Health, Science, Environment

Pollution and the environment have always been big issues for Californians. A statewide survey conducted by the Public Policy Institute of California last month showed that approximately half the state’s residents see air pollution as a serious threat to their health.

Among African Americans and Latinos, concern is even greater.  The majority of those polled in these groups believe that people in lower-income areas are disproportionately affected by air pollution.

If you saw the lead story of today's San Francisco Chronicle, you would have seen a photo of a long line of people outside a lawyer's office in Richmond, near a sign that says: "Chevron Claims Filed Here." 

Last night’s fire at the Chevron refinery in Richmond put city residents in a state of panic. The fire sent up a huge plume of black smoke, stopping traffic, closing bridges, and shutting down BART stations.

The large-scale chemical fire still has local residents concerned for their health and safety. Many say they heard about the fire late, and that the multi-lingual phone system that is supposed to alert the diverse communities of Richmond in case of a disaster didn’t work. 

What’s the size of a car, but travels 13,000 miles an hour? That would be the Curiosity Mars Rover, which touched down on the Red Planet last night after eight months of travel and what NASA engineers called “seven minutes of terror.”