Like a lot of people concerned about COVID-19, I bought a portable CO2 monitor during the pandemic to assess the ventilation of indoor spaces. So did Atlantic writer Katherine J. Wu, whose experience with the tool (like mine) was more anxiety-inducing than helpful. When she discovered high CO2 levels in her apartment, she had little recourse but to open a window—which isn't exactly compatible with staying warm in the winter. Wu’s mostly fruitless quest to improve her air quality is a good reminder of the U.S.'s failure to prioritize clean indoor air. |