Lawrence Culver
@lawrencecphd.bsky.social
Historian of environment/climate/disaster/cities/culture. Also public history & urban/enviro/recreation public policy. UCLA Bruin.
Book: The Frontier of Leisure: SoCal and the Shaping of Modern America; writing on climate & history in US & North America.
Book: The Frontier of Leisure: SoCal and the Shaping of Modern America; writing on climate & history in US & North America.
Form letters and emails have long been part of astroturfed politics. But beyond generating fake voter messages, which this article focuses on, defeating air pollution rules helps AI companies build more energy-hogging & polluting data centers. It’s AI polluting our politics to spew more pollution.
Southern California air board rejected pollution rules after AI-generated flood of comments
Southern California air board rejected pollution rules after AI-generated flood of comments
SoCal’s pollution authority scrapped a plan to phase out gas-powered appliances after receiving more than 20,000 emails sent by an AI-powered platform called CiviClick.
www.latimes.com
February 18, 2026 at 3:48 AM
Form letters and emails have long been part of astroturfed politics. But beyond generating fake voter messages, which this article focuses on, defeating air pollution rules helps AI companies build more energy-hogging & polluting data centers. It’s AI polluting our politics to spew more pollution.
Why the Corporation for Public Broadcasting was defunded, in one video.
Not because Jesse Jackson was an important Democratic political figure, which he was, but because here he distilled the central message of Sesame Street:
Every child has value, and human difference, not conformity, has value.
Not because Jesse Jackson was an important Democratic political figure, which he was, but because here he distilled the central message of Sesame Street:
Every child has value, and human difference, not conformity, has value.
I don’t know who needs to hear Jesse Jackson leading the kids on Sesame Street in this beautiful call-and-response reminding them that every child is somebody, but here it is
February 17, 2026 at 7:50 PM
Why the Corporation for Public Broadcasting was defunded, in one video.
Not because Jesse Jackson was an important Democratic political figure, which he was, but because here he distilled the central message of Sesame Street:
Every child has value, and human difference, not conformity, has value.
Not because Jesse Jackson was an important Democratic political figure, which he was, but because here he distilled the central message of Sesame Street:
Every child has value, and human difference, not conformity, has value.
Enlightening & affecting analysis of LA fires diaspora: “7 out of 10 people displaced-74% from Pacific Palisades and 65% from Altadena-are still in temporary housing.”
“More than half of displaced households…had stayed in multiple places. About a third said they were expecting to move again soon.”
“More than half of displaced households…had stayed in multiple places. About a third said they were expecting to move again soon.”
Eaton and Palisades fire refugees moved near and far — and often
Eaton and Palisades fire refugees moved near and far — and often
Last year's Palisades and Eaton fires sent thousands of families on a quest for shelter. Some stayed near and moved often. Others found stable lodging, some as far away as New York and Florida.
www.latimes.com
February 17, 2026 at 4:49 PM
Enlightening & affecting analysis of LA fires diaspora: “7 out of 10 people displaced-74% from Pacific Palisades and 65% from Altadena-are still in temporary housing.”
“More than half of displaced households…had stayed in multiple places. About a third said they were expecting to move again soon.”
“More than half of displaced households…had stayed in multiple places. About a third said they were expecting to move again soon.”
There are a host of reasons to remove unnecessary pavement and concrete in cities, from heat abatement to restoring natural environments and storing water and groundwater.
One of the biggest things it can help with is what people experienced today in LA: flooding.
acceleratela.org/depavela/
One of the biggest things it can help with is what people experienced today in LA: flooding.
acceleratela.org/depavela/
February 16, 2026 at 10:42 PM
There are a host of reasons to remove unnecessary pavement and concrete in cities, from heat abatement to restoring natural environments and storing water and groundwater.
One of the biggest things it can help with is what people experienced today in LA: flooding.
acceleratela.org/depavela/
One of the biggest things it can help with is what people experienced today in LA: flooding.
acceleratela.org/depavela/
“As if the Ministry of Truth in Orwell's 1984 now existed, with its motto
"Ignorance is Strength," this Court is now asked to determine whether the federal government
has the power it claims—to dissemble and disassemble historical truths when it has some domain over historical facts. It does not.”
"Ignorance is Strength," this Court is now asked to determine whether the federal government
has the power it claims—to dissemble and disassemble historical truths when it has some domain over historical facts. It does not.”
A federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to restore the slavery exhibit that the National Park Service removed in Philadelphia
www.inquirer.com/news/philade...
www.inquirer.com/news/philade...
February 16, 2026 at 7:41 PM
“As if the Ministry of Truth in Orwell's 1984 now existed, with its motto
"Ignorance is Strength," this Court is now asked to determine whether the federal government
has the power it claims—to dissemble and disassemble historical truths when it has some domain over historical facts. It does not.”
"Ignorance is Strength," this Court is now asked to determine whether the federal government
has the power it claims—to dissemble and disassemble historical truths when it has some domain over historical facts. It does not.”
“The Washoe’s recent acquisition will triple the tribe’s current land holdings…It will also support the return of traditional cultural practices and foster greater connection with the land among youth. ‘Now we actually have something to call ours.’”
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...
Washoe Tribe buys 10,000 acres in one of California’s largest ever land returns
Tribe, which was forcibly removed from its lands near Lake Tahoe, used $5.5m grant and private donations for purchase
www.theguardian.com
February 15, 2026 at 11:16 PM
“The Washoe’s recent acquisition will triple the tribe’s current land holdings…It will also support the return of traditional cultural practices and foster greater connection with the land among youth. ‘Now we actually have something to call ours.’”
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...
With negotiations deadlocked and the West experiencing one of its driest winters ever, Lake Powell dwindles, and the Colorado River basin careens towards crisis:
“We are facing a system crash,” he said. “The river is not going to wait for process or politics.”
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...
“We are facing a system crash,” he said. “The river is not going to wait for process or politics.”
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...
Western US states fail to negotiate crucial Colorado River deal: ‘Mother nature isn’t going to bail us out’
Negotiators disbanded on Friday without a plan for the basin supplying water to 40m people, thrusting the region into uncertainty
www.theguardian.com
February 14, 2026 at 4:13 PM
With negotiations deadlocked and the West experiencing one of its driest winters ever, Lake Powell dwindles, and the Colorado River basin careens towards crisis:
“We are facing a system crash,” he said. “The river is not going to wait for process or politics.”
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...
“We are facing a system crash,” he said. “The river is not going to wait for process or politics.”
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...
When you put reality TV personalities and weekend Fox hosts in charge, this is the kind of high-quality national security and aviation safety you’re going to get.
It’s all hilarious until some nitwit with a laser aims at a party balloon and takes out an airliner.
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/14/u...
It’s all hilarious until some nitwit with a laser aims at a party balloon and takes out an airliner.
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/14/u...
Inside the Debacle That Led to the Closure of El Paso’s Airspace
www.nytimes.com
February 14, 2026 at 4:03 PM
When you put reality TV personalities and weekend Fox hosts in charge, this is the kind of high-quality national security and aviation safety you’re going to get.
It’s all hilarious until some nitwit with a laser aims at a party balloon and takes out an airliner.
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/14/u...
It’s all hilarious until some nitwit with a laser aims at a party balloon and takes out an airliner.
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/14/u...
Go Bruins and Fiat Lux!
This victory happened not because of UC administrators, who apparently wanted to negotiate with bullies who only would have demanded more as soon as they got concessions. It happened because faculty and unions stood their ground, fought back, and won.
This victory happened not because of UC administrators, who apparently wanted to negotiate with bullies who only would have demanded more as soon as they got concessions. It happened because faculty and unions stood their ground, fought back, and won.
This is a genuinely huge, sweeping victory today for the University of California—or rather, for us, its faculty, acting through our faculty associations, while the UC itself maintained a strict policy of deer-in-headlights silence.
The Trump admin has given up its appeal of a powerful injunction:
The Trump admin has given up its appeal of a powerful injunction:
Trump administration drops appeal of court order blocking $1.2-billion UCLA settlement
The Trump administration dropped its appeal of a major higher education case in which a federal judge blocked its $1.2-billion settlement proposal to UCLA over alleged civil rights violations. It will...
www.latimes.com
February 14, 2026 at 5:57 AM
Go Bruins and Fiat Lux!
This victory happened not because of UC administrators, who apparently wanted to negotiate with bullies who only would have demanded more as soon as they got concessions. It happened because faculty and unions stood their ground, fought back, and won.
This victory happened not because of UC administrators, who apparently wanted to negotiate with bullies who only would have demanded more as soon as they got concessions. It happened because faculty and unions stood their ground, fought back, and won.
Bondi’s claims are ridiculous, but part of a longstanding Republican effort to claim ANY urban area is a crime-ridden hellscape, from
Culver City to Salt Lake.
Antiurbanism is as old as the republic, but it has certainly become more shrill & politically explicit.
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/13/u...
Culver City to Salt Lake.
Antiurbanism is as old as the republic, but it has certainly become more shrill & politically explicit.
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/13/u...
Bondi Suggests Culver City Has a Crime Problem. Culver City Has a Problem With That.
www.nytimes.com
February 13, 2026 at 8:00 PM
Bondi’s claims are ridiculous, but part of a longstanding Republican effort to claim ANY urban area is a crime-ridden hellscape, from
Culver City to Salt Lake.
Antiurbanism is as old as the republic, but it has certainly become more shrill & politically explicit.
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/13/u...
Culver City to Salt Lake.
Antiurbanism is as old as the republic, but it has certainly become more shrill & politically explicit.
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/13/u...
Proof corporate capital has warped US housing market? Toledo:
“International and out-of-state investors have descended on Toledo, Ohio, an unadorned regional city on the shore of Lake Erie, to buy up homes en masse, a trend that’s pricing out local residents.”
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...
“International and out-of-state investors have descended on Toledo, Ohio, an unadorned regional city on the shore of Lake Erie, to buy up homes en masse, a trend that’s pricing out local residents.”
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...
‘My bill keeps escalating’: how Toledo, Ohio, became the epicenter of the US housing crisis
As LLCs snap up thousands of homes, tenants face rising rents, fees and deteriorating living conditions
www.theguardian.com
February 13, 2026 at 5:12 PM
Proof corporate capital has warped US housing market? Toledo:
“International and out-of-state investors have descended on Toledo, Ohio, an unadorned regional city on the shore of Lake Erie, to buy up homes en masse, a trend that’s pricing out local residents.”
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...
“International and out-of-state investors have descended on Toledo, Ohio, an unadorned regional city on the shore of Lake Erie, to buy up homes en masse, a trend that’s pricing out local residents.”
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...
Announcing this terrible climate and environmental policy decision in front of a portrait of President Teddy (Added 75 million acres to the National Forest system, created 18 national monuments, 5 national parks, and broke up Standard Oil) Roosevelt is certainly a choice.
February 13, 2026 at 3:11 AM
Announcing this terrible climate and environmental policy decision in front of a portrait of President Teddy (Added 75 million acres to the National Forest system, created 18 national monuments, 5 national parks, and broke up Standard Oil) Roosevelt is certainly a choice.
This is terrible, but utterly unsurprising—regulatory capture by the US oil industry and its allies.
Time will tell, but if in a decade most cars on the planet are EVs, mainly made in China, this will look less like a moment of triumph and more like a death rattle of the politics of the petrocene.
Time will tell, but if in a decade most cars on the planet are EVs, mainly made in China, this will look less like a moment of triumph and more like a death rattle of the politics of the petrocene.
Trump’s EPA repeals landmark climate finding in gift to ‘billionaire polluters’
Trump’s EPA repeals landmark climate finding in gift to ‘billionaire polluters’
Endangerment finding rollback will make families ‘sicker and less safe’, environmental advocate says
www.theguardian.com
February 13, 2026 at 1:10 AM
This is terrible, but utterly unsurprising—regulatory capture by the US oil industry and its allies.
Time will tell, but if in a decade most cars on the planet are EVs, mainly made in China, this will look less like a moment of triumph and more like a death rattle of the politics of the petrocene.
Time will tell, but if in a decade most cars on the planet are EVs, mainly made in China, this will look less like a moment of triumph and more like a death rattle of the politics of the petrocene.
“Did the LA County Fire Dept.’s delay in notifying and evacuating the historically black West Altadena community violate state anti-discrimination and disability rights laws?”
The answer matters “for Altadena as well as other disadvantaged communities that may soon face climate-related emergencies.”
The answer matters “for Altadena as well as other disadvantaged communities that may soon face climate-related emergencies.”
California launches civil rights probe into botched evacuations in historically Black Altadena
California launches civil rights probe into botched evacuations in historically Black Altadena
California Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta announced an investigation into potential civil rights violations during the emergency response to the Eaton fire. West Altadena, a historically Black community, received late evacuation alerts and few firefighting resources, The Times has reported.
www.latimes.com
February 12, 2026 at 8:23 PM
“Did the LA County Fire Dept.’s delay in notifying and evacuating the historically black West Altadena community violate state anti-discrimination and disability rights laws?”
The answer matters “for Altadena as well as other disadvantaged communities that may soon face climate-related emergencies.”
The answer matters “for Altadena as well as other disadvantaged communities that may soon face climate-related emergencies.”
Sustainability, not sudden collapse: “The tree species are there because the Maya chose them, the types of flowers are around because they made use of them, the wetlands served a human function…And all these methods were sustainable over thousands of years.”
www.theguardian.com/news/2026/fe...
www.theguardian.com/news/2026/fe...
Apocalypse no: how almost everything we thought we knew about the Maya is wrong
For many years the prevailing debate about the Maya centred upon why their civilisation collapsed. Now, many scholars are asking: how did the Maya survive?
www.theguardian.com
February 12, 2026 at 5:56 PM
Sustainability, not sudden collapse: “The tree species are there because the Maya chose them, the types of flowers are around because they made use of them, the wetlands served a human function…And all these methods were sustainable over thousands of years.”
www.theguardian.com/news/2026/fe...
www.theguardian.com/news/2026/fe...
If LA developers are turning the former headquarters of Sunkist into housing, hoo boy does this California historian has some promotional image ideas for you!
February 11, 2026 at 10:13 PM
If LA developers are turning the former headquarters of Sunkist into housing, hoo boy does this California historian has some promotional image ideas for you!
“A report found 18,360 potential price-gouging cases after the fires, but enforcement has been minimal with only 12 lawsuits filed so far…price-gouging restrictions cap rent increases at 10%, yet some landlords raised rents by over 100% after the fires.”
www.latimes.com/california/s...
www.latimes.com/california/s...
Rampant post-fire price gouging went unpunished, report alleges
A new report from the Rent Brigade asserts that there were more than 18,000 potential examples of price-gouging in L.A. last year and minimal enforcement.
www.latimes.com
February 11, 2026 at 6:35 PM
“A report found 18,360 potential price-gouging cases after the fires, but enforcement has been minimal with only 12 lawsuits filed so far…price-gouging restrictions cap rent increases at 10%, yet some landlords raised rents by over 100% after the fires.”
www.latimes.com/california/s...
www.latimes.com/california/s...
At this point, life in the United States is like being trapped inside a Thomas Pynchon and Kurt Vonnegut version of Mad Libs.
February 11, 2026 at 5:48 PM
At this point, life in the United States is like being trapped inside a Thomas Pynchon and Kurt Vonnegut version of Mad Libs.
“We all do what we do because we love it so much,” one communications employee said…. “And to now be like, we’re just here to open the visitor center and tell people what trails to hike and clean the bathrooms…We can’t share these places with people the way we used to, and it’s really upsetting.”
Who is allowed to tell the stories of our national parks, and under what circumstances, has narrowed dramatically.
www.sfgate.com/national-par...
www.sfgate.com/national-par...
Sweeping new rules restrict nearly all aspects of national park communications
"It's getting more f—ked up every day."
www.sfgate.com
February 11, 2026 at 1:57 AM
“We all do what we do because we love it so much,” one communications employee said…. “And to now be like, we’re just here to open the visitor center and tell people what trails to hike and clean the bathrooms…We can’t share these places with people the way we used to, and it’s really upsetting.”
And so, with Bad Bunny and the Puerto Rican electricity crisis, the climate disaster finally made it into the Super Bowl.
This is the kind of image that might show up in a history timeline or even a textbook someday.
This is the kind of image that might show up in a history timeline or even a textbook someday.
February 9, 2026 at 6:13 AM
And so, with Bad Bunny and the Puerto Rican electricity crisis, the climate disaster finally made it into the Super Bowl.
This is the kind of image that might show up in a history timeline or even a textbook someday.
This is the kind of image that might show up in a history timeline or even a textbook someday.
Gift article. This is a great story about a neglected artistic legacy of the New Deal, the public art found in post offices across the US. Sadly, it’s also testament to the skill of a variety of WaPo employees who were just laid off.
👀 What if I told you there was a hidden art gallery scattered across the country?
What if I told you some of its treasures had vanished?
What if I told you that I found them?
A project three years in the making (🎁 gift link):
What if I told you some of its treasures had vanished?
What if I told you that I found them?
A project three years in the making (🎁 gift link):
The disappearing art gallery in your post office
The U.S. Postal Service is home to thousands of historic works of art in post offices nationwide. Hundreds have been lost, sold or destroyed.
wapo.st
February 8, 2026 at 11:08 PM
Gift article. This is a great story about a neglected artistic legacy of the New Deal, the public art found in post offices across the US. Sadly, it’s also testament to the skill of a variety of WaPo employees who were just laid off.
Whenever somebody says “So you do environmental history? That must be a new niche subfield or something.”
I tell them about this guy.
I tell them about this guy.
Marc Bloch, historien et résistant juif, entrera au Panthéon le 23 juin
Marc Bloch, historien et résistant juif, entrera au Panthéon le 23 juin
La date du 16 juin avait été dans un premier temps pressentie pour son entrée au Panthéon, mais la cérémonie a dû être décalée de quelques jours en raison du G7 à Evian-les-Bains.
www.lemonde.fr
February 8, 2026 at 10:03 PM
Whenever somebody says “So you do environmental history? That must be a new niche subfield or something.”
I tell them about this guy.
I tell them about this guy.
States eye oil companies for spiraling insurance costs: “In California, reliance on the state’s Fair plan has grown 500% in less than 10 years as major insurance companies have dropped policyholders, raising concerns that it could become too overextended.”
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...
These US states want polluters to pay for the rising insurance costs of climate disasters
Proposals by California, Hawaii and New York lawmakers aim to hold fossil fuel industry accountable for soaring rates
www.theguardian.com
February 8, 2026 at 6:26 PM
States eye oil companies for spiraling insurance costs: “In California, reliance on the state’s Fair plan has grown 500% in less than 10 years as major insurance companies have dropped policyholders, raising concerns that it could become too overextended.”
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...
Should LA beaches become NPS national seashores? They have cultural, ecological, and historical significance. But what might it mean for access, resource management, development, or growing efforts to recognize histories of segregation and exclusion at LA beaches?
www.latimes.com/california/s...
www.latimes.com/california/s...
Should some L.A. beaches be a national park? It's being studied. Here's how you can weigh in
The National Park Service is embarking on the Los Angeles Coastal Area Special Resource Study, focusing on the coastline and adjacent areas along Santa Monica Bay from Will Rogers State Beach to Torra...
www.latimes.com
February 7, 2026 at 9:54 PM
Should LA beaches become NPS national seashores? They have cultural, ecological, and historical significance. But what might it mean for access, resource management, development, or growing efforts to recognize histories of segregation and exclusion at LA beaches?
www.latimes.com/california/s...
www.latimes.com/california/s...
Upper and lower Colorado Basin states can’t agree, unpredictable court cases and cuts loom, and meanwhile “Lake Mead is now just 34% full, and Lake Powell 26%….The Rocky Mountain snowpack is at just 57% of average, one of the smallest in decades.”
It's looking very much like the Colorado River Basin states won't reach a water-saving deal by a February 14 deadline, with a Supreme Court battle a terrifying possibility after that: www.latimes.com/environment/... via @ianjames.bsky.social
How failing negotiations could spiral into a bitter fight over the Colorado River
Negotiators for seven states remain deeply divided over how to cut water use along the Colorado River. The chances of a court battle appear to be growing.
www.latimes.com
February 7, 2026 at 9:13 PM
Upper and lower Colorado Basin states can’t agree, unpredictable court cases and cuts loom, and meanwhile “Lake Mead is now just 34% full, and Lake Powell 26%….The Rocky Mountain snowpack is at just 57% of average, one of the smallest in decades.”