West Oakland experiences the highest level of diesel particulate matter — a toxic air contaminant and form of powerful, short-lived climate pollutant– of any community in the San Francisco Bay Area. Ms. Margaret Gordon founded the West Oakland Environmental Indicators Project (WOEIP) in 1999 to tackle air pollution in her neighborhood. WOEIP seeks to reduce both indoor and outdoor air pollution through research, data collection, organizing and political advocacy. For a transcript, please visit https://climatebreak.org/neighborhood-climate-data-with-ms-margaret-gordon/
For a transcript, please visit https://climatebreak.org/neighborhood-climate-data-with-ms-margaret-gordon/
Ms. Gordon: You can visibly see the particulates. You can see it on window sills, you can see it on the ceilings, you can see it on your car. This grimy, smutty substance.
Ethan: We're joined by Miss Margaret Gordon, co-founder and co-director of the West Oakland Environmental Indicators Project, which uses cutting edge science to fight against air pollution and for climate equity. Margaret’s community is heavily impacted by truck traffic and pollution from the nearby port. In fact, she’s found that one out of five children in her neighborhood between the ages of zero to five end up in the hospital with respiratory ailments.
Ms. Gordon: We have our own air monitoring equipment. It's like a backpack, and you could walk around and you can check the air quality.
Ethan: She began her environmental efforts by finding the data herself. Using her data, Margaret’s organization developed community-based action plans to promote climate resiliency and equity with the City of Oakland, ensuring that even the most vulnerable are protected during climate disasters and from toxic pollutants. Her data-advocacy model has now spread to communities across the country, from San Diego to New Jersey. Her advice?
Ms. Gordon: Not to be overly emotional and be able to translate the data, and the research to everybody having a universal use of it.
Ethan: To learn more about Margaret’s work and for more climate solutions, go to ClimateBreak.org or wherever you get your podcasts. I’m Ethan Elkind, and this was Climate Break.