The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has created a Google Earth map mashup that shows air quality across the nation. Get started here. There's even a 3-D map overlay that lets you view the level of air pollutants that are coming from specific businesses. You can see this if you tilt your map, and it's most useful when used with 3D map renderings, complete with business buildings and all.

The data offered for this map mashup is pretty specific, based on the data the EPA has in its database. You can view the pollutants' levels for carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, volatile organic compounds and particulate matter. The EPA has noted that lead will be added to this list early next year.

The types of industries you'll be able to look up are paper and pulp, petroleum refineries, chemical manufacturers and electricity producers. By entering in a given area, you can see what company's facilities are doing the most damage, in which ways. Filter findings by state, level of pollutant, and industry.

Wouldn't it be interesting if something like a pollutant layer were added to virtual games like Second Life? Perhaps rendering this data into a virtual world game would be good for demonstrative purposes on the EPA's behalf. Then you could even make Erin Brockovich avatars, and save the world.

[via journal gazette]