##Mission Pursuing environmental justice through community science and open technology ##About us Public Lab is rooted in the belief that the best ideas and solutions come from partnerships between on-the-ground communities with deep knowledge of local issues in close, equitable, and sustainable partnerships with networks that bring skills, capacity, science, and technology to bear. We use science and inquiry to shift power structures so that anyone can be a change agent in addressing environmental health issues, through the creation of monitoring techniques, formation of research questions, selection of research sites, strategies for engaging proactively with stakeholders, and low-cost community exposure interventions. We raise awareness about health impacts, improve scientific agency, build new scientific and technological skills, and mitigate certain exposures. When people can easily and reliably track local effects associated with environmental injustices—increased flooding, poor air quality, pollution and destruction of wetlands, etc.—they can make better-informed decisions and take action. Broadening participation in science makes science itself better, addressing gaps and incorporating historically excluded forms of environmental knowledge that provide critical insight. ##Our history Public Lab was founded in the wake of the 2010 BP oil disaster, during an information blackout for residents and the rest of the world. In response a group of concerned locals, environmental advocates, designers, and social scientists lofted “community satellites” (made from balloons, kites and digital cameras) over the spill to collect real-time data about its impact. Through a newly created open source platform, contributors stitched over 100,000 aerial images into maps of the coastline before, during, and after the oil spread. These high-resolution maps were featured by BBC and New York Times, among others, allowing residents to speak their truth about what was going on in the Gulf Coast. The success of the grassroots mapping effort galvanized the group to found Public Lab as a new research and social space for the development of low-cost tools for community-based environmental monitoring and assessment. ## About the tools and data The science, technology, and data shared on PublicLab.org are community-created and open source. We utilize our open data to advocate for better environmental management, regulations, and enforcement. These tools enable people to collaborate on and build upon community knowledge, and to share data about community environmental health. We focus tool development on creating tools that are: low cost; open source; easy to use; built through public participation and collaboration; supported by a network of practitioners; and produce meaningful, understandable, and high-quality data. ### Useful pages * [Contribute](/contribute) - how to participate in Public Lab. * [Public Lab Partners](/wiki/partners) - links to the sites of Public Lab friends, collaborators and partners. * [Media](/media) - our publications, and press coverage. * [How Public Lab is Funded](/wiki/how-public-lab-funded) - a list of Public Lab funding sources. * [Public Lab nonprofit values](https://publiclab.org/wiki/public-lab-nonprofit-values) * Public Lab [Code of Conduct](https://publiclab.org/conduct) * [Annual Reports](http://publiclab.org/wiki/annual-reports) * About Public Lab in other languages: * [Public Lab - Summary in Turkish](http://publiclab.org/wiki/public-lab-summary-in-turkish) ### People behind Public Lab Public Lab is a growing community that is open for all to join. However, there are thirteen staff and four board members that support this community. * [Public Lab Staff](/wiki/plots-staff) * [Public Lab Board of Directors](/wiki/board) * [Public Lab Organizers](http://publiclab.org/wiki/organizers) * [Public Lab Fellows](http://publiclab.org/wiki/fellows) ### Contact The best way to get in touch is by emailing our team at [staff@publiclab.org](mailto:staff@publiclab.org). If you are trying to reach a particular staff member, please visit the Public Lab Staff page. **Contact information** Phone: 504-358-0647 _(Note: technical troubleshooting is not handled on this line, please send your question to the appropriate email group on [publiclab.org/lists](/lists))_
We receive mail at: Public Lab, 3014 Dauphine St., Ste. E, New Orleans, LA 70117 **Kits store** If you need assistance with a kit purchase, please email kits@publiclab.org. **Technical assistance with website** Please [file an issue and we'll help as soon as we can](/issues).