In Wilmington, where smog and the ocean breeze collide, a community of small business owners are fighting the climate crisis, one e-bike at a time.
E-bikes aren’t a very common sight in Wilmington, but cars, trucks and oil refineries are. Wilmington is the third largest oil field in the U.S. and is surrounded by three major freeways and the busiest ports in the nation. Wilmington is also home to more than 50,000 people — 89% of whom are Latino, according to 2021 census data.
Clearing The Air In Wilmington, One E-Bike At A Time
That inundation of industry has contributed to high rates of cancer, Alzheimer’s and asthma in Wilmington and nearby communities such as Harbor City, Carson and Long Beach, according to an investigation from Grist.
“There’s a lot of money being made but meanwhile we are stuck with contamination,” said María Serafín, who has lived in Wilmington for 24 years and has four kids, one of whom has asthma.
Promoting Two Wheels Instead Of Four
In 2020, as the pandemic wore on, Serafín started feeling antsy. One day, a friend invited her to join a group of community leaders who call themselves the Safe Street Promotores, or promotores for short. They were meeting on Zoom and Serafín said she’d try it — she had more time to fill than ever.
“Being a promotora more than anything is advocating for the community,” said Serafín.
Their mission is to make streets safer and improve air quality by advocating for things such as bike lanes and speed bumps. They also provide information in both English and Spanish so their community can…
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