Country Life

Oakland, CA

Local City Rankings Article

How Do you Spell Releaf?

First, the bad news: If you live in West Oakland, pinned between three freeways and a large, dirty port, you’re a lot more likely to develop cancer than people living in many other parts of the country. In fact, a recent study found that exposure to diesel fumes from cars and ships leads to 1,200 “excess cancers” (above the national average) for every one million people. And as though this weren’t alarming enough, another study shows that residents in the area have life spans about two decades shorter than their neighbors in Berkeley. West Oakland families are also beset with asthma and diabetes.

City Rankings Article

Living Here:

Our Readers Tell It Like It Is: Perspectives On the Ground In the summer of 2008, we asked for and received over 100 submissions from all over the country for our Green Urban Life writing contest. Our distinguished panel of judges chose those that struck them most -- that tell personal stories of individuals who are living, or trying to live, sustainably in cities across the United States. We enjoyed your stories. Some made us laugh, one made us cry, another made us cringe... and all of them made us proud to be part of a growing movement of people who are concerned about the future of our cities and doing something about it. Please check back here often for updates. We will be adding new submissions every week.