DISTRICT 15: A Short Environmental Documentary from Patagonia Follows LA-Based Youth Activists and the Fight to Protect Their Community
VENTURA, Calif. (February 24, 2020) —DISTRICT 15 is an important short documentary that follows the youth activists of Communities for a Better Environment (CBE) and their fight against oil and gas operations in their communities.
Urban oil and gas drilling sites across the United States are disproportionately located in communities of color and low-income communities. Wilmington, a neighborhood in Los Angeles, is a microcosm of this environmental injustice. DISTRICT 15highlightsthe hope and tenacity of the youth of Wilmington as they push the Los Angeles City Council to prohibit new and existing oil and gas drilling operations within 2,500 feet of their homes, schools and hospitals.
Wilmington has some of the worst air pollution in the country. The LA City Council has the authority to create a 2,500-foot health and safety buffer zone between oil and gas operations and sensitive land-use areas such as residences, public schools, parks and hospitals by passing an ordinance through a majority vote. LA mayor Eric Garcetti would then need to sign the proposed ordinance into law. CBE and coalition partners have been working with the city to promote a health-protective policy related to neighborhood oil drilling that prioritizes the needs of vulnerable communities and workers. However, to date, city leadership has not endorsed the “setback” zoning rule that would ensure the 2,500-foot buffer.
“If we can’t get a setback established in one of the most progressive cities in the world, how can we expect the federal government to tackle climate change?” said Rose Marcario, president and CEO of Patagonia. “We hope this film will help to shine some light on the injustices taking place in Wilmington and the hard, important work being done on the ground to address it.”
“The Wilmington community in LA’s District 15is disproportionately impacted by different sources of pollution, including oil drilling, and we expect Councilman Buscaino, Mayor Garcetti and the Los Angeles City Council to step up and demonstrate their support for this precedent-setting policy that prioritizes the needs of frontline communities and addresses just transition principles,” said Darryl Molina Sarmiento, executive director of CBE.
According to Bahram Fazeli, Policy and Research Director at Communities for a Better Environment and Co-Chair of STAND-LA., "Patagonia's District 15 tells the story of a group of youth activists in Wilmington who organize tirelessly to urge City leaders to protect their communities, health, and air against adverse impacts of Big Oil. The oil companies drill in low-income communities of color across the City, where their rigs and trucks spew toxic chemicals near homes, schools, and parks. City of LA needs to do a lot more to protect our communities and hear our stories, like those represented in District 15. We urge the decision-makers to watch this touching documentary attentively and reflect on how they can dismantle environmental injustice across the City. The audience will walk away inspired by these young Wilmington activists, and we need to move forward together decisively to win a 2,500-foot health and safety buffer as well as a just transition ensuring healthy family-supporting jobs for our vulnerable communities."
DISTRICT 15is now available to view online at Patagonia.com and will be on tour in California from February 18 to March 13, 2020 (tour details below).
Film Call-To-Action
Demand a 2,500-foot buffer between our families and urban oil drilling.
Text NO DRILL LA to 71333
Tour Schedule
Santa Cruz: Tuesday, February 18
Palo Alto: Wednesday, February 19
San Francisco: Thursday, February 20
Pasadena: Tuesday, February 25
Santa Monica: Wednesday, February 26
Ventura: Thursday, February 27
Wilmington: Friday, March 13
About Communities for a Better Environment
Founded in 1978, Communities for a Better Environment is one of the preeminent environmental justice organizations in the nation. The mission of CBE is to build people’s power by helping California’s communities of color and low-income communities organize to achieve environmental health and justice, by preventing and reducing pollution and building healthy and sustainable communities and environments. Patagonia has helped fund CBE for over 30 years.
About STAND-L.A.
STAND-L.A., a coalition of environmental justice and community health groups, including CBE, pushing for a citywide health and safety buffer to protect LA communities from oil drilling sites.
About Patagonia
We’re in business to save our home planet.
Founded by Yvon Chouinard in 1973, Patagonia is an outdoor apparel company based in Ventura, California. A Certified B Corporation, the company is recognized internationally for its commitment to product quality and environmental activism—and its contributions of more than $110 million in grants and in-kind donations to date.
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