In this article, the author aims to propose an analytic method through which composition students and others might discover and understand the ecological complexities of prevailing environmental terminology that create "wicked problems." Through this method, students engage in "discursive ecology" by exploring the connections among discourse, people, and the environment with the intent to "produce writing" that addresses those contextual connections. The close analysis of environmental discourse proposed here can provide students the opportunity to identify and critique the tacit societal values to which we adhere and how accepted language and labeling contribute to and inform the continuation of those values. The author demonstrates an analysis of land-use conflict language that includes the essentials of what might be used in a composition classroom. The framework of analysis has a range of applicability for composition teachers, whether as a short-term or long-term assignment. (Contains 7 tables and 1 note.)