On the catwalk

Catwalk spotlight

There's no issue like Southern California's air quality to encapsulate both the challenges we face and the effect we can have with activist passion and intelligent regulation. It's true, and shameful, that we're back on top with the nation's worst air quality. Yet it's important to remember that air quality overall has been improving for the last three decades, as environmentalists have won key policy changes.

The Coalition for Clean Air has been a leader in calling our attention to the severity of the problem and in pushing for solutions. Plus, they know how to have a good time. For their annual fashion show fundraiser, elected officials from across Southern California don donated eco-friendly apparel and walk the catwalk as guests bid on the items they sport.

Burbank City Councilmember Todd Campbell and I have been trying to outdo each other for a couple of years now, and this year we declared a full-on , Zoolander-style catwalk battle royale. (And raised money for clean air at the same time.)