OUR SUSTAINABLE FUTURE: AIR

Sustainability Spotlight: Alumni

CLEARING THE CALIFORNIAN AIR

Laila Atalla 16C, Air Pollution Specialist, California Air Resources Board

For alumna Laila Atalla, clean air isn’t just a matter of fighting pollution. It’s also a matter of environmental justice. As an air pollution specialist for the California Air Resources Board, Atalla works to help economically disadvantaged communities cope with the disproportionate burden they bear from environmental impacts. 

Through the Cap-and-Trade program, California charges companies for the pollution they put into the air and then invests that money into the California Climate Investments program. This approach has funded many successful efforts, such as the Low-Income Weatherization program, which helped state residents reduce their energy use and costs, Atalla says.

“Working on the California Climate Investments program is my dream job,” Atalla says. “The program is truly innovative, and it yields positive, life-changing results. Cap-and-Trade has had wide-ranging impact, from investing in clean energy initiatives to funding transit-oriented affordable housing that helps people live closer to their jobs.”

—Brian Hudgins