Transcripts listing

Dan Rather Reports

Episode Number: 338 - V2

Episode Title: Conquering the Concrete

Description: America's roads, parking lots and rooftops are a major source of pollution. Also, interracial adoption and how Houston desegregated.

 

Transcript:

EVERY STREET IN TIJUANA, YOU CAN FIND CONTAMINATED RUNOFF FLOWING DOWN THE STREET, EVEN IF IT HASN'T RAINED FOR MONTHS. AND THEN ALL OF THESE IMPERVIOUS SURFACES, NOTHING SOAKS IN AND EVERYTHING GETS CARRIED DOWNHILL, WHICH IS NORTH, AND INTO THE U.S.

WELL, I USED TO MAKE A JOKE ABOUT IT, WHICH SOMETIMES YOU DIDN'T LIKE. AND I WOULD SAY, "YOU MEAN YOU'RE FROM A FAMILY THAT EVERYBODY LOOKS THE SAME. HOW BORING. IT'S MUCH MORE FUN TO BE BLACK AND WHITE LIKE US.

TO KNOW THAT THE ASTRODOME PLAYED A ROLE IN THE DESEGREGATION OF HOUSTON IS UNBELIEVABLE BUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT REALLY GOT ME DOING THIS PROJECT, IS THAT NOBODY ELSE KNEW ABOUT IT. THIS IS SOMETHING THAT NEEDS TO BE TOLD. THE STORY THAT NEEDS TO BE TOLD OVER AND OVER AGAIN.

WE'LL BRING YOU THE NEWS, TONIGHT ON DAN RATHER REPORTS.

GOOD EVENING, WE BEGIN OUR BROADCAST TONIGHT TALKING ABOUT IMPERVIOUS SURFACES. IF THAT SOUNDS LIKE IT'S A BIZARRE MEDICAL CONDITION IT'S NOT. IN TRUTH YOU COME FACE TO FACE WITH IMPERVIOUS SURFACES EVERYDAY. SIMPLY PUT IMPERVIOUS SURFACES ARE ROADS, ROOFTOPS, SIDEWALKS - BASICALLY ANYTHING RAINWATER CANNOT PENETRATE. OF COURSE ALL THE ABOVE IS WHAT MAKES AMERICA GO. BUT AS WE DRIVE DOWN OUR PAVED ROADS TO PARK IN OUR ASPHALT COVERED PARKING LOTS, WE SHOULD CONSIDER THIS THE CONVENIENCE THAT ALL THESE SURFACES AFFORD US COMES AT A PRICE.... POLLUTION.

THE GROUND GETTING SOAKED BY A PRIHEAVY RAIN.

IT'S BEEN PART OF THE CIRCLE OF LIFE SINCE THE BEGINNING OF

TIME.

OVER THE PAST FEW DECADES BUILDERS ACROSS THE UNITED

STATES HAVE BROKEN THAT CIRCLE IN THE NAME OF DEVELOPMENT, AS

THEY LITERALLY PAVED THE WAY FOR MORE SPRAWLING SUBURBAN

NEIGHBORHOODS, MORE BIG BOX STORES WITH THEIR ACRES OF

PARKING LOTS AND MORE TANGLED HIGHWAYS CONNECTING IT ALL.

ONE STUDY OF FOUR MIDWESTERN STATES ESTIMATED THERE WERE

NEARLY TWO PARKING LOT SPACES FOR EVERY REGISTERED CAR.

AND IF YOU ADD UP ALL THE IMPERVIOUS SURFACES IN THE

UNITED STATES ALONE IT WOULD BE ENOUGH TO BUILD A SIX-LANE

HIGHWAY FROM THE EARTH TO THE MOON TEN TIMES OVER.

EVERY DROP OF RAIN THAT HITS THESE HARD SURFACES NO LONGER

GOES INTO THE GROUND.

INSTEAD IT RUNS OFF - GUSHING INTO A MAZE OF GUTTERS AND

STREETS SWEEPING UP POLLUTANTS, DEBRIS AND TRASH ON ITS WAY TO

OUR STREAMS, RIVERS, LAKES AND OCEANS.

ECOLOGIST DR. KAUSHAL SAYS TO REALLY UNDERSTAND THE

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN IMPERVIOUS SURFACES AND OUR WATER WE NEEDED

TO SUIT UP AND GET INTO THE WATERS HE STUDIES.

HE TOOK ME OFF THE BEATEN PATH TO A STREAM WHERE RAINWATER

DEPOSITS DEBRIS FROM THE STREETS OF BALTIMORE - BUT HE SAYS THIS

IS A DIRTY LITTLE SECRET THAT CAN BE FOUND ACROSS THE COUNTRY.

I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR PEOPLE TO KNOW THAT THIS IS IN

THEIR BACKYARD.

WELL, ARE YOU TELLING ME-- OR NOT, I WANT TO MAKE SURE I

UNDERSTAND THIS, WHETHER IT'S HOUSTON OR LOS ANGELES, CHICAGO,

DETROIT, KANSAS CITY, THAT EVERY CITY HAS SOMETHING LIKE THIS?

EVERY CITY HAS SOMETHING LIKE THIS.

WHERE-- WHERE THE WATER COMES TOGETHER-- AND FUNNELS OFF THE

PARKING LOTS AND PAVEMENTS, THIS STUFF GETS IN THE WATER WHEN IT

COMES TO UNDERSTANDING THE EFFECTS OF ALL OF THE COUNTRY'S

PAVEMENT AND RAIN, FEW PEOPLE HAVE BETTER GRASP THAN DR.

KAUSHAL, A SCIENTIST AND PROFESSOR AT THE UNIVERSITY OF

MARYLAND CENTER FOR ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES.

THERE'S AN INTIMATE CONNECTION BETWEEN OUR PARKING LOTS AND

PAVEMENT, AND ALSO OUR-- WHAT GOES INTO THE HARBOR AND INTO

THE BAY.

SO EVEN THOUGH THIS IS A BURIED STREAM, WHAT WE PUT ON RIGHT

JUST A-- A FEW FEET ABOVE IN TERMS OF-- TRASH, GARBAGE--

PETROL CHEMICALS, ALL THAT IMMEDIATELY GOES INTO THE WATER

AND THEN FLUSHES INTO THE BAY.

NOT PEOPLE JUST THROWING STUFF IN THE STREAM.

THIS IS RUNOFF.

AND A COMMON MISCONCEPTION IS IT'S NOT JUST PEOPLE THROWING

THINGS INTO THE TRASH.

BUT IT'S THE ONE STRAY BOTTLE THAT YOU SEE IN THE PARK.

IT'S THE ONE-- GUM WRAPPER THAT YOU SEE IN A-- IN A PARKING LOT.

ALL THAT STUFF COMES IN.

AND THIS IS A HUGE FUNNEL CONCENTRATING AND MAGNIFYING ALL

THAT.

NOW, WHAT'S ALL THIS TRASH?

THIS IS ALL-- THIS IS ALL TRASH-- COMING FROM A-- COMING

FROM A FLOOD.

BASICALLY, YOU KNOW, THE RIV-- THE LEVEL OF THE STREAM

INCREASES-- YOU CAN IMAGINE WHAT IT'S RUNNING OFF THE IMPERVIOUS

SURFACES, IT RISES TO THAT LEVEL, AND THEN ALL THAT-- TRASH

IN SLOW MOVING WATER DEPOSITS.

SO IT'S KIND OF LIKE THE FLOOD PLANE OF A LARGE RIVER.

IT CONTAINS DIRT OR SEDIMENT WHEN THE RIVER

RECEDES, IT DEPOSITS WHAT'S ON ITS FLOOD PLANE.

AND DR. KAUSHAL SAYS IT ALL COMESIMPERVIOUS SURFACES.HING

PAVEMENT, PARKING LOTS, ROOFTOPS?

YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT AMERICA.

I'M TALKING ABOUT AMERICA.

YEAH.

A LOT OF AMERICA.

IN FACT-- OVER 100,000 SQUARE KILOMETERS ARE COVERED IN THE

UNITED STATES-- WITH IMPERVIOUS SURFACES.

THAT'S ROUGHLY ABOUT THE SIZE OF THE STATE OF OHIO.

IN A NATIONWIDE STUDY THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

FOUND 77 POLLUTANTS IN STORM WATER RUNOFF INCLUDING TOXIC

CHEMICALS, PESTICIDES AND COMPOUNDS USED TO DE-ICE FROSTY

ROADS.

STUDIES LIKE THIS ONE MAKE SCIENTISTS WORRY ABOUT THE

DRASTIC INCREASE IN THE AMOUNT OF IMPERVIOUS SURFACES AROUND

THE COUNTRY.

THEY'RE STILL EXPLODING RIGHT NOW.

WE'VE SEEN A 60 PERCENT INCREASE IN DEVELOPED LANDS BETWEEN 19--

90 AND 2000 IN A-60 PERCENT? 60 PERCENT INCREASE.

SIX ZERO?

SIX ZERO.

AND THAT'S-- THAT'S DUE TO A LOSS OF FOREST LANDS, AND A

DUE-- AND A LOSS OF AGRICULTURAL LANDS IN CONVERSION TO SUBURBAN

DEVELOPMENT MAINLY.

IF IT CONTINUES AT THAT PACE, WHAT HAPPENS TO THE COUNTRY?

OH-- WHAT HAPPENS TO THE COUNTRY?

WE'RE GONNA FACE-- MAJOR CONTAMINATION ISSUES WITH OUR

DRINKING WATER.

WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO SEE-- DECLINES IN COASTAL WATER

QUALITY.

AND-- PEOPLE DON'T REALIZE THAT WE'RE SUBURBANIZING OUR

LANDSCAPE.

AND AS WE PAVE OVER THE WATERSHED OF THE BAY, WHAT

HAPPENS IS, WHEN YOU HAVE-- EXTREME DROUGHT OR AN EXTREME

WET YEAR, THAT WATER GETS MAGNIFIED OR AMPLIFIED.

IT TRAVELS AS A HUGE PULSE-- WITH A SLUG OF CHEMICALS AND

POLLUTANTS INTO THE BAY OR IN THE DRINKING WATER.

AND ALL THOSE POLLUTANTS AND CHEMICALS CAN HAVE DEVASTATING

EFFECTS ON A BODY OF WATER.

STUDIES HAVE SHOWN THE POLLUTANTS HAVE CREATED TUMORS

AND LESIONS ON FISH.

AND FROM CRAB FISHERMEN IN MARYLAND TO OYSTER FARMERS IN

NORTH CAROLINA, FISHERMEN ARE BEING DEVASTATED BY THE

POLLUTION THAT COMES FROM STORM WATER RUNOFF.

I CAN'T THINK OF ANYTHING MORE PRECIOUS AS A NATURAL RESOURCE

AS OUR WATER, AS OUR DRINKING WATER.

AND THAT'S-- THAT'S IN DANGER RIGHT NOW.

WHY NOT THINK ABOUT RUNOFF?

I THINK STORM WATER SHOULD BE A HOUSEHOLD WORD IN AMERICA.

I MEAN I REALLY DO.

JUST LIKE CLIMATE CHANGE, STORM WATER IS RIGHT UP THERE.

THAT RUNOFF CAUSES PROBLEMS IN PLACES PEOPLE LEAST EXPECT IT

LIKE HERE AT THE BORDER BETWEEN CALIFORNIA AND MEXICO.

THIS BEAUTIFUL STRETCH OF SAND AND SURF IS ACTUALLY ONE OF THE

MOST POLLUTED PARTS OF THE PACIFIC COASTLINE.

THAT'S BECAUSE WATER DOESN'T RESPECT SOVEREIGNTY.

AND THE POLLUTED STREETS OF TIJUANA ARE FLUSHED ACROSS THE

BORDER AND END UP HERE.

CURRENTLY, YOU CAN SEE BEHIND ME OUT OF THE TIJUANA RIVER, ARE

FLOWING ABOUT 32 MILLION GALLONS A DAY OF SEWAGE POLLUTED WATER

FROM THE TIJUANA RIVER.

AND THIS HAS A SERIOUS HEALTH IMPACT ON EVERYONE LIVING IN

IMPERIAL BEACH BEHIND ME.

BEN MCCUE IS AN ENVIRONMENTAL ACTIVIST WITH WILDCOAST - A

GROUP THAT PROTECTS AND PRESERVES COASTAL AREAS.

THE NAVY SEALS USED TO TRAIN AT THE MOUTH OF THE TIJUANA RIVER.

THEN THEY HAD TO MOVE FURTHER NORTH BECAUSE THEY WERE GETTING

SICK FROM THE POLLUTED RUNOFF.

BESIDES THAT, LIFEGUARDS IN IMPERIAL BEACH ARE NOW MAKING

ALL OF THE KIDS PROVE THAT THEY HAVE PARENTAL PERMISSION BEFORE

THEY CAN GO IN THE WATER AT IMPERIAL BEACH.

SO THIS IS A VERY SIGNIFICANT PUBLIC HEALTH DISASTER BEHIND

ME.

THE POLLUTION COMES VIA THIS CONCRETE WATERWAY WHICH IS

STREWN WITH TRASH.

RAINWATER SWEPT UP ALL THIS DEBRIS FROM TIJUANA'S STREETS ON

ITS WAY TO THE OCEAN.

BASICALLY EVERY STREET IN TIJUANA, YOU CAN FIND

CONTAMINATED RUNOFF FLOWING DOWN THE STREET, EVEN IF IT HASN'T

RAINED FOR MONTHS.

SO WHENEVER IT RAINS, EVERYTHING GETS BACKED UP AND CLOGGED WITH

TRASH, AND THEN ALL OF THESE IMPERVIOUS SURFACES, NOTHING

SOAKS IN AND EVERYTHING GETS CARRIED DOWNHILL, WHICH IS

NORTH, AND INTO THE US

THERE IS EVEN A PERMANENT METAL SIGN

WARNING PEOPLE THAT SWIMMING OR SURFING IN THE WATER IS A

SERIOUS HEALTH RISK.

LAST YEAR IT WAS LIKE THIS FOR ALMOST 200 DAYS OUT OF THE YEAR.

THEN THEY HAVE A LOCK HERE AT THE BOTTOM-- WHICH IN THE

UNLIKELY EVENT THAT IT'S NOT POLLUTED HERE, THEY ACTUALLY

FLIP IT UP.

AND IT SAYS, "WELCOME TO THE TIJUANA ESTUARY-- WILDLIFE

REFUGE."

AND WE'VE FOUND THAT REGULAR OCEAN USERS IN IMPERIAL BEACH

WHO GO IN THE WATER ONCE OR MORE A WEEK-- OUT OF THOSE,

TWO-THIRDS HAVE GOTTEN SOME TYPE OF OCEAN ILLNESS-- WHETHER IT'S

A RASH, WHETHER IT'S HEPATITIS, EAR INFECTIONS, GASTROINTESTINAL

PROBLEMS.

AND IT'S DIRECTLY LINKED TO THE WATER POLLUTION WE HAVE HERE.

EIGHTEEN YEAR OLD SURFER CHRIS SCHUMACHER FOUND OUT JUST HOW

SERIOUS THAT WATER POLLUTION CAN BE WHEN A FRIEND CONVINCED HIM

TO SURF AT IMPERIAL BEACH - A BEACH HE SAYS HE WILL NEVER SURF

AT AGAIN.

AND SO HE SAID, "YOU KNOW, YOU GOTTA COME DOWN AND SURF THIS

WAVE WITH US, YOU KNOW-- AND DOWN HERE ON IMPERIAL BEACH,

IT'S AWESOME".

YOU KNOW.

I'M, LIKE, "ALL RIGHT.

YOU KNOW, SOME GOOD WAVES.

I'M DOWN."

CHRIS DROVE DOWN TO IMPERIAL BEACH THE NIGHT BEFORE IN A

HEAVY RAIN, BUT HE DOES NOT REMEMBER IF THERE WERE ANY SIGNS

WARNING HIM THAT THE WATER WAS UNSAFE.

AND JUST RAN OUT IN THE WATER AND HAD A GOOD SURF.

THE WATER WAS PRETTY DIRTY.

YOU COULDN'T SEE YOUR HANDS, OR FEET, OR YOUR BOARD UNDER THE

WATER.

A COUPLE OF DAYS LATER, MY EYES STARTED TO SWELL UP.

IT ACTUALLY SWOLE SHUT.

MY FEVER WAS SO BAD I WAS HALLUCINATING.

AND THAT'S, PRETTY MUCH, THE LAST I REMEMBER IT CHRIS'S

DOCTOR, TERENCE DAVIDSON SAYS THAT CHRIS ALMOST DIDN'T MAKE

IT.

HE WAS BASICALLY 12-24 HOURS FROM DEATH.

WITH HIS EYE LITERALLY PROTRUDING, OR POPPING-- OUT OF

HIS SOCKET, OR OUT OF HIS FACE.

HE WAS MORBIDLY ILL.

MY EYELID CAME DOWN LIKE THIS.

IT WAS SO SWOLLEN.

I HAD-- NINE STITCHES HOLDING MY EYELID SHUT, SO MY EYE DIDN'T

ACTUALLY POP OUT.

DR. DAVIDSON TOOK A LOOK AT CHRIS'S X-RAY AND HIS SYMPTOMS

AND CONCLUDED THIS WAS ALL A RESULT OF POLLUTED RUNOFF FROM

TIJUANA.

MY BUDDY THAT HAD SURFED IN IB TOLD US AFTERWARDS THAT IB IS

NOTORIOUS FOR DIRTY WATER, AND PEOPLE GET SICK DOWN THERE ALL

THE TIME.

BUT-- I GUESS IT WOULD'VE BEEN A WHOLE LOT BETTER TO KNOW THAT A

COUPLE OF MONTHS BEFORE.

IT'S 8 FAR FROM IMPERIAL BEACH.

IT'S A TIME WHEN SURFERS GATHER TO CATCH THE EARLY WAVES.

BUT THESE YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN ARE COMING TOGETHER FOR A

DIFFERENT PURPOSE.

THEY'RE STUDENTS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA AT SAN

DIEGO, AND THEIR GOAL IS TO MAKE THE OCEAN OFF THE CALIFORNIA

COAST CLEANER.

URBAN STUDIES PROFESSOR OSCAR ROMO IS LEADING THE WAY.

HE WORKS WITH NOAA - THE NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC

ADMINISTRATION AS WELL AS THE UNITED NATIONS, U.S.

CONGRESS AND THE MEXICAN GOVERNMENT TO CLEAN UP THE

WATERS IN CALIFORNIA.

A LITTLE BIT OF POLLUTION CAN POLLUTE A LOT OF WATER.

AND WATER, OF COURSE, IS A VERY PRECIOUS RESOURCE, NOT JUST HERE

BUT EVERYWHERE.

SO ROMO IS TAKING THESE STUDENTS ACROSS THE BORDER TO A TIJUANA

COMMUNITY HE KNOWS WELL - EARLIER THIS YEAR HE WON AN

AWARD FOR HIS WORK THERE.

HE WANTS TO TEACH THESE STUDENTS HOW TO BUILD SOMETHING NEW.

SOME OF YOU ARE GOING TO START MIXING THAT MATERIAL IN THE BACK

THERE WHICH IS GRAVEL AND CEMENT.

UNLIKE IMPERVIOUS PAVEMENTS, THE STUDENTS ARE BUILDING PERVIOUS

PAVERS, WHICH WILL ALLOW WATER TO GO THROUGH THEM AND SOAK INTO

THE GROUND, INSTEAD OF RUNNING OFF THEM.

THAT'S BECAUSE THESE PAVERS ARE DIFFERENT.

THIS NEW AND SIMPLE TECHNOLOGY ALLOWS FOR GAPS BETWEEN THE

LITTLE STONES THAT MAKE UP THESE PAVERS - AND AS ROMO SHOWED HIS

STUDENTS - THAT LETS WATER FILTER THROUGH.

YOU HAVE TO WATCH THAT THIS THING IS PERVIOUS.

AND WE'RE GOING TO DEMONSTRATE THAT BY POURING SOME WATER HERE.

AND THEN WE'LL SEE THAT THE WATER MAGICALLY DISAPPEARS AND

APPEARS ON THE OTHER SIDE.

ROMO SAYS ONCE THE PAVERS ARE PUT IN PLACE THEY WILL SLOW DOWN

THE FLOW OF RUSHING WATER AND ALLOW POLLUTANTS THAT WOULD

NORMALLY TRAVEL INTO SAN DIEGO TO INSTEAD SINK INTO THE GROUND.

BACTERIA THAT GROW UNDERNEATH THE PAVERS ARE HAPPY TO FEED ON

THOSE POLLUTANTS, AND IN TURN BREAK THEM DOWN.

WE'RE-- WE'RE SAVING A WETLAND, WHICH IS PRECIOUS.

IT'S A JEWEL.

AND WE'RE DOING THAT BY BUILDING PERVIOUS PAVERS.

BEAUTIFUL PRODUCT.

SCIENCE-BASED SOLUTION, BUT VERY SIMPLE TO DO.

ROMO SAYS HE HOPES TO ONE DAY PAVE THIS ENTIRE COMMUNITY AND

OTHER ONES LIKE IT.

AND NOW, AN UPDATE SINCE WE FIRST AIRED THIS STORY, OSCAR ROMO SAYS HE IS NOW WORKING WITH THE MEXICAN STATE GOVERNMENT IN BAJA, CALIFORNIA TO GET MORE OF THE ANTI-POLLUTION PAVERS FOR TIJUANA AS FOR THE OCEAN, BEN MCCUE WITH WILD COAST HAS NOW ESTABLISED A SICK FROM THE SURF PROGRAM THAT HAS GIVEN OUT MORE THAN 1200 VACCINATIONS FOR HEPATITIS A NOW, COMING UP NEXT A U.S CITY HAS BEEN TRYING TO CONQUER THE CONCRETE FOR DECADES WE'LL HAVE THAT STORY FOR YOU IN JUST A MOMENT

MISSED AN EDITION OF DAN RATHER REPORTS OR JUST WANT TO SEE ONE AGAIN WE'RE NOW AVAILABLE ON ITUNES SO CHECK US OUT

WELCOME BACK.

WE'VE SEEN TONIGHT THE PROBLEM CAUSED BY IMPERVIOUS SURFACES

POLLUTION SEEPING INTO OUR RIVERS, LAKES AND OCEANS.

IT SEEMS TO BE ONE OF THE MANY TRADE-OFFS FROM MODERN

DEVELOPMENT.

BUT ONE CITY IS LEADING A NATIONAL MOVEMENT TO CHANGE THAT

MINDSET.

WELCOME TO PORTLAND, OREGON - A CITY THAT HAS LONG PRIDED ITSELF

AS ONE OF THE MOST ENVIRONMENTALLY CONSCIOUS CITIES

IN COUNTRY.

SO IT MIGHT COME AS NO SURPRISE THAT THEY'VE TAKEN THE LEAD IN

ADDRESSING THE PROBLEM OF TOO MANY IMPERVIOUS SURFACES.

AND WHAT HAS EMERGED IS A UNIQUE PARTNERSHIP AMONG GOVERNMENT,

BUSINESSES AND HOMEOWNERS.

BACK IN THE EARLY 1970S OREGON PASSED THE NATION'S FIRST

LAND-USE PLANNING PROGRAM - INCLUDING A PROPOSAL TO REDUCE

URBAN SPRAWL BY SETTING AN URBAN GROWTH BOUNDARY FOR THE CITY OF

PORTLAND.

THAT MEANS THE ONLY IMPERVIOUS SURFACES THAT CAN BE BUILT ARE

WITHIN THE CITY LIMITS.

OUTSIDE THE CITY, FARMLAND REMAINS FARMLAND.

AND WITHIN THOSE URBAN CONFINES THEY'RE COMING UP WITH WAYS TO

MAKE SURE THEIR STORM WATER HAS SOMEWHERE TO GO BESIDES THEIR

RIVERS AND OCEANS.

YOU'RE LOOKING AT ONE OF THE FIRST PERVIOUS ASPHALT PAVEMENT

PARKING LOTS NOT ONLY IN THE CITY OF PORTLAND BUT IN THE

COUNTRY.

AND MICHAEL PROTHE SHOULD KNOW.

FOR NEARLY A DECADE HE HAS ACTED AS THE CITY'S SENIOR

CONSTRUCTION COORDINATOR.

BUT IN PORTLAND THAT MEANS CONSTRUCTING BUILDINGS IN A

GREEN AND SUSTAINABLE WAY.

HE TOOK US ON A TOUR OF JUST SOME OF THE WAYS PORTLAND IS

STEPPING UP TO REDUCE IMPERVIOUS SURFACES.

AND THIS PAVEMENT, IT HAS A FEW ROUGH SPOTS BECAUSE IT HAS BEEN

AN EXPERIMENT, ITS BEEN A LEARNING CURVE.

THE OLD RECIPE FOR PAVEMENT HAS A NEW TWIST HERE - IT HAS SMALL

GAPS - ALLOWING WATER TO SOAK IN.

UNLIKE REGULARLY PAVED LOTS, UNDERNEATH THIS ONE YOU'LL FIND

LAYERS OF SAND AND PEBBLES AND DIRT THAT ACT AS A NATURAL

FILTER TO ABSORB THE RAIN AND CONTAMINANTS THAT HIT THE LOT.

PROTHE INTRODUCED US TO CORRINA BUCCHOLZ AT PORTLAND'S

REBUILDING CENTER.

THIS GREEN BUSINESS SELLS SALVAGED CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS

AND BUCCHOLZ SHOWED US HOW THEY EVEN MANAGE THEIR OWN STORM

WATER.

HERE'S AN EXAMPLE OF THE PARKING LOT.

AND YOU CAN KIND OF SEE EVEN, KIND OF POURING PRETTY QUICKLY,

IT'LL START TO SEEP THROUGH THE PARKING LOT.

SO HERE WE HAVE JUST KIND OF A NORMAL PORTLAND SIDEWALK, AND

YOU KIND OF MIGHT BE ABLE TO TELL THE DIFFERENCE.

AND YOU CAN SEE IT JUST RUNNING INTO THE STREET.

SO AS, WHEREAS THE WATER IN THE PARKING LOT IS ALREADY SOAKED

ALL THE WAY THROUGH, THE WATER ON THIS SIDEWALK IS JUST GOING

TO POUR RIGHT INTO THE STREET AND IT'S STILL ACTUALLY A COUPLE

MINUTES LATER POOLING ON SITE WHEREAS THE, THE WATER IN THE

PARKING LOT IS ALREADY GONE, KIND OF SLOWLY SEEPING DOWN AND

IT'S GONNA BE MANAGED ON SITE VERSUS HEADING INTO THE SEWER.

MANAGING RUNOFF IS SOMETHING PORTLAND IS TRYING TO DO BETTER.

IN THE LAST DECADE THE CITY COUNCIL HAS PASSED FOUR MEASURES

THAT HELP KEEP STORM WATER FROM RUNNING OFF.

NOW ALL NEW RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS HAVE TO

MANAGE STORM WATER AT THEIR OWN SITE NOT ALLOWING IT TO ENTER

THE CITY'S STORM DRAIN.

BUT PROTHE SAYS MOST DEVELOPERS ACROSS THE COUNTRY AREN'T

THINKING ABOUT THE EFFECTS OF IMPERVIOUS SURFACES.

THEY SAY, "WE NEED SO MANY SQUARE FEET FOR PARKING.

WE NEED SO MANY SQUARE FEET FOR TRUCK OR VEHICLE ACCESS.

WE NEED SO MANY SQUARE FEET FOR A BUILDING WHICH IS ALSO HARD

SURFACE.

WE NEED TO HELP EVERYONE UNDERSTAND THE CONSEQUENCES OF

ALL THE HARD SURFACE OF A ROOF THAT RUNS OFF.

ALL OF THE HARD SURFACE OF A PARKING LOT, OF A SIDEWALK AND

HOW WE CAN INTEGRATE ALL OF THOSE DRAINAGE ISSUES.

ANSWERS TO THESE QUESTIONS ARE NOT JUST ON THE GROUND.

PROTHE TOOK US HERE, FOURTEEN FLOORS UP, AT THIS SENIOR

INDEPENDENT LIVING CENTER.

THIS SERVES AS THEIR VERSION OF AN ECO ROOF BECAUSE IT ABSORBS A

LOT OF THE STORM WATER.

THIS IS JUST ONE OF 90 ECO-ROOFS IN THE CITY OF PORTLAND.

AND IN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS THE CITY'S GOAL IS TO INCREASE THEIR

NINE ACRES OF ECO-ROOFS BY 50 PERCENT.

THE WATER WORKS ON THE ENDS OF THESE TILES HERE ON THE

PATIO AND TRAVELS TO THE DRAIN TILES AROUND THE PERIMETER AND

FEED THE LANDSCAPING AS WELL BEFORE IT TRAVELS DOWN TO A

SECONDARY DRAINAGE SYSTEM.

THE DRAIN TILES HERE ALSO COLLECTORS FOR THE RAIN WATER

HARVESTING SYSTEM.

THAT INNOVATIVE RAINWATER HARVESTING SYSTEM THEN PUMPS THE

WATER UP INTO THE TOILETS PREVENTING RAIN DROPS THAT HIT

THE ROOF FROM GOING INTO THE STORM SYSTEM.

IT ALSO SAVES CLEAN, FILTERED WATER FOR THE TAP AND THE SHOWER

INSTEAD OF UNNECESSARILY USING IT IN THE TOILET.

I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS THAT PEOPLE DON'T REALIZE IS THAT ALL

THESE IMPERVIOUS SURFACES JUST ARE NOT REFLECTING THE NATURAL

ENVIRONMENT ANYMORE.

LISA KANE IS A GREEN BUILDING COORDINATOR - ONE OF A TEAM OF

SPECIALISTS IN PORTLAND'S OFFICE OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT.

PORTLAND IS SO SERIOUS ABOUT STORM WATER MANAGEMENT THAT THEY

ARE CONDUCTING A NATIONWIDE ONLINE SEARCH TO FIND SOMEONE

WHO WILL FOCUS ONLY ON PORTLAND'S MANY STORM WATER

PLANS - LIKE THE ONE TO PLANT 83 THOUSAND TREES IN THE CITY.

TODAY PORTLAND'S TREES ALREADY CATCH 1.3 BILLION GALLONS OF

STORM WATER, SAVING THE CITY NEARLY $36 MILLION DOLLARS IN

PROCESSING.

BIG OR SMALL, EACH MANAGEMENT PROJECT CAN ADD UP.

WHAT WE HAVE HERE IS WHAT WE CALL A CURB CUT.

AND WHAT IT DOES IT ALLOWS THE WATER THAT COMES FROM THE STREET

TO ROLL INTO THIS VEGETATED DITCH.

AND INSTEAD OF ROLLING ALL ALONG THE CURB AND THEN INTO OUR SEWER

SYSTEM, IT ENTERS INTO THIS AREA WHERE IT CAN BE CLEANER AND ALSO

KEEPS IT OUT OF THE OVERFLOW.

KANE SAYS THAT THE PLANTS IN THIS VEGETATED DITCH ALSO KNOWN

AS A BIO SWALE CAN BREAK DOWN ALL THOSE POLLUTANTS THAT WOULD

NORMALLY FLOW INTO THE RIVERS AND STREAMS AND SO THIS ACTS AS

A NATURAL BARRIER AND A NATURAL FILTER.

AND, YET, IT'S QUITE BEAUTIFUL.

THESE SOLUTIONS ARE EVEN BEING PASSED DOWN TO THE NEXT

GENERATION.

SO WHAT WE HAVE HERE IS A POND THAT'S 35 BY 25 FEET AND IT'S

FILLED CONTINUALLY BY RAINFALL.

FIVE YEARS AGO SCIENCE TEACHER DAN EVANS STARTED THINKING ABOUT

HOW TO MANAGE THE STORM WATER RUNOFF FROM THE DAVINCI ARTS

MIDDLE SCHOOL.

AND HIS SOLUTION WAS TO BUILD A BRAND NEW POND BEHIND THE

SCHOOL.

THIS POND RECEIVES RAINWATER FROM THREE PORTABLE CLASSROOMS

AND THEN THE PARKING LOT DELIVERS ITS WATER ADJACENT TO

THE POND INTO THE STREAM.

WE GUESSTIMATE THAT THERE IS PROBABLY SOMEWHERE AROUND

700 TO 800 THOUSANDS GALLONS OF RAINWATER ANNUALLY THAT NO

LONGER GOES INTO THE SEWER SYSTEM BUT GOES BACK INTO THE

EARTH.

NOT ONLY DO WE HAVE UH-UH SYSTEM THAT CAN DIVERT RAIN WATER BUT

WE ALSO HAVE A BEAUTIFUL SPACE WHERE KIDS AND PEOPLE CAN COME

TO HANG OUT IN THE BEAUTY OF NATURE INSIDE OF, INSIDE OF AN

URBAN ENVIRONMENT.

IT'S NOT JUST SCHOOLS.

HOMEOWNERS HAVE TAKEN UP THE CHALLENGE TOO.

THE CITY IS GIVING THEM INCENTIVES TO IMPLEMENT

SOLUTIONS IN THEIR OWN BACKYARDS.

SO NOW WHEN WE GET OUR WATER BILL, WE GET LESS, UH, WE HAVE

LESS STORM WATER RUN-OFF SO WE GET ABOUT A $20 CREDIT FOR THAT.

JAN BUSKIRK SAYS THAT'S BECAUSE STORM WATER RUNOFF FROM HER HOME

DOES NOT GO INTO THE CITY'S SEWER SYSTEM.

IT'S ALL CONTAINED ON HER PROPERTY.

SHE SHOWED US HOW THE CITY HELPED HER WITH SIMPLE STEPS.

AND THEY HELPED US DISCONNECT OUR DOWNSPOUT WHICH USED TO COME

DOWN ALONG THE SIDE OF THE HOUSE, AND THIS IS NOW CAPPED

OFF.

THAT USED TO GO TO THE SEWER, NOW IT DOESN'T.

INSTEAD IT GOES INTO THE BIO SWALE SHE MADE IN HER BACKYARD

AND INTO THESE RAIN BARRELS.

SHE CAN THEN USE THAT RAINWATER TO WATER HER GARDEN.

RESIDENTS LIKE BUSKIRK ARE MAKING A BIG DIFFERENCE.

THE CITY SAYS ONE BILLION OF THE 10 BILLION GALLONS OF STORM

WATER RUNOFF GENERATED EVERY YEAR ARE BEING CONTAINED IN

HOMEOWNERS RAIN BARRELS AND BIOSWALES.

THERE ARE PLENTY OF HIGH TECH SOLUTIONS.

WHAT IS MORE IMPORTANT IS A SOLUTION THAT HAS LONG TERM

BENEFITS AND STRATEGIES.

WE DON'T HAVE TO DO HIGH TECH.

WE CAN DO SIMPLE PROCEDURES THAT ARE AFFORDABLE AND QUITE

REASONABLE.

WHEN PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THAT A ROOF IS AN IMPERVIOUS SURFACE,

WHEN THEY UNDERSTAND THAT A DRIVEWAY IS AN IMPERVIOUS

SURFACE UNDER NORMAL CONDITIONS.

AND THAT A STREET AND A SIDEWALK, A PATIO, ARE ALL

IMPERVIOUS SURFACES, THEY WILL THEN START UNDERSTANDING HOW

MUCH SURFACE AREA THE WATER HITS.

AND HAS NOWHERE TO GO.

BUT WHERE DOES IT GET TRAPPED?

WHERE DOES IT WASH BACK TO?

WE NEED TO BE PRACTICAL, PRUDENT AND UNDERSTAND THAT EVERYWHERE

WE WALK, EVERYWHERE WE PUT SOME HARD SURFACE, IMPACTS OUR

SURROUNDING ENVIRONMENT AS A WHOLE.

BUT AS PERVIOUS PAVEMENT TECHNOLOGY GETS BETTER, MORE

LOCATIONS ACROSS THE COUNTRY ARE GIVING IT A TRY FROM A

PERVIOUS CONCRETE PARKING LOT AT THE ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY ART

MUSEUM, TO A MIXTURE OF POROUS MATERIALS IN BUFORD, GEORGIA, TO

SPECIAL PAVERS TO PROTECT LAKE WATER QUALITY IN MINNESOTA.

AND IN SAN FRANCISCO THIS FALL, THE CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF

SCIENCES OPENED A SPRAWLING AND IMPRESSIVE "LIVING ROOF" IT'S

COVERED WITH OVER A MILLION AND A HALF NATIVE PLANTS.

THEY WILL ABSORB UP TO 3.6 MILLION GALLONS OF WATER A YEAR

THAT'S 98 PERCENT OF ALL THE STORM WATER THAT WILL FALL ON

THE ROOF...

EVEN SYMBOLS OF SPRAWL AND SUBURBIA ARE GETTING INVOLVED.

AT THEIR AURORA, COLORADO STORE WAL-MART HAS A PERVIOUS PARKING

LOT AND BIO-SWALES FILLED WITH NATIVE PLANTS TO SOAK UP THE

EXCESS RAINWATER.

IF THE TRIALS GO WELL THESE SOLUTIONS COULD SPREAD TO STORES

ACROSS THE COUNTRY.

BUT THESE EXAMPLES, WHILE POSITIVE TRENDS DON'T CHANGE THE

WAY MOST CITIES DO THINGS.

PROGRESS COMES MORE SLOWLY FOR MOST AREAS.

BACK IN THE NEWLY REVITALIZED BALTIMORE HARBOR DR. KAUSHAL

TOOK US ON A BOAT TOUR TO SEE JUST HOW IMPERVIOUS SURFACES ARE

STILL AFFECTING THAT ENVIRONMENT.

WELL, IT LOOKS SO BEAUTIFUL.

AND YOU'VE GOT THE OPENING INTO CHESAPEAKE BAY.

I MEAN, IT JUST-- LOOKS GORGEOUS.

IT LOOKS GORGEOUS, EXCEPT IF WE LOOK AT THE WATER MORE CLOSELY--

YOU CAN SEE THAT-- YOU'LL START TO SEE BLACK-- ON THE WATER.

THAT BLACK IS-- SOME OF THE SEDIMENT COMING OUT OF THE

BOTTOM.

YOU'LL SEE TRASH IN THE WATER.

DEBRIS FLOATING WHAT-- AT THIS MOMENT, WHAT IS THE SINGLE MOST

IMPORTANT THING YOU THINK PEOPLE NEED TO KNOW ABOUT IMPERVIOUS

SURFACES?

THAT WE NEED TO REDUCE SPRAWL.

REALISTIC IN A COUNTRY SUCH AS OURS?

I THINK THAT-- I THINK IT'S REALISTIC.

I-- I KNOW THAT THIS COUNTRY IS BASED ON GROWTH.

BUT IT'S ALSO BASED ON QUALITY.

AND I THINK IF WE WANT TO PRODUCE QUALITY URBAN

ENVIRONMENTS, WE NEED TO FOCUS ON WHAT WE HAVE AND-- AND

REBUILDING IT.

AS OPPOSED TO MASS PRODUCING URBAN AREAS AND IMPERVIOUS

SURFACES IN AREAS WHERE WE HAVE NO INFRASTRUCTURE TO SUPPORT

THEM IN THE FUTURE.

ACROSS THE COUNTRY MORE AND MORE CITIES AND TOWNS ARE

ACKNOWLEDGING THE PROBLEMS OF IMPERVIOUS SURFACES.

AT LEAST A DOZEN STATES HAVE PASSED OR PROPOSED LEGISLATION

TO CONTROL THEIR IMPACT.

LAWS RANGE FROM CAPPING THE PERCENTAGE OF IMPERVIOUS

SURFACES THAT CAN BE BUILT IN A CERTAIN AREA, TO ZONING PARKING

USES A PARKING LOT ON SUNDAY, SHARE IT WITH A SCHOOL THAT USES

IT ON WEEKDAYS.

STRAIGHT AHEAD... TWO RACES, ONE FAMILY. IT'S HAPPENING MORE AND MORE IN OUR COUNTRY THAT STORY IS NEXT

AND NOW....GROWING UP IN A MULTI-RACIAL FAMILY IN AMERICA.

PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA SPENT HIS FORMATIVE YEARS IN AN

ALL-WHITE HOUSEHOLD STRUGGLING TO UNDERSTAND WHY THE WORLD

IDENTIFIED HIM, A CHILD OF KENYAN AND A KANSAN, WITH BLACK

AMERICAN CULTURE.

LAST YEAR, WE INTRODUCED YOU TO A YOUNG AFRICAN-AMERICAN TRYING TO FORGE HIS WAY IN A MULTIRACIAL FAMILY. HE'S A 12-YEAR-OLD ADOPTEE WHOSE WHITE FATHER IS TRYING TO HELP HIS SON FIND HIS WAY THROUGH THE MAZE THAT IS RACIAL IDENTITY IN AMERICA.

BUT THAT IS NOT THE CASE OF MARC BLUMENSTEIN, A SINGLE FATHER, AND HIS SON ZACH. ZACH IS A VERY PRECOCIOUS 12-YEAR OLD.

AN HONORS STUDENT WHO'S INSIGHTFUL WELL BEYOND HIS YEARS

ABOUT RACE IN AMERICA.

FOR MUCH OF NATION'S HISTORY, MARC AND ZACH BLUMENSTEIN WERE

NOT A TYPICAL FAMILY.

AND CERTAINLY FOR MOST OF THE HISTORY OF TEMPLE SHALOM IN

SUBURBAN WASHINGTON D.C., TWELVE YEAR OLD ZACH SHOWN HERE

REHEARSING WITH A CLERGY WOMEN WASN'T THE TYPICAL BAR MITZVAH

BOY.

THE BLUMENSTEIN FAMILY IS WHAT'S NOW CALLED "TRANS-RACIAL""..

A PHENOMENON THAT'S DOUBLED IN THE LAST DECADE.

THIS YEAR, ALMOST 10,000 FAMILIES ARE BEING CREATED WITH

ADOPTED CHILDREN OF A DIFFERENT RACE THAN THEIR PARENTS.

YOU WERE TWO OR THREE YEARS OLD.

AND PEOPLE WOULD COME UP TO ME AND ASK ME OR MY DAD WHY WE

DIFFERENT COLORS, OR WHY DON'T WE LOOK ALIKE.

AND YOU WOULD ANSWER.

WELL, I USED TO MAKE A JOKE ABOUT IT, WHICH SOMETIMES YOU

DIDN'T LIKE.

AND I WOULD SAY, "YOU MEAN YOU'RE FROM A FAMILY THAT

EVERYBODY LOOKS THE SAME.

HOW BORING.

OVER THE YEARS, THE STORY HAS BEEN THE SAME ALL ACROSS

AMERICA-- AFRICAN AMERICAN CHILDREN HAVE BEEN, BY FAR THE

MOST DIFFICULT TO GET ADOPTED PARTICULARLY OUT OF FOSTER CARE.

THE GOVERNMENT TRIED TO HELP BY PASSING LAWS THAT MANDATED RACE

COULD NOT BE DISCUSSED IN THE ADOPTION PROCESS...

LEVELING FINES ON STATES THAT DID.

BUT MARC BLUMENSTEIN SAYS WHAT HE LEARNED WAS THE BEST RECIPE

FOR SUCCESS IN INTERRACIAL ADOPTION WAS TO NOT ONLY ADOPT

THE CHILD BUT THE CULTURE TOO...EMBRACE THE RACE.WHEN

ZACH WAS LITTLE, I WOULD PUT US IN SITUATIONS WHERE I WAS THE

DIFFERENT ONE.

WE WERE IN ALL BLACK ENVIRONMENTS.

WE WENT TO GOSPEL CONCERTS.

WE WENT TO CHURCHES.

BECAUSE I WANTED HIM TO SEE ME COMFORTABLE WHEREVER I WAS.

YOU TELL ME.

WHAT ARE THINGS THAT I DO THAT MADE YOU COMFORTABLE TALKING

ABOUT THIS?

YOU WERE SO COMFORTABLE TALKING ABOUT IT.

AND Y-- YOU KNOW, YOU HAD CONFIDENCE IN WHAT YOU WERE

TALKING ABOUT.

AND THAT IT OBVIOUSLY S-- SEEMED LIKE YOU KNEW WHAT YOU WERE

TALKING ABOUT, SO.

I HAD HIM FOOLED.

MARC AND ZACH TALK ABOUT RACE A LOT, AND THERE'S GROWING

EVIDENCE THAT THAT'S A GOOD THING.

SOCIAL SCIENCE DATA SHOWS THAT KIDS IN INTERRACIAL FAMILIES ARE

MORE LIKELY TO FACE CHALLENGES COPING.

THEY HAVE HIGHER RATES OF DRUG USE AND BEHAVIOR PROBLEMS, AND

ACT OUT MORE WHEN FACED WITH DISCRIMINATION.

...THAT IS UNLESS THESE PARENTS TALK ABOUT THE DIFFERENCES THEIR

CHILDREN SEE IN THE MIRROR.

ACCORDING TO A STUDY IN THE JOURNAL, CHILD DEVELOPMENT,

INTERRACIALLY ADOPTED KIDS WHOSE PARENTS CELEBRATE A BICULTURAL

IDENTITY ARE THE BEST ADJUSTED.

WHILE HE WAS LOOKING INTO ADOPTION MARC BLUMENSTEIN TALKED

TO ADOPTEES WHO PARENTS HADN'T TALKED ABOUT THEIR DIFFERENCES.

I MET ADULT ADOPTEES WHO ARE EITHER AFRICAN-AMERICAN OR

KOREAN OR CHINESE WHO WERE ADOPTED BY WHITE FAMILIES, AND

THEY'RE CRYING.

THESE MEN AND WOMEN ARE CRYING AS THEY'RE TELLING COMPLETE

STRANGERS-- A ROOMFUL OF STRANGERS-- THEIR STORY, I WAS--

TOTALLY TAKEN ABACK BY THAT.

THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT HOW THEY FELT ISOLATED BECAUSE THEY WERE

ADOPTED BY WHITE FAMILIES WHO THOUGHT THEY WERE DOING THE

RIGHT THING.

RACE DIDN'T MATTER, CULTURE DIDN'T MATTER TO THEM.

SO, THEY DIDN'T DISCUSS IT.

MARC HAD HIS WORK CUT OUT FOR HIM.

HIS COMMUNITY, CHEVY CHASE, MARYLAND, WAS ONCE FAMOUS FOR

HAVING RESTRICTIVE DEEDS BARRING THE SALE OF HOUSES TO BLACK

PEOPLE, AND THE TOWN REMAINS LESS THAN ONE PERCENT

AFRICAN-AMERICAN.

ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WAS INTERESTING WAS-- I HAD A CHILD

WITH DIFFERENT HAIR.

SO, I ASKED MY BLACK FRIENDS, "WHERE DO YOU GO TO GET YOUR

HAIR CUT."

AND I WENT TO DIFFERENT PLACES, AND MET SOME FOLKS.

AND DECIDED ON A PLACE.

FOR A GOOD NUMBER OF YEARS, WE'VE BEEN GOING TO THE SAME

BARBERSHOP SINCE HE WAS AN INFANT, WE HAD A GREAT TIME

GOING, IT WAS A FUN PLACE, EVERYONE WAS FRIENDLY.

BUT THAT WAS REALLY COOL, BECAUSE I WAS THE ONLY WHITE

PERSON THERE IN THE BARBERSHOP.

SOMETIMES THERE'S TENSION WITH OTHER AFRICAN-AMERICAN STUDENTS

AS WELL.

SOME ISSUES THAT I WOULD HAVE AT THE SCHOOL, LIKE-- BOYS COMING

UP TO ME AND ASKING WHY DO I TALK A DIFFERENT WAY THAN THEY

DO.

OR, WHY DO I DRESS DIFFERENTLY THAN THEY DO.

SO, I'D GO HOME AND ASK MY DAD ABOUT THESE QUESTIONS THAT THEY

WERE ASKING ME, AND HOW TO RESPOND.

'CAUSE I DIDN'T KNOW HOW TO AT THE TIME.

BUT IF ME AND MY DAD DIDN'T TALK ABOUT THESE CONVERSATIONS AT AN

EARLY AGE, I WOULD'VE RESPONDED NEGATIVELY-- TO WHAT THEY SAID

INSTEAD OF KEEPING MY COOL, YOU KNOW.

AND ACTUALLY UNDERSTANDING WHAT THEY WERE SAYING.

IN SUBTLE WAYS, IN MAJOR WAYS IN-- IN WAYS THAT WE HAVE NOT

YET AS A SOCIETY BEGUN TO WRAP OUR HEADS AROUND, ADOPTION PER

SE AND ESPECIALLY TRANS-RACIAL ADOPTION IS HAVING A PROFOUND

EFFECT ON OUR CULTURE.

ADAM PERTMAN WAS A PRIZEWINNING JOURNALIST UNTIL, AFTER ADOPTING

CHILDREN OF HIS OWN, HE TURNED HIS CAREER ON ITS HEAD AND NOW

RUNS THE EVAN B.

DONALDSON ADOPTION INSTITUTE, THE ISSUE'S MOST IMPORTANT

RESEARCH AND POLICY ORGANIZATION.

SOMETHING ON THE ORDER REALLY OF A HUNDRED MILLION AMERICANS HAVE

ADOPTION IN THEIR IMMEDIATE FAMILY AND A HIGH PROPORTION OF

THOSE-- PEOPLE ARE PEOPLE WHO HAVE A RELATIVE, NOW, WHO IS

NOT-- WHO DOESN'T LOOK LIKE THEM, IS NOT THE SAME RACE OR

ETHNICITY AS THEM.

WHEN IT'S SUDDENLY WITHIN YOUR FAMILY, IT'S DIFFERENT.

ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE TEACH PARENTS WHEN THEY-- ADOPT

TRANS-RACIALLY IS, "YOU'RE NOT A WHITE PERSON ANYMORE WITH A

BLACK KID.

YOU'RE A TRANS-RACIAL FAMILY, A MULTI-RACIAL FAMILY."

AND OF COURSE, BY THAT DEFINITION, BOTH OUR

PRESIDENT-ELECT AND THE MAN HE DEFEATED ARE PART OF TRANSRACIAL

FAMILIES.

JOHN MCCAIN HASN'T SPOKEN ABOUT HIS APPROACH TO RAISING A

BANGLADESHI DAUGHTER, BUT BARACK OBAMA HAS DISCUSSED WHAT IT

MEANT TO BE A BLACK MAN RAISED BY HIS WHITE GRANDPARENTS IN A

PREDOMINANTLY ASIAN-AMERICAN SCHOOL IN HAWAII.

HE WROTE ABOUT HIS STRUGGLES WITH RACIAL IDENTITY IN THE BOOK

DREAMS FROM MY FATHER.

AS IT WAS, I LEARNED TO SLIP BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN MY BLACK

AND WHITE WORLDS, UNDERSTANDING THAT EACH POSSESSED ITS OWN

LANGUAGE AND CUSTOMS AND STRUCTURES OF

MEANING,

YOU CAN HAVE MORE OPPORTUNITIES, JUST NOT AS MANY JOB OPPORTUNITIES

ND THE NEW PRESIDENT MAY HAVE LEARNED SOMETHING

FROM THE YOUNGER BLUMENSTEIN.

SO, WE WENT DOWN TO-- THE DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL COMMITTEE

HEADQUARTERS-- TO MEET BARACK OBAMA.

AND I WAS INTRODUCED AS THE FIRST AFRICAN-AMERICAN PRESIDENT

OF-- CHEVY CHASE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.

AND HE-- WHICH WAS REALLY COOL.

HE SAID, "WELL, MAYBE YOU CAN GIVE ME SOME TIPS," AND GAVE ME

A FIST BUMP.

SO, THAT WAS KIND OF UNEXPECTED.

BUT I FELT REALLY GOOD AFTER THAT HAPPENED.

HE IS TURNING OUT TO BE MORE THAN I EVER EXPECTED.

AND HE BROUGHT THIS WITH HIM.

HE'S-- HE'S INTELLIGENT, HE'S WARM, HE'S SENSITIVE, HE'S

CARING, HE'S INSIGHTFUL, HE'S PERCEPTIVE.

THAT'S REDUNDANT.

HE'S-- SERIOUS ABOUT SCHOOL.

SERIOUS ABOUT SPORTS.

SERIOUS ABOUT HIS GOOD FRIENDSHIPS.

HE'S JUST A JOY.

BY HAVING AFRICAN-AMERICAN ROLE MODERS-- ROLE MODELS, I CAN

SEE-- WHAT THEY ACHIEVED, AND WHAT YOU CAN DO-- WITH THE START

OF, LIKE, A DREAM OR A THOUGHT.

AND IT CAN GROW, AND IT CAN PROGRESS.

AND THEN, YOUR SUCCESS PROGRESSES.

AND IT JUST STARTS OUT WITH THAT ONE DREAM.

SO, LIKE, YOU KNOW, IF YOU HAVE A THOUGHT THAT YOU WANT TO DO

ONE THING, YOU KNOW, IT COULD HAPPEN.

AND I REALIZED WITH WHAT MARTIN LUTHER KING DID AS A ROLE MODEL

IS HE WANTED FOR BLACKS AND WHITES TO BE EQUAL AND YOU KNOW

IT SEEMED IMPOSSIBLE AT THE TIME BUT NOW LOOK WHERE WE ARE, YOU

KNOW, LIKE, SO...

LOOK WHERE WE ARE.

WHERE THEY ARE TOOK A LOT OF WORK, FOR BOTH OF THEM.

SOON AFTER HE COULD TALK, ZACH HAD TOUGH QUESTIONS ABOUT RACE.

I DIDN'T NOTICE-- WHEN I WAS YOUNGER.

BUT WHEN I GOT OLDER, LIKE, YOU KNOW, THREE, I STARTED REALIZING

THAT, "ME AND MY DAD HAVE DIFFERENT SKIN COLORS.

AM I THE ONLY ONE LIKE THIS."

ACTUALLY, IT WAS PROBABLY JUST BEFORE PRESCHOOL.

HE CAME OUT.

HE GOT UP IN-- IN THE MORNING, AND ANYONE WHO KNOWS ME KNOWS

I-- DON'T APPROACH ME BEFORE COFFEE.

AND I WAS POURING MY COFFEE.

AND HE SAID, "CAN I ASK YOU A QUESTION."

AND I SAID, "SURE."

AND HE SAID, "DOES MY MOM LOOK LIKE ME."

THE KIDS ARE ABSOLUTELY AWARE.

AND WE KNOW THIS-- I KNOW THIS FROM WRITING MY BOOK.

I KNOW THIS FROM THE RESEARCH.

I KNOW THIS FROM TALKING TO PEOPLE AT CONFERENCES.

I KNOW THIS FROM TALKING TO THE KIDS, THEY WILL LOOK AT THEIR

PARENT AND THEY WILL LOOK AT THEMSELVES AND SAY, "THESE ARE

DIFFERENT."

NOW, WHAT THAT DIFFERENCE MEANS IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE

PARENT TO EXPLAIN.

I THINK EVERYONE CAN LEARN FROM TRANS-RACIAL AND INTERRACIAL

FAMILIES.

IN MY HEART OF HEARTS, I'D LIKE TO SEE THE WALLS BREAK DOWN, THE

BARRIERS BREAK DOWN.

BUT I DON'T WANT TO SEE US LOSE THE FACT THAT WE'RE DIFFERENT.

THERE'S BEAUTY IN THE DIFFERENCE.

AS ZACH PREPARES TO BECOME A MAN IN THE TRADITION OF HIS FATHER,

HIS FATHER'S WORKING WITH HIM TO UNDERSTAND THE TRADITIONS OF HIS

FOREFATHERS.

THEY'RE BUSY PLANNING ZACH'S BAR MITZVAH.

WHAT'S REALLY COOL IS IN AFRICAN CULTURE, THERE ARE TRIBES IN

WEST AFRICA THAT CELEBRATE WHEN THEIR 13-YEAR-OLD BOYS BECOME

MEN, WHICH IS VERY SIMILAR TO WHAT WE'RE DOING IN JUDAISM.

THE PORTION OF THE JEWISH HOLY BOOK THAT HAPPENS TO BE ASSIGNED

TO ZACH IS ABOUT MOSES -- ANOTHER ADOPTED SON RAISED IN A

CULTURE DIFFERENT FROM HIS ANCESTORS.

BUT ZACH THINKS THAT HIS BICULTURAL IDENTITY GIVES HIM AN

ADVANTAGE THE PROPHET NEVER HAD.

THIS IS-- A SPEECH THAT I WROTE FOR MY BAR MITZVAH.

SO AFTER I DO THE CEREMONY, I'M GONNA HAVE TO REHEARSE THIS

SPEECH IN FRONT OF MY RELATIVES, FAMILY, AND FRIENDS.

ONE IMPORTANT DIFFERENCE I SEE BETWEEN MOSES AND ME IS THAT

MOSES PROBABLY DID NOT PRACTICE THE HEBREW RELIGION WHEN HE WAS

GROWING UP.

WELL, MY DAD AND I CELEBRATE MY AFRICAN-AMERICAN HERITAGE WHILE

LEARNING HEBREW AND PRACTICING JUDAISM.

ZACH AND MARK BLOOMINSTEEN AND FINALLY TONIGHT WE TURN FROM MODERN RACE RELATIONS TO AMERICA IN A VERY DIFFERENT TIME. IT COMES FROM THE PLACE WHERE I GREW UP, HOUSTON, TEXAS.

WELL, IT WAS A TYPICAL SOUTHERN CITY.

NOT AS BAD AS SOME OF THEM.

LIKE, BIRMINGHAM AND ATLANTA WAS AT THAT TIME, THEY WERE WELL,

THAT'S THE REASON I STAYED AS LONG AS I DID.

QUENTIN MEASE CAME TO HOUSTON FROM IOWA MORE THAN 50 YEARS

AGO.

NOW 99 YEARS OLD, HE REMEMBERS VIVIDLY THE REACHES OF

SEGREGATION, EVEN INTO AMERICA'S PASTIME -- BASEBALL.

WE SAT OUT THERE SOMEWHERE IN OUTFIELD.

AND WELL, THE THING OF IT IS THE NATIVES HERE, THOSE WHO, WHO

WERE BASEBALL FANS, THEY WERE, THEY WERE, THEY WERE ACCUSTOMED

TO IT.

THE HOUSTON BUFFALOS WERE A MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL TEAM

PLAYING IN BUFF STADIUM.

BUFF STADIUM WAS TO, TO BE FRANK, IT WAS THEY HAD SEPARATE

FACILITIES FOR THE NEGRO FANS.

I MEAN, RESTROOMS AND EVERYTHING ELSE.

IT WAS DONE, EVERYTHING ON A STRICTLY SEGREGATED BASIS.

SCHOOLS, CHURCHES, THEATERS, RESTAURANTS, HOTELS, EVERYTHING

WAS SEGREGATED.

BUT THAT WAS THE FIRST TIME THAT I EXPERIENCED SEGREGATED SEATING

IN A BASEBALL PARK.

AS IT HAPPENS, THIS CORRESPONDENT WAS THEN A YOUNG

REPORTER MOONLIGHTING AS A PLAY-BY-PLAY ANNOUNCER TO EARN

EXTRA MONEY.

SEGREGATION WAS A WAY OF LIFE IN MY HOMETOWN.

AS A REPORTER, I COULD SEE THINGS WERE STARTING TO CHANGE.

BUT NONE OF US KNEW THE GAME OF BASEBALL WAS GOING TO HELP

TRANSFORM THE CITY FOREVER.

HOUSTON WAS BOOMING, AND WANTED TO JOIN THE BIG LEAGUES -

LITERALLY.

IN THE LATE 1950'S, THERE WERE NO MAJOR LEAGUE TEAMS IN THE

SOUTH.

HOUSTON WANTED TO BE THE FIRST.

THE WHITE BUSINESS LEADERS PREPARED THE CASE TO MAJOR

LEAGUE BASEBALL, BUT THEY COULDN'T DO IT ALONE.

THEY NEEDED THE POLITICAL SUPPORT OF THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN

COMMUNITY, SO THEY TURNED TO THAT TRANSPLANTED IOWAN, QUENTIN

MEASE.

MEASE WAS A POWER BROKER WHO DEVELOPED STRONG TIES TO THE

WHITE COMMUNITY.

HE HAD SET UP A BLACK YMCA IN HOUSTON AND WAS LEADING A NEW

WAY OF THINKING ABOUT RACE IN THE CITY.

QUITE A FEW NORTHERN PEOPLE AT THAT TIME WERE MOVING IN HERE.

AND I WAS ABLE TO GET ACQUAINTED WITH SOME OF THEM.

AND FOUND THEY WERE WELL, I SHOULDN'T SAY, SYMPATHETIC, BUT

I MEAN WITH ME, WITH SOME OF THE IDEAS WE HAD.

SO, WE STARTED FORMING SOME ORGANIZATIONS TO BRING ABOUT

CHANGE.

ON THE WHITE SIDE OF TOWN, POWERFUL MEN WERE ALSO THINKING

ABOUT CHANGE, AND THEY PLANNED TO USE A MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL

TEAM TO GET IT.

THE TWO PRINCIPAL ONES WERE BOB SMITH, AND HE'S ON THAT PICTURE

THERE ON THE RIGHT.

AND BOB SMITH WAS AN OILMAN, VERY WEALTHY. AND HE FURNISHED

THE-- THE CAPITAL.

ROY HOFHEINZ WAS THE FORMER MAYOR. AND IT WAS HOFHEINZ WHO

REALLY CONCEIVED THE IDEA FOR THE MAJOR LEAGUE FRANCHISE.

HE FIGURED IF HE COULD GET ONE OF THOSE IN THERE, AND THAT--

THAT HOUSTON COULD THEN BE WELL, MAJOR LEAGUE.

THEY HAD A GRAND IDEA OF WHERE TO PUT THE THRONGS OF NEW FANS -

A NEW WONDER OF THE WORLD, ROUND LIKE THE ROMAN COLISEUM, AND

COVERED WITH A SPACE-AGED DOME, SO IT COULD BE AIR-CONDITIONED.

HOFHEINZ AND SMITH THEY NOT ONLY WANTED THE FRANCHISE, BUT IT

WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT WOULD ELECTRIFY THE WORLD, THAT THIS

DOMED STADIUM WOULD BE BUILT AND TO BE CERTAIN OF THAT, THEY--

THEY HAD TO FEEL THAT THERE WOULD BE SUPPORT IN THE

COMMUNITY ON WHEN THEY HAD THAT BOND ELECTION. THAT BOND

ELECTION WAS IN JULY OF 1958, ALMOST EXACTLY FIFTY YEARS AGO.

MONEY WAS NEEDED TO BUILD THE STADIUM.

BLACKS MADE UP 20 PERCENT OF HOUSTON'S POPULATION.

SO IF THAT COMMUNITY DIDN'T VOTE FOR THE BONDS, THEY WOULD

PROBABLY FAIL.

MEASE MET PRIVATELY WITH HOFHEINZ AND SMITH AND OFFERED

THEM A DEAL.

IF THEY WOULD INTEGRATE THE NEW STADIUM, HE WOULD DELIVER THE

BLACK VOTE.

THE WHOLE THING WAS QUITE-- QUITE INTRICATE. AND SOME OF

THE DETAILS AREN'T FRESH IN MY MIND NOW THAT-- BUT I KNOW THERE

WAS A LOT OF NEGOTIATION. THERE WAS A LOT OF ARM TWISTING.

AND WE-- HAD OUR FINGERS CROSSED ALL THE TIME TO BE SURE THAT IT

WAS GOING TO HAPPEN. BECAUSE IT HAD NEVER HAPPENED BEFORE IN

ANY-- SOUTHERN CITY.

BUT IT DID HAPPEN.

THE BOND ISSUE PASSED.

TWO YEARS LATER, IN OCTOBER 1960, THE NATIONAL LEAGUE

EXPANSION COMMITTEE CREATED THE FIRST MAJOR LEAGUE TEAM IN THE

SOUTH.

THEY WERE ORIGINALLY CALLED THE COLT .45'S, SOON TO BE RE-NAMED

THE HOUSTON ASTROS - AFTER THE SPACE PROGRAM.

WHILE HOUSTON GOT ITS TEAM, MEASE AND THE BLACK COMMUNITY

GOT THE PROMISE OF AN INTEGRATED STADIUM.

AND THEY HOPED THE PROMISE WOULD BE UPHELD.

BECAUSE THERE'S NOTHING MORE EMBARRASSING YOU KNOW, IS TO SAY

THAT AS WE USED THE TERM, THAT MR. WHITEY PROMISED TO DO THIS,

AND THEN FIND OUT THAT HE'S NOT GONNA DO IT.

BUT WE FELT THAT THESE MEN WERE GONNA DO IT.

THE PROMISES CAME TRUE.

AND BASEBALL BECAME THE CATALYST THAT LED TO OTHER REFORMS.

IN 1962, THE CONVENTION HOTELS IN DOWNTOWN HOUSTON DROPPED

THEIR SEGREGATION POLICIES.

THEN CAME THE RESTAURANTS.

SO WHEN WILLIE MAYS AND OTHER BLACK BALLPLAYERS CAME TO TOWN,

THEY COULD SPEND THE NIGHT AND EAT ALONGSIDE THEIR TEAMMATES,

IN ESTABLISHMENTS UNDIVIDED BY SKIN COLOR.

HOUSTON TODAY IS THE FOURTH LARGEST CITY IN THE COUNTRY, AND

ONE OF THE MOST DIVERSE.

BUT ITS HISTORY OF DESEGREGATION IS COMPLETELY UNKNOWN TO MOST

PEOPLE IN THE CITY.

TO KNOW THAT THE ASTRODOME PLAYED A ROLE IN THE

DESEGREGATION OF HOUSTON IS UNBELIEVABLE BUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT

REALLY GOT ME DOING THIS PROJECT, IS THAT NOBODY ELSE

KNEW ABOUT IT.

YOU KNOW?

I WAS-- IT'S-- THIS IS SOMETHING THAT NEEDS TO BE TOLD.

THE STORY THAT NEEDS TO BE TOLD OVER AND OVER AGAIN.

RONNIE TURNER IS A JUNIOR HONORS STUDENT AT THE UNIVERSITY OF

HOUSTON, WORKING ON A PAPER ABOUT THE HISTORY OF

DESEGREGATION IN HIS HOMETOWN.

HE WAS SHOCKED THAT SO MUCH OF THIS STORY HAS BEEN FORGOTTEN.

IT'S NOT REALLY PUT OUT THERE.

WE DON'T TALK ABOUT IT IN HIGH SCHOOL.

NONE OF IT.

WE TALK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT HAPPENED ELSEWHERE.

YOU KNOW?

DR. KING, AND, YOU KNOW, STOKELY CARMICHAEL AND PEOPLE LIKE THAT.

BUT WHAT ABOUT HOUSTON?

I MEAN, WE LIVE HERE, WE SHOULD KNOW SOMETHING ABOUT IT.

AND THE ASTRODOME ANGLE INTRIGUED ME, BECAUSE I'M A BIG

BASEBALL GUY.

AND THE ASTROS ARE MY TEAM AND ALL THAT.

AND TO FIND OUT THAT- THAT- THAT IF IT HADN'T BEEN FOR

DESEGREGATION, THE ASTROS WOULDN'T BE HERE.

THAT WAS, THAT JUST AMAZED ME.

AND I SAY, "WELL, I NEED TO DELVE INTO THIS AND SEE WHAT

ELSE I CAN FIND."

NOW ALL THESE ARE PHOTOGRAPHS...WHAT HE'S FOUND IS

A NEW RESPECT FOR AN OLDER GENERATION.

HE SPENDS HOURS WITH MEASE, LOOKING THROUGH HIS PAPERS AND

PHOTOGRAPHS, RECORDING HIS MEMORIES, AND LEARNING ABOUT THE

PAST.

THOSE INITIALS ARE YOUNG MEN'S CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION...WHAT

THESE GUYS DID WAS VERY COURAGEOUS.

IT TOOK A LOT OF DETERMINATION AND COURAGE.

AND MEASE TOLD ME, I THINK, THAT A COUPLE OF TIMES HIS WIFE

RECEIVED PHONE CALLS.

HE RECEIVED-- YOU KNOW, THEY WOULD CALL LATE AT NIGHT, AND

HIS WIFE WOULD BE KIND OF SCARED ABOUT IT.

BUT, YOU KNOW, MEASE -- YOU KNOW, HE DEMONSTRATES A-- HE

NEVER BACKED DOWN TO 'EM.

I MEAN, YOU KNOW, AND-- AND SOMETIMES HE GOT FLAK FROM HIS

OWN PEOPLE.

YOU KNOW?

THERE WERE SOME BLACKS WHO DIDN'T AGREE WITH WHAT HE WAS

DOING.

BUT IT WAS A-- IT WAS A VERY COURAGEOUS THING.

AND SOMEBODY HAD TO DO IT.

MEASE HAS TAKEN HIS PROTE GE TO THE OLD YMCA, WHICH NOW SITS

VACANT, A REMINDER OF THE PAST, AS THE COUNTRY MOVES INTO THE

FUTURE.

SO HOW DOES IT MAKE YOU FEEL TO SEE IT ALL BOARDED UP AND

ABANDONED?

WELL, KIND OF SAD.

I MEAN WE HAD SO MANY MEMORIES, YOU KNOW, ABOUT THINGS THAT WE

DID.

YOU LOOK BACK 50 YEARS AGO, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF PEOPLE WOULD'VE

NEVER THOUGHT ANY OF THIS WOULD BE POSSIBLE, TO HAVE BLACK

GOVERNORS AND BLACK MAYORS.

AND, YOU KNOW, A BLACK PRESIDENT.

BUT THIS IS THE SOCIETY THAT WE LIVE IN.

AND IT HAS A LOT TO DO WITH GUYS LIKE MEASE AND OTHER GUYS LIKE

THAT, WHO PLAYED A ROLE PUSHING HOUSTON'S DESEGREGATION.

TODAY THE MAN WHO PLAYED THAT ROLE LOOKS BACK ON A CENTURY OF

SERVICE AS A COMMUNITY ORGANIZER, NEGOTIATOR, AND A

DEAL-MAKER - WITHOUT QUESTION, A MAN WHO MADE A DIFFERENCE.

OH I DON'T KNOW IF I PLAYED AN IMPORTANT ROLE.

I JUST SAW THINGS THAT REALLY EXISTED, AND I KNEW WHAT WE

SHOULD BE DOING.

WE WERE SPENDING TIME HATING OR DISLIKING ONE ANOTHER, AND

RATHER DOING THAT, WE OUGHT TO BE FINDING WAYS TO REACH

UNDERSTANDING AND THAT'S WHAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING FOR ALL THE

TIME.

SINCE WE FIRST BROADCAST THIS STORY, WE'RE SAD TO REPORT QUENTIN MEES PASSED AWAY LAST JANUARY HE WAS 100 YEARS OLD AND IN HIS LIFETIME HE SAW WITH HIS EFFORTS, HOUSTON CHANGE DRAMATICALLY FROM A SEGREGATED SOCIETY TO ONE THAT ELECTED AN AFRICAN-AMERICAN MAYOR AT THE TURN OF THE 21ST CENTURY IN HIS HONOR, A HOSPITAL IN HOUSTON WAS NAMED FOR QUENTIN MEES THAT'S OUR PROGRAM FOR TONIGHT, THANK YOU FOR WATCHING. FOR HDNET, FROM NEW YORK, DAN RATHER REPORTING. GOODNIGHT.