At the intersection of I-5 and Highway 41 lies Kettleman City, a frequent stop for big-rig truckers. But drivers often leave their trucks idling while they have a meal, and residents worry about the resulting air pollution. As part of our first-person health series "Vital Signs," we hear from two people: Theresa Moreno and Maricela Mares-a la Torre, a community organizer with Greenaction. She trains young people to talk to truckers about air pollution. Mares-a la Torre begins:
What we find is that a lot of the truckers that are stopped up here at the junction, they're going into the restaurants, they're hanging out, checking their email, eating their lunch, and they're letting their trucks idle because supposedly, they don't want the air conditioning to turn off. But that's against the law.
We've trained our youth to go out and talk to truckers about idling and diesel emission safety. We try to go out in pairs just because it makes you a little braver if you're with somebody, and truckers can be, you know, a little bit gruff.
Mares-a la Torre watches as 15-year-old Theresa Moreno approaches a truck driver, near his rig.
"Hi. My name is Theresa Moreno. I'm here handing this flyer on behalf of Greenaction. I want to talk to about the safety as a trucker. As you know, the diesel is harmful, you're aware of California idling laws. But did you know that you can get help to upgrade your truck? There's more information on this flyer."