to monitor emissions.

The "Black and Smelly Rivers" App: Part Two (04:03)

Zoi Yi began to photograph the increasing pollution in Beijing. In 2016, IPE released version 3.1. of "Blue Map" app, where users can investigate pollution in their areas. Jun explains how social media helped environmentalism.

Transparency, Accountability, Empowerment (02:50)

Thomas describes how Wyoming's "Trespass Law" stopped citizens from collecting resource data on fracking companies. Citizen Scientists explain how their organization empowers the environmental movement.

Credits: The Crowd and The Cloud: Episode 2—Citizens and Scientists (01:41)

Credits: The Crowd and The Cloud: Episode 2—Citizens and Scientists