Chasing Zero

Kat Janowicz digs deep to chronicle the transformation of the LA-Long Beach ports as a springboard for exploring the larger quest for an emission-free world. The landmark 2002 ruling in a lawsuit against the Port of Los Angeles and one of its terminal operators sent shock waves through global supply chains. To stay in business and continue to compete on the world stage, the LA and Long Beach ports had to start listening to the community and find common ground for reducing port-related air pollution. Ultimately, the ports underwent nothing short of an environmental reformation. Technical documents, legislative records, and news reports offer bits and pieces of this story, but the full account has never been told until now. Drawing on more than two decades of experience in the energy, transportation, and technology sectors, Kat Janowicz digs deep to chronicle the transformation of the LA-Long Beach ports as a springboard for exploring the larger quest for an emission-free world: the choices, the costs, and the challenges. Janowicz reviewed thousands of documents, watched hundreds of hours of video recordings, and spoke to more than 150 people to tell this story and decode its complexities. Those who shared their knowledge, insights, and personal stories include current and former port executives and staff, elected and appointed officials, private industry leaders, scientists, educators, and everyday people who live and work in Southern California. Captivating, informative, and entertaining, Chasing Zero is a primer for everyone from ordinary people to high-level decision-makers seeking to better understand the global trade, supply chain, technology, energy, and environmental issues and policies that affect us all. While painting a vivid portrait of the global challenges we face, the book sheds light on the exciting opportunities for current and future generations willing to tackle them.

Kat Janowicz is a leading environmental and business strategist in energy, transportation, technology, infrastructure, and global trade. She specializes in assessing clean technologies, demonstration projects, infrastructure upgrades, and their associated risks to support informed decision-making. She has worked closely with private industry, public agencies, and local communities on numerous projects and initiatives.
During her twenty-six-year career, she has come to appreciate the life cycle of products and projects from the planning process to their finished state, including design, construction, operations and maintenance. An expert in process improvement, she puts a premium on education, training, and lessons learned and is frequently invited to speak on these topics. She also serves on the board of several trade associations. 
The author of Chasing Zero tells a riveting story about our quest for clean air, the remarkable transformation of the Ports of LA and Long Beach—the busiest US ports—and its impact on international trade. 
Follow Kat Janowicz on LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and Goodreads: @katjanowicz