ABSTRACT
This narrative explores the historical journey of environmental scientists as both information sources for journalists and as “popularizers” themselves. That journey has carved out a somewhat cyclical path, from extensive popularization efforts in the 19th century to a retreat from such activity for much of the 20th century and then to a renewed focus on public communication in the 21st century, although there is some evidence that environmental scientists embraced public and policy engagement far earlier than did other scientists. New communication channels have given these scientists opportunities for more robust public interaction. Still, many scientists continue to hew to a model of science communication that emphasizes educating the public rather than engaging them.
