Abstract
From those involved in the emergence of the modern environmental movement in the United States to those engaged in contemporary environmental controversies, there is a wealth of people who participated in and experienced these historical moments in the story of environmentalism. The stories of these people can provide new perspectives and windows into environmental issues and controversies, which are often only documented through newspaper articles, public hearing transcripts, congressional hearings, and famous speeches. In this essay, I contend that the collection and analysis of oral histories is a useful endeavor for environmental communication scholars. While oral history is not completely new to communication scholars, its potential, especially for environmental communication, has not yet been reached. Not only can the collection of oral histories create a body of archival documents for contemporary and future generations, but analysis of oral histories may reveal new insights into the communicative dimensions of environmental controversies. In addition to arguing for the value of oral history, I offer practical suggestions for undertaking oral history projects.
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