Kirke D.A. Elsass
@kelsass.bsky.social
Historian; writing on cement and its role in co-creating life in the U.S. by making the environments of prisons, sidewalks, & basements; developing publicly available curriculum for Yale Environmental Humanities; love being outdoors; he/him/Dada
Pinned
Hi, friends!
I study the history of cement technologies and their application, especially in sidewalks, basements, & prisons.
I'm interested in physical properties of cement, how they mattered to past people, & what that means for today's efforts to reinvent building materials for the common good.
I study the history of cement technologies and their application, especially in sidewalks, basements, & prisons.
I'm interested in physical properties of cement, how they mattered to past people, & what that means for today's efforts to reinvent building materials for the common good.
Reposted by Kirke D.A. Elsass
“Housing shortage – Jews to blame," letter sticker, German Reich, 1938
zwangsraeume.berlin/en/context
zwangsraeume.berlin/en/context
November 14, 2025 at 2:16 AM
“Housing shortage – Jews to blame," letter sticker, German Reich, 1938
zwangsraeume.berlin/en/context
zwangsraeume.berlin/en/context
Reposted by Kirke D.A. Elsass
bro are you fucking kidding me
![quote from the Economist article which says "[study authors] are now looking at whether AI facial analysis can give lenders useful clues about a person’s propensity to repay loans. For people without access to credit, that could be a blessing."](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:6ofjbklfvptnupad4lxumblw/bafkreia3yctiqd7ejumpd6novxjpiycphtfkc3bdgd573jw37faqdl7o7m@jpeg)
November 6, 2025 at 5:59 PM
bro are you fucking kidding me
Terrible news, but I'm grateful for this nudge toward my book project on how cement became at once culturally influential and widely taken for granted.
"Under the business-as-usual scenario, the construction carbon footprint alone will exceed the per-annum carbon budget for the 1.5°C and 2°C goals in the next two decades, [!] not considering other industries."
iiasa.ac.at/news/oct-202...
iiasa.ac.at/news/oct-202...
Global construction carbon footprint set to double by 2050
As the world marks UN World Cities Day on 31 October – a call to make cities more sustainable – a new international study warns that the global construction sector’s carbon footprint is on track to do...
iiasa.ac.at
November 5, 2025 at 6:45 PM
Terrible news, but I'm grateful for this nudge toward my book project on how cement became at once culturally influential and widely taken for granted.
Reposted by Kirke D.A. Elsass
Amazon is helping fund a $300 million build of a ballroom for the White House.
Independent bookstores are donating to food banks and organizations that help with food insecurity.
They are not the same.
Independent bookstores are donating to food banks and organizations that help with food insecurity.
They are not the same.
October 30, 2025 at 4:01 PM
Amazon is helping fund a $300 million build of a ballroom for the White House.
Independent bookstores are donating to food banks and organizations that help with food insecurity.
They are not the same.
Independent bookstores are donating to food banks and organizations that help with food insecurity.
They are not the same.
For years, Sarah & Doug have been putting together such a clear-eyed, inclusive, and hopeful vision of mobility alternatives. Now they've distilled it into this great book! And it starts with a mind-boggling early Superman comic that they unearthed.
What more do I need to say? Go get it!
What more do I need to say? Go get it!
October 30, 2025 at 2:22 PM
For years, Sarah & Doug have been putting together such a clear-eyed, inclusive, and hopeful vision of mobility alternatives. Now they've distilled it into this great book! And it starts with a mind-boggling early Superman comic that they unearthed.
What more do I need to say? Go get it!
What more do I need to say? Go get it!
Reposted by Kirke D.A. Elsass
I know it’s too much to expect them to know their history, but if the American Revolution had a motto, it definitely would not have been “immigrants go home.”
It would have been “get your fucking soldiers out of our cities.”
It would have been “get your fucking soldiers out of our cities.”
October 28, 2025 at 1:48 PM
I know it’s too much to expect them to know their history, but if the American Revolution had a motto, it definitely would not have been “immigrants go home.”
It would have been “get your fucking soldiers out of our cities.”
It would have been “get your fucking soldiers out of our cities.”
Charging my lights for a train+bike to Brooklyn adventure today! With some reading material for the rail portion. @thewaroncars.bsky.social
October 28, 2025 at 2:19 PM
Charging my lights for a train+bike to Brooklyn adventure today! With some reading material for the rail portion. @thewaroncars.bsky.social
Reposted by Kirke D.A. Elsass
Media and Dems are still getting this badly wrong: Trump is deeply unpopular! Recent approval numbers:
38-54 (Quinnipiac)
39-60 (AP)
40-56 (Gallup)
41-58 (Reuters)
39-56 (Economist)
On the pod, @lakshya.splitticket.org explains these numbers brilliantly. Listen:
newrepublic.com/article/2010...
38-54 (Quinnipiac)
39-60 (AP)
40-56 (Gallup)
41-58 (Reuters)
39-56 (Economist)
On the pod, @lakshya.splitticket.org explains these numbers brilliantly. Listen:
newrepublic.com/article/2010...
Trump Is a Weak, Failing President. These Brutal New Polls Confirm It.
As new national polls show Trump’s approval tanking, a leading analyst explains how the data shows that Trump is far more unpopular than is commonly acknowledged—and details why this matters for 2026.
newrepublic.com
September 29, 2025 at 11:45 AM
Media and Dems are still getting this badly wrong: Trump is deeply unpopular! Recent approval numbers:
38-54 (Quinnipiac)
39-60 (AP)
40-56 (Gallup)
41-58 (Reuters)
39-56 (Economist)
On the pod, @lakshya.splitticket.org explains these numbers brilliantly. Listen:
newrepublic.com/article/2010...
38-54 (Quinnipiac)
39-60 (AP)
40-56 (Gallup)
41-58 (Reuters)
39-56 (Economist)
On the pod, @lakshya.splitticket.org explains these numbers brilliantly. Listen:
newrepublic.com/article/2010...
Reposted by Kirke D.A. Elsass
Only an administration intent on committing war crimes in the present and future would stoop to calling Wounded Knee a "battle" rather than what it truly was: a massacre of over 250 Lakotas, mainly women, children, and the elderly. 1/
September 26, 2025 at 11:11 AM
Only an administration intent on committing war crimes in the present and future would stoop to calling Wounded Knee a "battle" rather than what it truly was: a massacre of over 250 Lakotas, mainly women, children, and the elderly. 1/
Reposted by Kirke D.A. Elsass
"AI infrastructure spending will require $2 TRILLION in annual AI revenue by 2030."
"Morgan Stanley estimates that last year there was around $45 billion of revenue for AI products."
That's quite the gap to overcome.
"Morgan Stanley estimates that last year there was around $45 billion of revenue for AI products."
That's quite the gap to overcome.
September 26, 2025 at 1:56 PM
"AI infrastructure spending will require $2 TRILLION in annual AI revenue by 2030."
"Morgan Stanley estimates that last year there was around $45 billion of revenue for AI products."
That's quite the gap to overcome.
"Morgan Stanley estimates that last year there was around $45 billion of revenue for AI products."
That's quite the gap to overcome.
Reposted by Kirke D.A. Elsass
I was back at 26 Federal Plaza today, where an ICE agent violently threw this bereft woman to the ground in front of her kids. She had not touched him. She did not pose any threat. She had to be taken to the hospital. (🎥: Elias Eliahu)
September 25, 2025 at 6:03 PM
I was back at 26 Federal Plaza today, where an ICE agent violently threw this bereft woman to the ground in front of her kids. She had not touched him. She did not pose any threat. She had to be taken to the hospital. (🎥: Elias Eliahu)
Reposted by Kirke D.A. Elsass
Reposted by Kirke D.A. Elsass
If you want the Forest Service to be anything other than just a logging company get in those public comments, people
The dismantling of the US Forest Service is imminent [via @highcountrynews.org]
The dismantling of the US Forest Service is imminent
The public has less than a week remaining to comment on the administration's plans.
www.motherjones.com
September 25, 2025 at 1:19 PM
If you want the Forest Service to be anything other than just a logging company get in those public comments, people
Environmental History Now is truly a unique project that consistently platforms new and thought-provoking perspectives.
I encourage those unfamiliar with EHN to check it out, and those familiar to donate!
I encourage those unfamiliar with EHN to check it out, and those familiar to donate!
Today's thanks go to @kelsass.bsky.social
for his generosity in supporting EHN. Thanks for all you do, Dr. Elsass!
If you want to join in keeping EHN sustainable, head over to ko-fi.com/envhistnow #envhist #envhum
for his generosity in supporting EHN. Thanks for all you do, Dr. Elsass!
If you want to join in keeping EHN sustainable, head over to ko-fi.com/envhistnow #envhist #envhum
September 25, 2025 at 1:28 PM
Environmental History Now is truly a unique project that consistently platforms new and thought-provoking perspectives.
I encourage those unfamiliar with EHN to check it out, and those familiar to donate!
I encourage those unfamiliar with EHN to check it out, and those familiar to donate!
Reposted by Kirke D.A. Elsass
⚠️ CDC quietly updated its webpage to caution pregnant people about acetaminophen (Tylenol).
Sneaky changes driven by politics instead of science erode public trust and put lives at risk.
As scientists who once shaped CDC's webpages, this is heartbreaking. 💔
www.cdc.gov/medicine-and...
Sneaky changes driven by politics instead of science erode public trust and put lives at risk.
As scientists who once shaped CDC's webpages, this is heartbreaking. 💔
www.cdc.gov/medicine-and...
Medicine and Pregnancy: An Overview
Learn how common it is to take medicines during pregnancy and what you should do if you're pregnant.
www.cdc.gov
September 23, 2025 at 11:42 AM
⚠️ CDC quietly updated its webpage to caution pregnant people about acetaminophen (Tylenol).
Sneaky changes driven by politics instead of science erode public trust and put lives at risk.
As scientists who once shaped CDC's webpages, this is heartbreaking. 💔
www.cdc.gov/medicine-and...
Sneaky changes driven by politics instead of science erode public trust and put lives at risk.
As scientists who once shaped CDC's webpages, this is heartbreaking. 💔
www.cdc.gov/medicine-and...
Reposted by Kirke D.A. Elsass
They've lost the 9yos
September 24, 2025 at 4:03 PM
They've lost the 9yos
Media industry expert Howard Homonoff actually predicted this in August when the proposed Nexstar-Tegna merger was announced. This is what he wrote after first saying Trump's FCC is likely to ignore legal precedent and approve the deal without involving Congress.
September 24, 2025 at 6:44 PM
Media industry expert Howard Homonoff actually predicted this in August when the proposed Nexstar-Tegna merger was announced. This is what he wrote after first saying Trump's FCC is likely to ignore legal precedent and approve the deal without involving Congress.
Reposted by Kirke D.A. Elsass
I am once again asking @zohrankmamdani.bsky.social to come on The War on Cars podcast to talk about his transportation, public space, and climate policies.
September 23, 2025 at 7:36 PM
I am once again asking @zohrankmamdani.bsky.social to come on The War on Cars podcast to talk about his transportation, public space, and climate policies.
Reposted by Kirke D.A. Elsass
A new study, based on a survey of 1,150 workers suggests that the injection of AI tools into the workplace has not resulted in a magic productivity boom and instead increased the amount of time that workers say they spend fixing low-quality AI-generated “work.”
🔗 www.404media.co/ai-workslop-...
🔗 www.404media.co/ai-workslop-...
AI ‘Workslop’ Is Killing Productivity and Making Workers Miserable
AI slop is taking over workplaces. Workers said that they thought of their colleagues who filed low-quality AI work as "less creative, capable, and reliable than they did before receiving the output."
www.404media.co
September 23, 2025 at 3:53 PM
A new study, based on a survey of 1,150 workers suggests that the injection of AI tools into the workplace has not resulted in a magic productivity boom and instead increased the amount of time that workers say they spend fixing low-quality AI-generated “work.”
🔗 www.404media.co/ai-workslop-...
🔗 www.404media.co/ai-workslop-...
Reposted by Kirke D.A. Elsass
Can you keep us sustainable? EHN is volunteer-run, but we need to cover our costs for hosting the website. If you value what we do, chip in $6 or whatever you can below ko-fi.com/envhistnow
September 17, 2025 at 5:48 PM
Can you keep us sustainable? EHN is volunteer-run, but we need to cover our costs for hosting the website. If you value what we do, chip in $6 or whatever you can below ko-fi.com/envhistnow
Reposted by Kirke D.A. Elsass
EHN is a wonderful platform for early career scholars and a valuable resource for the entire #envhum and #envhist community! Please support their fundraising drive if you're able. I just donated!
Can you keep us sustainable? EHN is volunteer-run, but we need to cover our costs for hosting the website. If you value what we do, chip in $6 or whatever you can below ko-fi.com/envhistnow
September 23, 2025 at 3:25 PM
Reposted by Kirke D.A. Elsass
The latest example of Trump’s relentless assault on free speech.
He's rewriting visa rules to make it harder for foreign reporters to cover his presidency - so he can just kick them out if they write stories he doesn't like.
He's rewriting visa rules to make it harder for foreign reporters to cover his presidency - so he can just kick them out if they write stories he doesn't like.
World news organisations urge US not to slash journalist visas
Planned change would hurt its image abroad, they tell the US. Read more at straitstimes.com. Read more at straitstimes.com.
www.straitstimes.com
September 23, 2025 at 1:37 PM
The latest example of Trump’s relentless assault on free speech.
He's rewriting visa rules to make it harder for foreign reporters to cover his presidency - so he can just kick them out if they write stories he doesn't like.
He's rewriting visa rules to make it harder for foreign reporters to cover his presidency - so he can just kick them out if they write stories he doesn't like.
The most intriguing 19thC prison reformer I've read complained about the system's sexism, arguing that the US wasn't locking up enough women. He might be pleased with this.
He also believed in absolute solitary confinement as universal cure for criminality, so realizing his dreams isn't a win.
He also believed in absolute solitary confinement as universal cure for criminality, so realizing his dreams isn't a win.
🚨NEW REPORT: The U.S. incarcerates women at a higher rate than almost any other country in the world
So much for the “land of the free” 🧵
So much for the “land of the free” 🧵
September 23, 2025 at 1:34 PM
The most intriguing 19thC prison reformer I've read complained about the system's sexism, arguing that the US wasn't locking up enough women. He might be pleased with this.
He also believed in absolute solitary confinement as universal cure for criminality, so realizing his dreams isn't a win.
He also believed in absolute solitary confinement as universal cure for criminality, so realizing his dreams isn't a win.
Reposted by Kirke D.A. Elsass
At The Big Green Machine, my @wellesley.edu students and I are tracking more than 600 clean energy manufacturing projects in North America.
Let us know what we are missing, what is wrong, and what needs updating. 🔌💡
Access our full dataset and interactive dashboard:
www.the-big-green-machine.com
Let us know what we are missing, what is wrong, and what needs updating. 🔌💡
Access our full dataset and interactive dashboard:
www.the-big-green-machine.com
September 22, 2025 at 5:44 PM
At The Big Green Machine, my @wellesley.edu students and I are tracking more than 600 clean energy manufacturing projects in North America.
Let us know what we are missing, what is wrong, and what needs updating. 🔌💡
Access our full dataset and interactive dashboard:
www.the-big-green-machine.com
Let us know what we are missing, what is wrong, and what needs updating. 🔌💡
Access our full dataset and interactive dashboard:
www.the-big-green-machine.com
With a kid who just got super into Spidey & His Amazing Friends, this was not the simplest choice. Still simple enough.
September 20, 2025 at 6:31 PM
With a kid who just got super into Spidey & His Amazing Friends, this was not the simplest choice. Still simple enough.