Beating air pollution through community research
When one thinks of the quantity of air pollutants in major cities in the Philippines, it can be enough to deter one from going out altogether. In industrialized cities like Tokyo, some residents have taken to wearing masks to filter the air they breathe. Here, however, Filipinos inhale the exhaust from vehicles and factories, most of the time, without even knowing it.
In West Oakland, California (USA,) diesel exhaust was one such problem. A lot of big trucks used to pass by, as the area was surrounded by freeways and bordered by a port.
Here is how the residents embarked on a community-wide scientific research, and ended up with a healthier place to do business and live in.
Defining the Problem. When it became evident to the residents of West Oakland that they are suffering from more than their fair share of air pollution, they wanted to know the extent of air pollution and what can be done to minimize it.
Locating Resources/Gathering Information. Since they had to provide proof and new information in order to change attitudes and practices, they gathered the following facts:
- There were 24,000 residents in West Oakland.
- There are three freeways, the Port of Oakland and the Oakland Army Base around the town.
- More than 20 truck-related businesses operate in the neighborhood, with thousands of diesel trucks traveling through West Oakland to drop off and/or pick up containers from the docked ships at the port.
- Diesel pollution was a top concern identified by the residents in West Oakland through the West Oakland Environmental Indicators Project (WO EIP).
Forming a Hypothesis. They hypothesized that West Oakland was suffering from air pollution because of the diesel trucks.
Planning. Through the WO EIP, a committee of residents was designated as the “conscience of the project”, who identified the indicators they wanted to measure. Among them were truck traffic, indoor and outdoor air quality, and number of individuals who developed asthma.
Collecting Data. Residents and organizations then conducted their own study of diesel trucks, monitoring when and where these trucks traveled. They conducted a truck count and a truck idling study. They also tracked the diesel emissions in the community.
Organizing and Interpreting Data. Most of the results are available here. An example of a concrete findingI was that West Oakland residents breathe air with diesel particulate levels that are five times more than in other parts of Oakland, paving the way for immediate action against diesel pollution.
Drawing Conclusions. Their observations regarding the environment have been confirmed and backed up with research findings. Basically, the diesel trucks are causing a lot of the air pollution in their neighborhood, so they set out ways to reduce its impact.
The residents communicated the results to the authorities, which helped in moving truck-related businesses away from residential areas and giving financial incentives to get rid of pollution-causing trucks.
Because of their scientific community research project, the community were able to solve the problem, and paved the way for the allocation of $1.5 million in Air District funds to implement the diesel reduction solutions recommended based on the results of the study.
It is truly a good example of how a community should work and collaborate to improve the quality of life its residents.
Sources:
Palaniappan, Meena. “Community-driven research reduces pollution in West Oakland.” Retrieved November 16, 2008 from http://www.urbanhabitat.org/node/163
“The Scientific Method: A Model for Conducting Scientific Research.” Retrieved November 16, 2008 from http://depts.washington.edu/rural/RURAL/design/scimethod.html
(Published 2 December 2008, Smart Communications, Inc.)
