The clear skies of Southern California are something many of us take for granted, but Los Angeles used to be synonymous with smog that blanketed the city. Smog and Sunshine: The Surprising Story of How Los Angeles Cleaned Up Its Air (University of California Press, 2026) details the unlikely coalition that fought back against the pollution to clean up their city. Larry is joined by author Ann Carlson, Shirley Shapiro professor of Environmental Law at UCLA, to talk about the history of environmental activism and regulation that led to transformative change.