Smog and Sunshine
The Surprising Story of How Los Angeles Cleaned Up Its Air
Format:Hardback
Publisher:University of California Press
Published:7th Apr '26
Should be back in stock very soon
A stirring account of one of our greatest environmental success stories: cleaning up Southern California's air.
Los Angeles and smog have been synonymous for decades. From the 1940s through the 1980s, children breathed air so heavy with lead that their blood was poisoned with it. In 1970 officials declared smog alerts on 235 days. But the last smog alert happened in 2003, and lead has virtually disappeared from the air. This is the story of how Los Angeles cleaned up its air.
In Smog and Sunshine, environmental law expert and LA native Ann Carlson recounts the dramatic policy fights and the determined scientists, lawyers, and community members who worked alongside public officials to face off against major polluters and save their city. In a time of unprecedented climate change and skepticism about government and science, this book is an inspiring reminder of what concerned residents, individual leaders, and all levels of government can achieve by working together.
"An urgent argument for the good that government can do to combat climate change."
* Kirkus Reviews *"Smog and Sunshine is both a full-throated call for action as the effects of climate change persist and a showcase of the power that comes from organized voices and science-backed governmental policy. Carlson’s writing engages from a scientific and legal perspective, making this a valuable and lucid resource for academic and public library collections."
* Booklist *“Shows how L.A.'s decades-long battle to clean its air can serve as a blueprint for fighting climate change.”
“Highly accessible and informative. In 14 quickly paced and short chapters, Carlson provides a detailed history of LA’s struggle with air pollution in the last 100 years. A book that will resonate and engage readers . . . through graduate students in policy and planning, journalists, and environmental policy practitioners.”
* Journal of the American Planning Association *“A winding, complex but, ultimately, optimistic tale of Angelenos’ fight to breathe easier. Carlson’s book also documents the many environmental justice advocates, community stewards, scientists, lawyers and government officials who all helped Los Angeles air get to where it is today.”
* Inside Climate News *“Chronicles this remarkable environmental turnaround . . . revealing the complex web of causes behind the region’s notorious air quality and the sustained campaign to address them. [Carlson's] personal connection to the issue . . . —adds urgency to the scientific and policy victories that followed.”
* EnviroLink *"Recounts how researchers discovered that fossil fuels burned by Los Angeles' booming car culture were the main cause of smog, and the decades long fight to clean up vehicle emissions amid opposition from the automotive and oil industries."
"From 1976 to 1980, the 'average' kid in Los Angeles had average blood levels of 15 micrograms, which was considered “normal.” At the time, lead levels in LA’s ambient air were 50 times higher than they are today. The elimination of leaded gasoline steadily reversed the deadly trend not only in So Cal, but globally. It can be done."
* Counter PunISBN: 9780520387393
Dimensions: unknown
Weight: unknown
312 pages