policies

“Thank God for the Coal Rollers”

Historian Timothy LeCain is interested in the bridge between humans and materiality. Last year, while driving his SUV home through the mountains of Montana, a large truck pulled in front of him and released a cloud of dense, noxious smoke. Like many cyclists, hybrid car drivers, and “No Kings” protestors, LeCain had been “coal rolled.” His tongue-in-cheek essay, “Thank God for the Coal Rollers,” explores the practice’s culture, intended victims, and even the unintended good it might enact.

Offering Solutions

Zelko expresses skepticism about the transformative potential of environmental history, arguing that it is often more useful to historians than to addressing global crises.

Mainstreaming Environmental History

Martin V. Melosi reflects on the past and future of environmental history, noting its broad scope but also its tendencies to prioritize social history and ecological concerns over certain “top-down” topics, such as the environmental politics of specific governments.