Transcript:
Power plants, refineries, factories, and diesel trucks create air pollution that warms the climate and harms people’s health.
And Latino people are often particularly vulnerable. Neighborhoods with large Latino populations are more likely than predominantly white communities to be located near sources of pollution.
And Hilda Berganza of the Hispanic Access Foundation says many Latinos also work outside.
Berganza: “We are in the construction industry. We’re in the landscaping industry.”
So it’s harder to avoid breathing industrial pollution or wildfire smoke, which is similarly dangerous.
To help people learn about pollution where they live, the Hispanic Access Foundation gave air quality sensors to churches in 12 communities.
So far, the group has analyzed a year’s worth of data. It shows, for example, that in Weslaco, Texas, Caldwell, Idaho, and San Bernardino, California, concentrations of particulate pollution exceeded EPA standards.
Berganza says the information gets people talking.
Berganza: “Things like, I didn’t know how bad the air was in my area. What can we do to protect our families? What can we do to advocate for better air?”
So she says the data is helping educate and engage Latino communities, and inspiring people to take action.
Reporting credit: Sarah Kennedy / ChavoBart Digital Media
