Our Children's Earth: Think Clearly About the Future

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Air quality is an issue that impacts every person. Our Childen's Earth believes that people have the absolute right to:

Know about the quality of their air.
Participate in all decisions that result in increased pollution in their neighborhoods.

While having laws is good, it is not enough. The government and corporations need public oversight to ensure continued implementation and proper enforcement of the law. Concerned citizens have the potential to improve enforcement efforts, and consequently, the air they breathe. However, our community partners have confirmed to us that there is currently little community participation in the process, because communities have neither the knowledge nor the resources needed to take on polluters or the oversight agencies.

OCE believes that, armed with information about the dangers and ways to become involved in improving air quality, affected citizens can become a part of improving air quality. Consequently, educational programs are an integral part of OCE's three-pronged approach to improving air quality. Each year, OCE creates a special project with the aim of improving public awareness about the public's right to clean air. Our hope is that these programs will become tools to help the public become aware, participate in all decisions that impact their air, and protect themselves and their children from dangerous air pollution.

Bay Area Clean Air Task Force compilation of studies on air pollution, public health and the environment. (.PDF)

For its 2002 education project, OCE produced and distributed 1,000 Community Clean Air Kits to educate Bay Area residents about air pollution issues in their neighborhood. The kits contain information which helps the public understand clean air issues, and encourages community participation in the decision-making process.

Printed kits are being distributed through various organizations and events throughout the Bay Area, including:

Sunset Co-Op Nursery School
Earth Day - Berkeley
Mission YMCA(SF) Waterfront Kids Program
St. Francis YMCA(SF) 5-7 year old after school program
Dunnellon, Florida Kiwanas Club (Health Fair for Kids)
Kempe Clinic
Health Access Foundation
Latino Issues Forum

For those who would like an electronic copy of the material, our Clean Air Guide has the same information in a Web-friendly format.

The Clean Air Kits were made possible by a generous grant from the San Francisco Foundation.