Forget about costs and practicalities for a minute, and consider what would the world be like if we had environmental sensors everywhere? When taking the Internet of Things (IoT) concept to its greatest extent, sensors could link to our climate control systems, our transport systems, our healthcare systems – adapting to our preferences, improving our health and safety; Doing so in the most energy efficient way possible. While we may not need sensors everywhere, the cost of extensive sensor deployment to most authorities would likely be too high in the current financial climate. However, like so many things in the modern era (the internet, social media, smart phones) true growth for the IoT depends on citizen engagement; in identifying problems and opportunities, then developing creative solutions. In a Gartner report from last year, it was estimated that by 2019, “citizen environmentalists” will have deployed more personal sensors, measuring things like air and water pollution, than […]