UC Santa Barbara
Peter Alagona is an associate professor of history, geography, and environmental studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara. He is an environmental historian and historian of science with additional interests and training in cultural geography, conservation biology, and science and technology studies.
Reminder of a 1969 Catastrophe In This Week’s Oil Spill Back in 1969 a pipeline along the Santa Barbara seafloor exploded, releasing millions of gallons of oil into the ocean. Thousands of birds, fish, and marine animals were killed. At the time it was the worst disaster of the kind and was the catalyst for the modern environmental movement, including the first Earth Day a year later. While subsequent spills were even more disastrous, the 1969 spill still reverberates with environmentalists.
California Wildfires: Learning to Live in the New Abnormal We’ve just had some terrible fires: Woolsey, Camp, Thomas. More of those fires will come again -- bigger and hotter. Californians need to figure out how to cope with this new reality, and plan ahead. We broadcast a portion of Press Play’s live event: “California Wildfires: Learning to Live in the New Abnormal.”
Jesse Mockrin at Night Gallery and Taylor Mac at UCLA Hunter Drohojowska-Philp praises realist paintings based on Greek mythology
Will charging a deputy satisfy DA's critics? It has not happened in nearly 2 decades. But the L.A. County District Attorney’s Office has filed charges against a law enforcement officer for shooting an unarmed person. The decision, however, has many folks scratching their heads, wondering why other cases with similar circumstances did not garner the same legal response.
The connection between Brexit and The Jungle Book Actor Andy Serkis recently spoofed British Prime Minister Theresa May -- as one of his most famous characters, Gollum from “The Lord of the Rings.” He shares his thoughts on Brexit, and its parallels to his new movie “Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle.” He plays Baloo, and also directs the film.