Zelko expresses skepticism about the transformative potential of environmental history, arguing that it is often more useful to historians than to addressing global crises. Influenced by the pragmatic optimism of the Solutions magazine editorial board, he acknowledges the value of incremental, practical approaches to environmental problems. However, he notes that environmental historians tend to offer critique—such as identifying systemic issues like capitalism or Cartesian thinking—rather than concrete solutions. Frank therefore calls on historians to adopt a more practical orientation, developing policy-relevant insights accessible to policymakers and activists. While environmental history may not “save the world,” he suggests it can still offer useful guidance when approached in this way.
Frank Zelko (Fri,) studied this question.