Smog and Sunshine: The Surprising Story of How Los Angeles Cleaned Up Its Air

By Ann Carlson

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.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0520387392
• ISBN13: 9780520387393
• Release Date: April 2026
• Publisher: University of California Press
• Length: 312 Pages
• Weight: 0.80 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.2" x 6.1" x 9.1"