Coming April 2026

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

— GINA MCCARTHY, FORMER NATIONAL CLIMATE ADVISOR & US EPA ADMINISTRATOR

SMOG AND SUNSHINE

THE SURPRISING STORY OF HOW LOS ANGELES CLEANED UP ITS AIR

BY ANN CARLSON

ABOUT THE BOOK

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 and all levels of government can achieve by working together.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Ann Carlson grew up in Southern California during some of its smoggiest decades. After attending law school on the east coast, she returned to L.A. to join the faculty of the UCLA School of Law and work on the country’s most pressing environmental issues. She serves as the Shirley Shapiro Professor of Environmental Law and co-directs the Emmett Institute on Climate Change. From 2021 to 2024, Carlson served in the Biden-Harris Administration as Chief Counsel and Acting Administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. She is an elected member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and a fellow of the American College of Environmental Lawyers.

CONTACT

TRAILER: CLEARING THE AIR, THE WAR ON SMOG

TESTIMONIALS

“In this vivid and compelling account, Carlson shows how leadership by citizens and public officials, scientific advances, and law worked together to vanquish the smog that suffocated Los Angeles and other urban centers for decades. In an era of rampant and indiscriminate dismantling of government programs, this story is a timely reminder of the immense health-enhancing, life-saving benefits of science-based regulation. This book could only have been written by someone with Carlson’s matchless law and policy expertise, her expressiveness, and her deep love for her native city. We are lucky she chose to write it.”

— JONATHAN CANNON, AUTHOR OF ENVIRONMENT IN THE BALANCE: THE GREEN MOVEMENT AND THE SUPEREME COURT

“In this long overdue account, Carlson tells the remarkable story of Southern California’s decades-long battle to rid the basin of its terrible smog. Carlson shows, through a compelling narrative, that we need government and public servants to lead, ordinary people to fight, scientists to research, companies to innovate, and courts to enforce the law if we’re to achieve environmental protection. That message could not be more timely as we confront a rapidly warming climate.”

— HENRY WAXMAN, FORMER US REPRESENTATIVE FROM CALIFORNIA

“Carlson tells the surprising story of how Los Angeles won its long fight for clean air. Facing relentless opposition from oil and auto interests and using the regulatory power of the Clean Air Act to force changes in technology, people from all walks of life refused to give up on the belief that clear skies and public health are not just compatible with but essential to the region’s economic success. Smog and Sunshine relies on deep research and personal experience to remind us that enormous environmental challenges can be overcome with persistence and the willingness of leaders to adapt their tactics to evolving science and politics. A brisk and bracing read.”

— MARY D. NICHOLS, FORMER CHAIR OF THE CALIFORNIA AIR RESOURCES BOARD

“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.”

— GINA MCCARTHY, THE FIRST WHITE HOUSE NATIONAL CLIMATE ADVISOR AND FORMER US EPA ADMINISTRATOR

CONTACT

Contact Ann Carlson:

Contact Ann at carlson@law.ucla.edu or 310-206-9496.

Publicity

For publicity, contact Julie Baker at juliebakerpr@gmail.com or Evan George at evan.george@law.ucla.edu.