I grew up in L.A.’s San Fernando Valley in the ‘80s, where stay-inside-during-recess smog alert days and the thick brown layer on the horizon were the norm. I majored in Environmental Studies in college, so that I could better understand the connections between pollution, our health, and the health of our ecosystems. I wanted to learn all I could about the pollution we dump into our air, water, and soil that ends up hurting us. The more I learned, the stronger I felt that it would be irresponsible of me to do anything other than figure out how I can contribute to the growing number of courageous individuals across the planet working to address the overwhelming environmental disasters we—humanity—have caused. I was drawn to the realm of environmental law because of its ability to spark immense positive change, so I went to Lewis and Clark Law School in Portland, Oregon, home to one of the nation’s top environmental law programs. After law school I worked with the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance, where I saw first hand that air pollution is not just a problem in LA. It is a problem all over the country, even in the remote corners of Utah.
I am thrilled to now be back home in LA and part of NRDC’s Southern California Air Quality Project. I am honored to work with NRDC’s fearless advocates, working together to stop the onslaught of dangerous air pollution into our communities. After all, Southern California is my native habitat, and I hope that someday kids in LA will grow up smog-free, with nothing but California’s sunshine on the horizon.
Posted November 30, 2011 by Morgan Wyenn in Curbing Pollution, Environmental Justice, Health and the Environment
The Port of Long Beach is still the cause of frightening levels of toxic air pollution in harbor area neighborhoods, despite the progress the port has made in reducing its air pollution levels. They are now proposing to build a new cargo...continued→
Posted November 8, 2011 by Morgan Wyenn in Curbing Pollution, Living Sustainably
Los Angeles' City Planning Department just launched a new website for folks to discuss and express ideas about our city’s transportation problems. If you’ve ever complained about LA’s traffic or wished LA had better public transportation options, this site is...continued→
Posted October 13, 2011 by Morgan Wyenn in Environmental Justice, Health and the Environment
I often come across studies about the negative health impacts of air pollution. I recently learned about one such study that is particularly troubling. A study published last year found that mice exposed to particulate matter 2.5—a kind of air pollution...continued→
Posted September 29, 2011 by Morgan Wyenn in Curbing Pollution, Environmental Justice, Green Enterprise, Health and the Environment
This week is full of good news for the people breathing the air near the Southern California ports. First, major components of the Port of Los Angeles’ Clean Truck Program was upheld by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals on...continued→
Posted September 22, 2011 by Morgan Wyenn in Solving Global Warming
This morning the Los Angeles Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) adopted a Renewable Energy Policy; they are now officially on a roll adopting strong environmental policies. Last month they adopted a landmark Green Construction Policy. Both policies seek to reduce the...continued→
Posted August 4, 2011 by Morgan Wyenn in Curbing Pollution, Environmental Justice, Health and the Environment
The Los Angeles Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) voted earlier today to adopt a Green Construction Policy that will significantly reduce the air pollution caused by the construction of LA’s transportation system. The policy requires that all the equipment, vehicles, and...continued→
Posted August 2, 2011 by Morgan Wyenn in Curbing Pollution, Health and the Environment
This Thursday, August 4, the Los Angeles Metropolitan Transportation Agency (Metro) is going to vote on whether to adopt one of the strongest green construction policies in the nation. As I blogged about this about a month ago, Metro has been considering a...continued→
Posted July 19, 2011 by Morgan Wyenn in Curbing Pollution, Environmental Justice, Health and the Environment
Late last week a federal judge upheld one of California’s most important environmental laws, ruling that the Port of Long Beach acted illegally when it changed its Clean Truck Program without first complying with the California Environmental Quality Act. The...continued→
Posted June 16, 2011 by Morgan Wyenn in Curbing Pollution, Living Sustainably, Moving Beyond Oil, Solving Global Warming
Today is National Dump the Pump Day! And perhaps there was never a better year to start celebrating than 2011. With skyrocketing gas prices, ongoing legislative and regulatory battles to finally regulate greenhouse gases, and increasing awareness about the negative...continued→
Posted June 14, 2011 by Morgan Wyenn in Curbing Pollution, Environmental Justice, Health and the Environment
As LA’s public transit agency—the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro)—is ramping up construction to build a more effective public transit system, it is also considering adopting a policy to make sure that all this new construction will not bring dirty diesel pollution...continued→
Posted May 27, 2011 by Morgan Wyenn in Living Sustainably
No Impact Man: the adventures of a guilty liberal who attempts to save the planet and the discoveries he makes about himself and our way of life in the process is a book—and documentary and blog—that follows the adventures of...continued→
Posted May 26, 2011 by Morgan Wyenn in Curbing Pollution, Living Sustainably
The LA Metropolitan Transportation Agency (Metro) voted this afternoon to implement 7.7 miles of bus-only lane on Wilshire Blvd. While we preferred the version of the project that was 1 mile longer (totaling 8.7 miles), this is still a great...continued→
Posted May 23, 2011 by Morgan Wyenn in Curbing Pollution, Living Sustainably
The Los Angeles City Council and the LA Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) Board of Directors are scheduled this week to select a version of the Wilshire Blvd. Bus-Only Lane that they want the city and county to move forward with. ...continued→
Posted April 8, 2011 by Morgan Wyenn in Curbing Pollution, Environmental Justice, Health and the Environment
Almost 30% of households in West Long Beach, California are home to someone with asthma. This heartbreaking statistic is among the findings of a recent study conducted by the Greater Long Beach Interfaith Community Organization, St. Lucy’s Catholic Church, and...continued→
Posted February 3, 2011 by Morgan Wyenn in Curbing Pollution, Living Sustainably
There is no doubt that we need to start prioritizing public transit over cars, and quick. In addition to emitting greenhouse gases, cars also emit ozone. Ozone is an invisible gas that combines with oxygen and sunlight to form that...continued→
Switchboard is the staff blog of the Natural Resources Defense Council, the nation’s most effective environmental group. For more about our work, including in-depth policy documents, action alerts and ways you can contribute, visit NRDC.org.
