Still Life
Commencement across Penn State: Spring 2012
Spring commencement 2012 under way
Penn State, Moroccan students problem-solve together
Finals Week Spring Semester 2012
Children explore career options at University Park
Painting the Lines at Beaver Stadium
Did They Get It Right? - RedTails
Iconic Penn State elm taken down over spring break 2012
We ... are Penn State (December 19, 2011)
Disease stricken matching elm tree slated for removal
Penn State's creamery, from the cow to the cone
Brian Black, professor of history and environmental studies at Penn State Altoona, has been solicited for public comment on the BP spill in a number of different venues over the last few months. Most recently, his essay "Beyond Oil: History and Consumption" was included in On Earth, the online magazine of the Natural Resources Defense Council. (more)
The oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, caused by the April explosion of British Petroleum's Deepwater Horizon drilling rig that killed 11 crew members, has poured about 100 million gallons of oil into the water and caused significant damage to ecology and industry. It is already considered the largest offshore spill in U.S. history and may be among the largest spills in the world. It may also be among the worst industrial disasters in modern history. "At this point we're just going to be estimating because it is at a scale and dimension that we just haven't seen before," says environmental historian Brian Black, a professor of history and environmental studies at Penn State Altoona. (more)
When the Drake Oil Well in Titusville, Pennsylvania began seeping crude oil 150 years ago, humanity allowed itself to become engulfed in the ecology of oil, according to a Penn State environmental historian. Now in the midst of an energy transition, the U.S. and the world need to keep moving forward toward alternative methods of power generation. "American consumers must take stock and understand our dependency on oil in the context of how we got to this point," said Brian Black, associate professor of history and environmental studies, Penn State Altoona. (more)
Brian Black, associate professor of history and environmental studies, was recently interviewed about American environmental history for an article in the American Airlines in-flight magazine. The article can be found at: www.americanwaymag.com/tabid/2855/tabidext/4017/default.aspx online. (more)
Brian Black, associate professor of history and environmental studies at Penn State Altoona, recently published a two-volume reference book set for use in libraries around the world. (more)
