Stories of environmentalism are tales of victories won, catastrophes avoided and things set right for all time. But further analysis often yields a more complex tale – such is the case with dams and past energy transitions
The Environmental Narratives Project
Debunking Environmental Myths and Other Tall Tales
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Dam Nation: the Stories Dams Tell About Energy Transitions of the Past – Part 1
Stories of environmentalism are tales of victories won, catastrophes avoided and things set right for all time. But further analysis often yields a more complex tale – such is the case with dams and past energy transitions
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The (Complex) Truth About Fire, Forest Management, and Climate Change
Sure, forest management is part of the problem; but climate change is also to blame
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Doubting Science – Let’s Differentiate Between Climate Change and Covid-19 Science
We must do a better job of communicating that climate science has a far more stable footing and longer history than the scientific study of a novel virus
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Has the Pandemic Changed the Narrative on Rural Communities?
The world is looking at rurality through a different lens as high density urban areas suffer from the ongoing pandemic
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Reminder: Exxon Predicted Today’s Man-made CO2 Levels and Temperature Increases in 1982…Then Lied
Nearly 40 years ago Exxon’s internal study predicted today’s climate impacts with chilling precision…then they wove a false narrative to protect profits
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California’s Transition to Renewable Energy: the Rest of the Story
California’s energy transition is in full swing and the Golden State seems willing to set an example for the rest of the world. Yet, some of the downsides of the transition receive far less attention.
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Deconstructing Dangerous “Hurricane Karma” Rhetoric about the South
Saying that the South “deserves” what it gets because of its policy preferences and climate denial ignores the complexity of the region
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On Climate Change, the South Has a Democratic Party Problem
While southern Republicans are par for the course on climate science, southern Democrats lag significantly behind party views nationally
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The Gibson Lacey Act “Raid”: Failing to Bridge the Gap
What Youtube and the Gibson Factory Raid Have to Teach Us About Public Communication on Environmental Issues
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About the Environmental Narratives Project
The Environmental Narratives Project aims to assess the narratives surrounding environmental issues, grounding them in both historical and present-day context.
Team
Our team is interdisciplinary and interinstitutional. The team includes scholars who write on issues related to the environment, natural resources management, land use, climate change, rural life, linguistics, and environmental history.
About the Project
This project aims to assess the narratives surrounding environmental issues, grounding them in both historical and present-day context. Oftentimes environmental narratives are “lost” in one direction or the other—or co-opted by less-than-factual accounts—and their study can help us better communicate…
Have a Story to Share?
Do you have an environmental story to share? Send us your ideas and thoughts about the history or modern day discourse surrounding an important environmental issue, and we will look into it!
Latest Articles
The (Complex) Truth About Fire, Forest Management, and Climate Change
Sure, forest management is part of the problem; but climate change is also to blame
Doubting Science – Let’s Differentiate Between Climate Change and Covid-19 Science
We must do a better job of communicating that climate science has a far more stable footing and longer history than the scientific study of a novel virus
Recent News
Environmental narratives are constantly changing and shaped over time. Here is an aggregation of recent news stories shaping environmental narratives that we think may be of interest to our readers.
Suggested Reading
Here are some readings we suggest on the subject (short at the moment, but will get longer!): For a thorough bibliography with hundreds of reads on Environmental History, see a list compiled by Mark Stoll here. Readings are categorized by subject…
The Environmental Narratives Project 