Clearing the Air BONUS: The Right to Breathe

In this special bonus episode, we talk with Rosamund Adoo-Kissi-Debrah, founder and director of The Ella Roberta Foundation based in South London, UK. We first met Rosamund in episode 4, The Road to Change. She and her legal team made history when a coroner found a direct link between her nine-year-old daughter Ella Roberta's death from a fatal asthma attack due to the air quality near her home along one of London’s busiest roads. Ella then became the first person in the world to have air pollution appear on a death certificate as a cause of death. 

Eleven years after this tragic life-changing event, Rosamund reflects on her journey to becoming a global clean air advocate in honor of her daughter's legacy. From her calls for greater government accountability to raising awareness of air pollution as a critical health issue, we discuss where she has seen progress and where there is still work to be done. 

This episode also features the song "Air" from the Hope 4 Justice EP. The EP was created and produced by the Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance in collaboration with leading artists and local young people. Learn more about this project here.

Learn more about the podcast at clearingtheair.org. 

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The Institute for Science & Policy is a catalyst for thoughtful dialogue, working toward solutions to society’s greatest challenges with scientific thinking, empathy, and inclusivity. The Institute is a project of the Denver Museum of Nature & Science.  

Episode Credits: 

Reporting, writing, hosting: Kristan Uhlenbrock 

Producing, marketing: Tricia Waddell 

Additional reporting and fact-checking: Nicole Delaney and Kate Long 

Sound design: Seth Samuel with tracks from Epidemic Sounds