Oral history has much to offer environmental history, yet the possibilities and promises of oral history remain underutilised in environmental history and environmental studies more broadly. Through a reflection on work in environmental history and associated disciplines, this paper presents a case for the strength and versatility of oral history as a key source for environmental history, while reflecting on questions of its reliability and scope. We identify three major insights provided by environmental oral history: into environmental knowledge, practices and power. We argue that, rather than being a weakness, the (inter)subjective and experiential dimensions of oral accounts provide a rich source for situating and interrogating environmental practices, meanings, and power relations. Oral history, moreover, provides a counterweight to a reliance on colonial archives and top-down environmental accounts, and can facilitate a renewal - and deepening - of the radical roots of environmental history. Furthermore, as a research practice, oral history is a promising means of expanding the participatory and grassroots engagement of environmental history. By decentring environmental expertise and eroding the boundaries (both fictive and real) of environmental knowledge production, oral environmental histories can provide key interventions in pursuit of a more just, sustainable world.

中文翻译：

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口述历史对环境历史的挑战

口述历史对环境历史有很多贡献，但口述历史的可能性和前景在环境历史和更广泛的环境研究中仍未得到充分利用。通过对环境史和相关学科工作的反思，本文展示了口述历史作为环境史主要来源的力量和多功能性的案例，同时反思了其可靠性和范围的问题。我们确定了环境口述历史提供的三个主要见解：环境知识、实践和权力。我们认为，口头叙述的（间）主体和经验维度不是弱点，而是为定位和询问环境实践、意义和权力关系提供了丰富的资源。此外，口述历史，为对殖民档案和自上而下的环境账户的依赖提供了平衡，并且可以促进环境历史根本根源的更新和深化。此外，作为一种研究实践，口述历史是扩大环境史的参与性和基层参与的一种有前途的手段。通过分散环境专业知识和侵蚀环境知识生产的边界（虚构和真实），口述环境历史可以为追求更公正、可持续的世界提供关键干预。口述历史是扩大环境史的参与性和基层参与的一种很有前景的方式。通过分散环境专业知识和侵蚀环境知识生产的边界（虚构和真实），口述环境历史可以为追求更公正、可持续的世界提供关键干预。口述历史是扩大环境史的参与性和基层参与的一种很有前景的方式。通过分散环境专业知识和侵蚀环境知识生产的边界（虚构和真实），口述环境历史可以为追求更公正、可持续的世界提供关键干预。