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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."
"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."
“Shows how L.A.'s decades-long battle to clean its air can serve as a blueprint for fighting climate change.”
— Paul Thornton
“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.”
“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.”
“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.”
Acknowledgments
Introduction
1. Setting the Stage
2. Just How Bad Was LA Smog Before the Clean Air Act?
3. The Los Angeles Times and the Tucker Report
4. It's the Cars, Stupid!
5. Denial, Delay, and Deception
6. Air Pollution Goes National
7. The Catalytic Converter
8. California Gets a Little Help from Its Friends
9. Everything Pollutes
10. Environmental Injustice
11. Diesel Cars and Trucks
12. Don't Mess with Our Cars
13. What Cleaning Up Southern California's Air Can Teach Us About Climate Change
14. Where Do We Go from Here?
Notes
Selected Bibliography
Index