Smogtown The Lung-Burning History of Pollution in Los Angeles

by Jacobs, Chip; Kelly, WilliamJ

• ISBN13: 9781590204023
• ISBN10: 1590204026
• eBook ISBN(s): 9781590207642
• Edition: Revised
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2015-10-13
• Publisher: Harry N. Abrams
• More Book Details
• Purchase Benefits

Summary

The smog didn’t come from the outside—it came from within.

On July 26, 1943, a mysterious haze blanketed downtown Los Angeles. Office workers rubbed their eyes, traffic cops vanished into the fog, and rumors swirled of enemy sabotage. But the truth was far more insidious: the smog was a byproduct of Southern California’s own booming, car-obsessed, suburban lifestyle.

In this gripping history, journalists Chip Jacobs and William J. Kelly trace the rise of Los Angeles’s air pollution crisis—from its murky beginnings to its explosive political and environmental consequences. Smogtown is a tale of civic ambition, corporate denial, scientific manipulation, and the everyday people caught in the toxic cloud.

Brimming with compelling anecdotes, historic photos, and sharp cultural insight, Smogtown is both a cautionary tale and a journalistic classic—essential reading for anyone interested in the intersection of environment, politics, and urban life.

Inside you’ll find:

• A vivid chronicle of L.A.’s smog battles from the 1940s through the 21st century
• Profiles of the bold reformers, bureaucrats, and polluters who shaped the fight
• Shocking health consequences and environmental costs
• Revelations about how L.A.’s smog story mirrors global environmental struggles

Author Biography

Chip Jacobs is the co-author of The People's Republic of Chemicals and author of The Vicodin Thieves, The Ascension of Jerry, and Wheeler-Dealer. Jacobs’ reporting has appeared in the Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, CNN, Bloomberg View, the Daily News of Los Angeles, L.A. Weekly and newgeography.com, among other outlets. Jacobs, the recipient of numerous writing commendations, lives in Southern California. Visit chipjacobs.com to learn more.

<strong>William J. Kelly</strong> is the co-author The People's Republic of Chemicals and author of Home Safe Home. His reporting has appeared in the Los Angeles Times, Consumers Digest, Inside Climate News, L.A. Weekly, and the California Journal, among other outlets. He was chief spokesman for South Coast Air Quality Management District, the smog control agency for greater Los Angeles, and is currently the senior correspondent for the California Current. Kelly, the recipient of numerous writing awards, lives in the Los Angeles area.