Community interviews have found that many household have members that are gardeners. Research has shown that garndening labor is especially socially vulnerable and hard to protect through organizing. See: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1M5_McMmsbcb_s2Qn17XtnFQ3HBeC2hcfYSBYrqmDB-0/edit?usp=sharing . Also see Sal Zarate's work: https://www.zotero.org/groups/130725/disastersts/collections/ICRQQ8PM
MPNA-GREEN's Community Research Board is conducting community interviews and learned that there are professional gardeners in many households, which likely comes with significant exposre to pesticides, likely brining them home to their families. See, for example, this recent study: https://www.ehn.org/glyphosate-childrens-health-2659484037.html, and there is always worries about endocrine disrupting chemicals in ag work.
The most common air pollutants are called criteria pollutants and are regulated by the Clean Air Act and the EPA. These pollutants are: particles, ozone, nitrogen oxides, sulfer dioxide, carbon monoxide, and lead. The EPA have sections under the CAA that help regulate factories and air pollution in the environment. For example section 108 requires the EPA to identify the pollutants that are criteria pollutants, listed above, and determine if where they are coming from and if they "endander public health or welfare". Under section 109 the EPA had to set standards across the board for air pulltion in regard to human health and to the environemtn sperately (Christopher D. Ahlers 2016, 51-52). There are many more sections that go into detail about what the CAA can do and what the EPA members are required to do as well.
Ahlers, Christopher D. “Wood Burning, Biomass, Air Pollution, and Climate Change.” Environmental Law 46, no. 1 (2016): 49–104.This photo essay offers a visual example of maps that can be created using the California Healthy Places Index. It specifically focus on various health-related indicators in Santa Ana, California.
On Wednesday Oct 5th 2022, CUAL (Communidad Unida Aire Limpio) hosted an air monitoring day. Santa Ana residents were asked to volunteer and donate their time. There was three shifts available (Morning 7am-10am, Noon 12pm-3pm, Evening 4pm-7pm). A volunteer will use the app Atmotube and pair their phone up with an air monitor. There are driving routes and walking routes. A person will need to stay at each stop of the route for 7 mins. After the route is done, the volunteer will go back and return the monitor and will then send their data to mpnacorg@gmail.com
This video is a Tik Tok I made about my experience with volunteering for CUAL.
https://www.tiktok.com/@josephvkast/video/7151573175829318958?is_copy_u…