Although they're designed and marketed as environmentally conscious alternatives, bioplastics are confusing consumers and causing headaches for waste management facilities. Not only are compostable bioplastics erroneously thrown into recycling bins, they don't compost as well as advertised.
See article here: https://www.eastbayexpress.com/oakland/the-problems-with-bioplastics/Content?oid=22699508
Traditional levees, including vertical seawalls made of concrete, have lined the bay since the late 1800s. Today, more than a century later, Bay Area communities are experimenting with more natural, horizontal levee systems made of mud and plants, such as San Lorenzo’s Oro Loma levee, which is less than fifteen miles south of the Port of Oakland. Horizontal levees have a high price point, costing millions to build. But supporters say they are critical for protecting the Bay Area from inevitable sea level rise and flood damage—and that such efforts require cooperation between cities.
See article: https://blog.sfgate.com/inoakland/2018/09/24/alameda-county-to-use-horizontal-levees-to-counteract-flooding/
The first stretch of the Embarcadero Seawall was built on a tidal mudflat on the northern waterfront back in 1878 to protect the shoreline from surging surf. By 1916, the full three-mile structure was in place, paving the way for developers to build what we currently see today: a stretch of real estate that hosts a significant part of San Francisco’s multi-billion-dollar tourism economy.
But tidal mudflat is not the best substrate for construction in an earthquake-prone area. The San Francisco Bay Area Planning and Urban Research Association (SPUR), a think-tank focusing on regional development policy, said in their November 2018 Voter Guide that the seawall is “old and sinking” and highly vulnerable to earthquakes.
See article: https://missionlocal.org/2018/10/prop-a-san-francisco-ballot-measure-prepares-for-the-big-one/
Oakland's cannabis program has come under fire for not providing enough funding to equity participants. But a new $10 million state fund could help solve some of the city's problems.
See article: https://www.eastbayexpress.com/oakland/can-the-state-help-oaklands-equity-program/Content?oid=23672657
Communities across the country are implementing the Promise Neighborhoods cradle-to-career strategy to create a comprehensive pipeline of educational, health, and community supports where children can thrive and reach their full potential. This document articulates how a focus on health equity is critical to the success of the Promise Neighborhoods program. It describes how Promise Neighborhoods have used a disciplined results-based approach to improve community environments to support health.
Report here: https://promiseneighborhoodsinstitute.org/sites/default/files/pl-report-health-equity-102914-a.pdf
Oakland Asian Cultural Center's third zine about how food intersects with culture, history, and identity.
Zine link: https://issuu.com/oaklandasiancc/docs/oacc_zine_v.3_final_final_copy_to_p
