Oakland’s Odyssey

High crime rates and industrial pollution have dogged Oakland, California for decades, but one community leader has an environmental vision that might keep his neighbors healthy and safe.

Oakland, California is a major port for the country’s commerce, and the people who live in the area bear the brunt of the resulting pollution, from idling diesel trucks to smokestack factories. Community leader Van Jones is working to clean up the city, and at the same, give its poorer neighborhoods jobs. He takes host Steve Curwood on a tour of an abandoned lot in West Oakland, which he sees as a success story.