An essay written by Brian Black, distinguished professor of history and environmental studies, was recently published in the new book A Field on Fire: The Future of Environmental History.
The book collection grew from a series of workshops held in honor of Donald Worster in Lawrence, Kansas, and Beijing, China. Worster, Black’s graduate advisor at the University of Kansas, is considered a pioneer in the field of environmental history. Written by scholars across the globe who have worked with or been inspired by Worster, the essays lay out future areas of inquiry for the entire field.
Black’s essay, “Energizing Environmental History,” discusses the important role that environmental historians have played in the expansion of energy studies over the last decade. Stemming from essays written by Worster in the 1980s, Black lays out how our more complex understanding of our energy past informs future energy choices.
