The hidden history of California oil

The Carbon Copy

Across California, oil wells pepper residential neighborhoods – often directly next to homes, schools, and businesses.

These residential wells have been linked to a host of health problems, from asthma to cancer. And these problems disproportionately affect California’s communities of color.

This week, producer Alexandria Herr goes on a crusade to prove that California is not the green state that everybody thinks it is.

We’ll explore hidden oil wells, the history of redlining, and the oil boom during World War II, to understand why residential drilling in California looks the way it does today.

Guests: Dr. David Gonzalez is a President’s Postdoctoral Fellow at UC Berkeley.

Dr. Sarah Elkind is the president of the American Society for Environmental History.

The Carbon Copy is a co-production of Post Script Media and Canary Media.

The Carbon Copy is supported by Nextracker. Nextracker’s technology platform has delivered more than 50 gigawatts of zero-emission solar power plants across the globe. Nextracker is developing a data-driven framework to become the most sustainable solar tracker company in the world – with a focus on a truly transparent supply chain. Visit nextracker.com/sustainability to learn more.

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