In 2022 Progressive Source was contracted by the Air Quality Research Center, based at the University of California, Davis, to produce a video series for the California Air Resources Board(CARB), a division of the California Environmental Protection Agency. The video series consists of ten videos covering the fundamentals of air quality and community air protection. As of February 2023, three of the videos have been released to the public. The remaining seven videos will be released throughout 2023.
The goal of this series was to communicate the many complex aspects of air pollution to the public, how air pollution affects communities, and what individuals and the government can do about it. CARB found that while many people care about air quality, there was a knowledge gap between the public and air agencies. This video series was needed to close that gap, educating and empowering the public.
Progressive Source prides ourselves in our ability to communicate complex ideas to the public in engaging and accessible formats. In this series we worked with CARB staff and UC Davis scientists to script the videos, distilling difficult topics down to an 8th grade comprehension level. Through a community engagement process managed by CARB we were able to focus test the series and refine our messaging to best reach the target audience.
This video on the Health Effects of Air Pollution uses animation, real world images, and on-screen text to present the information. In the same format, this video explains what agencies are responsible for which types of air quality issues, and gives an overview of the rest of the series. This information is crucial for individuals who want to address problems with air quality in their communities.
Jonathan Greenberg was the creative director and producer of the series. Kwesi Kennedy served as the animator and illustrator. Carolyn McDonald was the voice actor for the video’s narration. Tim Ryan served as the project and account manager. Caroline Gallagher was both the video editor and graphic designer, while David Mendez produced the original score. Spanish translation and narration were completed by Krystyna Von Henneberg of Creative Language Works.
The grant funding this series came in part from funds distributed as part of California’s AB617. Environmental Justice, which the bill is focused on, has become a major policy component in recent years, with the EPA opening an office dedicated to Environmental Justice in September of 2022. Progressive Source Communications is proud to help advance this effort for the State of California.