# L.A.’s Air Was Once A Punchline. It Could Be Again

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/talk-cocktail-15520/l-a-s-air-was-once-a-punchline-it-could-be-again
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/talk-cocktail-15520/l-a-s-air-was-once-a-punchline-it-could-be-again.md
Podcast: [Talk Cocktail](https://stenobird.com/podcast/talk-cocktail-15520)
Published: 2026-05-02T14:30:00+00:00
Episode link: https://jeffschechtman.substack.com/p/las-air-was-once-a-punchline-it-could
Audio file: https://api.substack.com/feed/podcast/196187780/5abaf14f0b274148f1a06cd7314ebe86.mp3
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/talk-cocktail-15520/episodes/l-a-s-air-was-once-a-punchline-it-could-be-again
Duration seconds: 2496

## Resource

Smog was once as much a symbol of L.A. as palm trees — a bane to public health and a national punchline on Johnny Carson’s “Tonight Show.” My guest on this California Sun podcast, Ann Carlson, author of “ Smog and Sunshine: The Surprising Story of How Los Angeles Cleaned Up Its Air .” details the decades-long battle that transformed the air from toxic to breathable. Today’s rollbacks once again threaten the air in L.A. and everywhere else. Get full access to Talk Cocktail Podcast at jeffschechtman.substack.com/subscribe

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## Transcript

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