Green Options » breathmobile

94607: Oakland’s Childhood Asthma Hotspot

Guest Contributor — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 20:16:34 +0000

Editor’s Note: This was a multi-party contribution involving Kim Komenich (photos) Kwan Booth (text) NewsDesk.org (editing) Spot.Us (financial support). This is part of a series that we’ll be posting over the next week.

West Oakland is pinned between the Bay Area’s largest, busiest port and two major commuter freeways, and is home to decades of legacy pollution, making this marginalized but determined community a hotspot for childhood asthma and other illnesses.

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Toxic Tour Blog: Inside West Oakland’s ‘Breathmobile’

Guest Contributor — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 21:36:26 +0000

Talking to Dr. Washington Burns the other day I learned some pretty shocking information: 37 percent of the adults and 20 percent of the kids living in West Oakland have asthma and children living in this community are seven times more likely to be hospitalized for breathing related illness than any other children in California.

And Alameda County as a whole is no prize, with one of the highest overall hospitalization rates among 5-17 year old youth.

West Oakland Neighbors Tackle Toxic Legacy

Guest Contributor — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 00:13:33 +0000

Just about any long-term West Oakland resident can rattle off a list of health issues effecting their community: toxins from cargo ships docking at the nearby Port of Oakland, diesel smoke from Port-bound trucks, pollution from the two freeways that border the neighborhood, illegal dumping, and lack of accessible health care.