Emily Pawley
@emilypawley.bsky.social
Environmental historian working on the climate emergency
Reposted by Emily Pawley
I once asked a bookseller at a large indie store how many people would have to buy a book for it to get the attention of the store buyer and cause an additional order and they said: Three.
I see some book piracy discourse, and, to make a positive argument in favor of buying books, your marginal ability to influence what books get published and support the careers of writers you like is massive compared to most other forms of media.
November 25, 2025 at 11:07 PM
I once asked a bookseller at a large indie store how many people would have to buy a book for it to get the attention of the store buyer and cause an additional order and they said: Three.
Ok people who like sports, I have a question.
Is the joy of the obscure rule like the joy of the inside joke?
Like signaling in-groups and out-groups?
Is the joy of the obscure rule like the joy of the inside joke?
Like signaling in-groups and out-groups?
November 26, 2025 at 3:15 AM
Ok people who like sports, I have a question.
Is the joy of the obscure rule like the joy of the inside joke?
Like signaling in-groups and out-groups?
Is the joy of the obscure rule like the joy of the inside joke?
Like signaling in-groups and out-groups?
Reposted by Emily Pawley
All of the societal effort that goes into making the wealthy happy is like if every year 50% of the money generated in Canada went towards teaching thousands of dogs to become cardiothoracic surgeons.
It's not going to happen, it hardly creates any jobs, and it's fucking up the dogs.
It's not going to happen, it hardly creates any jobs, and it's fucking up the dogs.
November 16, 2025 at 5:34 AM
All of the societal effort that goes into making the wealthy happy is like if every year 50% of the money generated in Canada went towards teaching thousands of dogs to become cardiothoracic surgeons.
It's not going to happen, it hardly creates any jobs, and it's fucking up the dogs.
It's not going to happen, it hardly creates any jobs, and it's fucking up the dogs.
Reposted by Emily Pawley
The EPA will approve two new pesticides containing “forever chemicals” and relax a reporting rule for companies who make products with forever chemicals.
The moves come after a $60 million lobbying blitz from the forever chemical industry.
Where is the MAHA outcry?
The moves come after a $60 million lobbying blitz from the forever chemical industry.
Where is the MAHA outcry?
November 24, 2025 at 5:19 PM
The EPA will approve two new pesticides containing “forever chemicals” and relax a reporting rule for companies who make products with forever chemicals.
The moves come after a $60 million lobbying blitz from the forever chemical industry.
Where is the MAHA outcry?
The moves come after a $60 million lobbying blitz from the forever chemical industry.
Where is the MAHA outcry?
Reposted by Emily Pawley
Horrid news out of Oklahoma about Dr. Vahid Abedini, a professor of Iranian Studies.
The university has refused to make a public comment on Abedini's detention. Folks with OU connections, you know what to do: call OU and demand they take a stand & support Abedini.
The university has refused to make a public comment on Abedini's detention. Folks with OU connections, you know what to do: call OU and demand they take a stand & support Abedini.
November 25, 2025 at 3:16 AM
Horrid news out of Oklahoma about Dr. Vahid Abedini, a professor of Iranian Studies.
The university has refused to make a public comment on Abedini's detention. Folks with OU connections, you know what to do: call OU and demand they take a stand & support Abedini.
The university has refused to make a public comment on Abedini's detention. Folks with OU connections, you know what to do: call OU and demand they take a stand & support Abedini.
Reposted by Emily Pawley
It's not just "consumer smart" it reduces environmental waste, key materials are often mined in slave conditions. The whole tenor of the article is wrong - why is the economy so dependent on us engaging in mass waste?
www.cnbc.com/2025/11/23/h... "please, buy new phone. the economy is dying" is an incredible gaslight
Americans are holding onto devices longer than ever and it's costing economy
Americans are holding onto devices longer than ever before, and while it may be consumer smart, it comes at a cost to work productivity and the U.S. economy.
www.cnbc.com
November 24, 2025 at 1:17 AM
It's not just "consumer smart" it reduces environmental waste, key materials are often mined in slave conditions. The whole tenor of the article is wrong - why is the economy so dependent on us engaging in mass waste?
Reposted by Emily Pawley
Haven't received as many contributions as usual for this year's lists--could be many things, but one aspect is surely that our ability to get this in front of people is much diminished. If you know folks whose stuff should be on here, please suggest it! contingentmagazine.org/yearly-pub-l...
Publications by Non-Tenure-Track Historians
Since we began publishing in 2019, Contingent has published end-of-year lists of books and articles by non-tenure-track historians released in the past calendar year. To submit something for inclusion...
contingentmagazine.org
November 24, 2025 at 3:39 PM
Haven't received as many contributions as usual for this year's lists--could be many things, but one aspect is surely that our ability to get this in front of people is much diminished. If you know folks whose stuff should be on here, please suggest it! contingentmagazine.org/yearly-pub-l...
Reposted by Emily Pawley
It remains insane to me that DOGE was treated at the time as an impressive shock and awe accomplishment - “you can’t deny he’s getting stuff done!” - and then instantly memory holed by the press once if became clear it was a total failure by every possible standard including Musk’s own
Difficult to overstate how profound a failure DOGE was. Spending in FY2025 was not only than in FY2024 – but higher than it was projected to be when Trump first took office.*
The little bit of spending DOGE cut has already killed hundreds of thousands and will eventually lead to millions of deaths.
The little bit of spending DOGE cut has already killed hundreds of thousands and will eventually lead to millions of deaths.
Bye bye, “DOGE”.
It no longer exists as a “centralized entity”, according to the Office of Personnel Management.
@reuters.com
www.reuters.com/world/us/dog...
It no longer exists as a “centralized entity”, according to the Office of Personnel Management.
@reuters.com
www.reuters.com/world/us/dog...
November 23, 2025 at 3:52 PM
It remains insane to me that DOGE was treated at the time as an impressive shock and awe accomplishment - “you can’t deny he’s getting stuff done!” - and then instantly memory holed by the press once if became clear it was a total failure by every possible standard including Musk’s own
Reposted by Emily Pawley
Difficult to overstate how profound a failure DOGE was. Spending in FY2025 was not only than in FY2024 – but higher than it was projected to be when Trump first took office.*
The little bit of spending DOGE cut has already killed hundreds of thousands and will eventually lead to millions of deaths.
The little bit of spending DOGE cut has already killed hundreds of thousands and will eventually lead to millions of deaths.
Bye bye, “DOGE”.
It no longer exists as a “centralized entity”, according to the Office of Personnel Management.
@reuters.com
www.reuters.com/world/us/dog...
It no longer exists as a “centralized entity”, according to the Office of Personnel Management.
@reuters.com
www.reuters.com/world/us/dog...
November 23, 2025 at 2:02 PM
Difficult to overstate how profound a failure DOGE was. Spending in FY2025 was not only than in FY2024 – but higher than it was projected to be when Trump first took office.*
The little bit of spending DOGE cut has already killed hundreds of thousands and will eventually lead to millions of deaths.
The little bit of spending DOGE cut has already killed hundreds of thousands and will eventually lead to millions of deaths.
Reposted by Emily Pawley
The irony of course is that Black Americans are probably far more likely to be descended from people who lived in North America before 1776 than white Americans are.
November 22, 2025 at 11:26 PM
The irony of course is that Black Americans are probably far more likely to be descended from people who lived in North America before 1776 than white Americans are.
Reposted by Emily Pawley
I will vote for anyone that promises to prosecute and jail anyone employed in DOGE.
Current and former Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) staffers are growing increasingly concerned that the work they did slashing government programs and eliminating jobs will come back to haunt them with the possibility of criminal prosecutions.
'Suddenly exposed' DOGE employees fear prosecution after Musk abandoned them: report
Current and former Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) staffers are growing increasingly concerned that the work they did slashing government programs and eliminating jobs will come back to haunt them with the possibility of criminal prosecutions.Worse still is their growing belief that the b...
bit.ly
November 23, 2025 at 12:22 AM
I will vote for anyone that promises to prosecute and jail anyone employed in DOGE.
Reposted by Emily Pawley
Just remembering how one of the most important and widely read and dropped-with-maximally-damaging-timing "Biden is old and senile" pieces was reported by Nuzzi. It makes you think!
well, I read it, and the salient, non-gross part is Lizza alleging, midsentence and without elaboration, that Nuzzi ran numerous “catch-and-kill operations” on RFK’s behalf, which would give her a role in both his appointment and the untold preventable deaths he has abetted in office. Cool.
November 22, 2025 at 4:29 PM
Just remembering how one of the most important and widely read and dropped-with-maximally-damaging-timing "Biden is old and senile" pieces was reported by Nuzzi. It makes you think!
Reposted by Emily Pawley
NEW: ICE has finally released post-shutdown detention data. The latest data reveals that a full 40%(!) of people arrested in the interior and held in ICE detention have no criminal record; no criminal charges or prior convictions. That is up from just 4% when Trump took office.
November 21, 2025 at 4:01 PM
NEW: ICE has finally released post-shutdown detention data. The latest data reveals that a full 40%(!) of people arrested in the interior and held in ICE detention have no criminal record; no criminal charges or prior convictions. That is up from just 4% when Trump took office.
Reposted by Emily Pawley
Calling all contingent historians and their editors--if you haven't submitted for this year's lists, why not? Seriously, these are our most highly read pieces of the year. They are a great way to get your scholarship in front of people and SELL YOUR BOOKS.
Thank you to @erinbartram.bsky.social for the idea as a public scholarly companion to Contingent's end of year list of publications from non-tenure track historians.
Submissions for @contingent-mag.bsky.social are due by November 29th if you haven't submitted yet!
Submissions for @contingent-mag.bsky.social are due by November 29th if you haven't submitted yet!
Publications by Non-Tenure-Track Historians
Since we began publishing in 2019, Contingent has published end-of-year lists of books and articles by non-tenure-track historians released in the past calendar year. To submit something for inclusion...
contingentmagazine.org
November 21, 2025 at 2:33 AM
Calling all contingent historians and their editors--if you haven't submitted for this year's lists, why not? Seriously, these are our most highly read pieces of the year. They are a great way to get your scholarship in front of people and SELL YOUR BOOKS.
Reposted by Emily Pawley
Strange update: actual army spending on forage in 1850 was $1 million, which as a share of GDP is exactly equal to DoD spending on fuel in 2022
In 1850 the US Army's quartermaster general estimated that feeding the full authorized number of horses for mounted units would come to ~$2 mil. The entire federal budget in these years was around ~$45 mil., so the Army animals alone accounted for 4-5% of federal spending.
November 18, 2025 at 5:05 PM
Strange update: actual army spending on forage in 1850 was $1 million, which as a share of GDP is exactly equal to DoD spending on fuel in 2022
Reposted by Emily Pawley
Thanks to @modamhist.bsky.social for publishing my conversation with @imreszeman.bsky.social, Bob Johnson, Cara Daggett, and Jennifer Wenzel on history and the energy humanities. We hope it is helpful! Check it out here: www.cambridge.org/core/journal...
“Energy Humanities and American History” | Modern American History | Cambridge Core
“Energy Humanities and American History”
www.cambridge.org
November 17, 2025 at 3:08 PM
Thanks to @modamhist.bsky.social for publishing my conversation with @imreszeman.bsky.social, Bob Johnson, Cara Daggett, and Jennifer Wenzel on history and the energy humanities. We hope it is helpful! Check it out here: www.cambridge.org/core/journal...
Reposted by Emily Pawley
Whenever it rains in LA, I always think about the “Emerald Necklace Vision Plan”, which, if implemented, would result in expanded parks and green space along several waterways in the area.
November 15, 2025 at 11:35 PM
Whenever it rains in LA, I always think about the “Emerald Necklace Vision Plan”, which, if implemented, would result in expanded parks and green space along several waterways in the area.
Reposted by Emily Pawley
Valencius: US gov. resources & policies facilitated the shale boom, but also documented the shale boom (e.g., national labs, USGS, National Archives, Smithsonian, NEH, etc.)
When people call for the oil industry to "get the frack out," historians of sci can contextualize their concerns #HSS2025
When people call for the oil industry to "get the frack out," historians of sci can contextualize their concerns #HSS2025
November 15, 2025 at 12:56 AM
Valencius: US gov. resources & policies facilitated the shale boom, but also documented the shale boom (e.g., national labs, USGS, National Archives, Smithsonian, NEH, etc.)
When people call for the oil industry to "get the frack out," historians of sci can contextualize their concerns #HSS2025
When people call for the oil industry to "get the frack out," historians of sci can contextualize their concerns #HSS2025
Even sadder that I’m not at HSS—I would have loved to be there for this!
So what can historians of science do?
Valencius answers by citing an exciting, forthcoming resource for #histSTM & #STS practitioners--A Historian's Handbook to Saving the World, edited by @alixhui.bsky.social & @emilypawley.bsky.social.
More info: docs.google.com/document/d/1... #HSS2025 #histSTM
Valencius answers by citing an exciting, forthcoming resource for #histSTM & #STS practitioners--A Historian's Handbook to Saving the World, edited by @alixhui.bsky.social & @emilypawley.bsky.social.
More info: docs.google.com/document/d/1... #HSS2025 #histSTM
Historians' Handbook for Saving the World TOC
A Historian’s Handbook for Saving the World: Responding to the Global Climate Emergency Co-organized by Alexandra Hui and Emily Pawley Table of Contents Acknowledgements and List of Contributors ...
docs.google.com
November 15, 2025 at 2:38 AM
Even sadder that I’m not at HSS—I would have loved to be there for this!
Reposted by Emily Pawley
Reposted by Emily Pawley
The value of reading history is you know that in 1860 there were abolitionists who were so demoralized that they thought chattel slavery would be permanent. 5 years later those still alive had lived to see its end.
November 12, 2025 at 8:05 PM
The value of reading history is you know that in 1860 there were abolitionists who were so demoralized that they thought chattel slavery would be permanent. 5 years later those still alive had lived to see its end.
Reposted by Emily Pawley
RE starbucks picket line--the relevant detail is "picket line, do not cross." Pass that along. Proclaiming that you are in no danger of doing so because you are too aesthetically pure to let Starbucks coffee pass your lips is...unhelpful and does not give the impression you perhaps imagine it does.
November 13, 2025 at 1:56 PM
RE starbucks picket line--the relevant detail is "picket line, do not cross." Pass that along. Proclaiming that you are in no danger of doing so because you are too aesthetically pure to let Starbucks coffee pass your lips is...unhelpful and does not give the impression you perhaps imagine it does.
Reposted by Emily Pawley
Hey so “underage girls” are…children. The word you’re looking for is children. They’re not like, women-in-waiting or women-lite or whatever. They’re children. I think some of you are very uncomfortable with what that means for you but it is still true.
November 12, 2025 at 11:05 PM
Hey so “underage girls” are…children. The word you’re looking for is children. They’re not like, women-in-waiting or women-lite or whatever. They’re children. I think some of you are very uncomfortable with what that means for you but it is still true.