1000 Grandmothers' Voice at Port of Oakland Board Meeting

Photos: Leon Kunstenaar

(Oakland, Sept. 12) – Members of the group 1000 Grandmothers appeared at the Port of Oakland Board meeting on September bringing indigenous wisdom, the perspective which comes with age, and with larger than life-sized puppets to help inform the board of the dire consequences of expanding air travel for both the local Oakland environment and for climate change overall.

On July 17, 2023, the Port of Oakland released a Draft Environmental Impact Report on the Oakland International Airport Terminal Modernization and Development Project, which details plans to modernize the existing terminals at the Oakland International Airport. It also proposes the building of a third terminal with 16 additional gates. This expansion plan was proposed to meet projected increases in air travel through OAK and to reap the benefits of any increased associated commerce.

Local environmentalist and climate justice groups have repeatedly pointed out flaws in the EIR which include inflated future flight projections, missing community health impacts, and a general avoidance of quantifying the increase of greenhouse gas associated with an increase in flights.

Compounding the highly polluting nature of air travel is the fact that just 1% of flyers account for 50% of all aviation emissions. These are mostly frequent fliers taking unnecessary, recreational trips. Everything we do to make airplane travel more convenient, or cheaper, or more attractive - as the OAK expansion is trying to do - will have an extremely destructive impact on our climate and our lives.

The grandmothers shared viewpoints seldom considered by policymakers, including the perspectives of:
- An indigenous elder from the Mohawk Tribe
- A trauma nurse, who has witnessed the birth and death of life first-hand
- A public health expert
- Storytellers and puppeteers

Alternatives exist! The full Environmental Impact Report for California High Speed Rail was recently approved for the entire length of the line, and other options for more environmentally responsible travel within California and across the country are in development. In addition, the COVID pandemic reinforced the efficiency of online video calls versus traditional face-to-face business meetings. The volume of air travel in and out of OAK has dropped as a result, even after the pandemic has eased. There is very little justification for expanding OAK at this time.

1000 Grandmothers is a member of the Stop OAK Expansion Coalition, which is made up of 78 organizations dedicated to a healthier and climate-safe future.

See all high resolution photos here.