“Smog and Sunshine” Has a Release Date

And this “Surprising Story of How Los Angeles Cleaned Up Its Air” is now available for preorder.

My book, “Smog and Sunshine: the Surprising Story of How Los Angeles Cleaned Up Its Air,” will be released on April 7!  It’s been a long time coming.

My author page is here

And you can find links to preorder my book by clicking here or here

Here’s how UC Press describes the book:

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 and all levels of government can achieve by working together.

And here’s what Gina McCarthy, our first National Climate Adviser and former EPA Administrator, says about Smog and Sunshine:

Ann Carlson gives us a remarkable view into the work of advocates, academics, regulators, and everyday people who refused to turn a blind eye to the toll dirty air was taking in Los Angeles and across Southern California. Now, with the broader fight for clean air and climate change upon us, it’s time to learn from the past and fight for our children’s future.

The book doesn’t just recount how we cleaned up our air. It also describes what remains to be done (we remain out of compliance with two federal air pollution standards, after all). And it provides lessons for what the battle to clean up Southern California’s air can teach us about tackling climate change.

I hope you’ll read it (and buy it!)

history of smog, Los Angeles air pollution, Smog and Sunshine