1. Changing the Debate on Managing U.S. Forests and Grasslands
U.S. Forest Service Chief Dale Bosworth will discuss how the current debate about managing forests and grasslands in the United States distracts us from the most critical threats to our ecosystems today: fire and fuels; invasive species; urbanization and subsequent loss of open space; and unmanaged recreation. Follow up during an extensive Q&A session.
Moderator: Paul Rogers, Environment Writer, San Jose Mercury News
Speakers:
Dale Bosworth, Chief, USDA-Forest Service
Robert McClure, Staff Reporter, Seattle Post-Intelligencer
Location: Bienville, Second Floor Mezzanine

2. TV Weathercasters as Environmental Sources
Weathercasters are an often-overlooked but surprisingly important part of the environmental news field. Join Kris Wilson for a discussion of his new research on how TV weathercasters act as prominent science communicators in their communities and can serve as environmental sources. The discussion will also include his recent study on how TV weathercasters' attitudes and beliefs about climate change shape their understanding of the science involved — as well as what they say on the air.
Speaker: Kris Wilson, Assistant Professor, School of Journalism, University of Texas at Austin
Location: Burgundy, Second Floor Mezzanine

3. U.S. EPA PIO's
EPA media relations people make it a three-peat, following up on popular sessions at the Baltimore and Portland conferences. Join EPA reps from headquarters and nearly every region in the country at this breakfast question-and-answer session. Ask what EPA will be like under its new administrator and media staff, learn about response times and processes, or inquire about upcoming developments.
Moderator: Jennifer Lee, Public Health Writer, The New York Times
Speakers: Bill Dunbar (Region 10), Cynthia Fanning (Region 6), Leo Kay (Region 9), Kris Lancaster (Region 7), Mark MacIntyre (Region 10), and Mary Mears (Region 2), and others TBA
Location: Toulouse A & B, Second Floor Mezzanine

4. Mock Bio-Terrorism Attack: Is Your Newsroom Ready For This? Are You?
A man with strange skin lesions shows up in New Orleans. How will we react? University of Michigan associate professor and noted bio-terrorism expert Dr. Sandro Cinti will orchestrate this mock bio-terrorism attack on New Orleans. A panel of experts including representatives from the CDC and local hospitals, government officials, and media will respond — as best they can. Learn where the holes are in our national safety net and in your own preparation for this kind of news event.
Moderators:
Emilia Askari, Public Health Writer, Detroit Free Press
Sandro Cinti, Lecturer, Department of Public Health, University of Michigan
Speakers:
James Aiken, Medical Director for Emergency Preparedness, Louisiana State University, Division of Disaster Medicine
Steve Beatty, Assistant City Editor, The (New Orleans) Times-Picayune
Major Joseph Booth, Crisis Management Team Leader, Louisiana State Police
Christopher Guilbeaux, Acting Bioterrorisms Director, Louisiana Office of Public Health
Mehran Massoudi, Senior Staff Epidemiologist, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Terry Tullier, Director, New Orleans Office of Emergency Preparedness
Location: Iberville, Second Floor Mezzanine

Welcome and Introductions
8:30 - 8:45 a.m.
Emcee: Mark Schleifstein, Environment Reporter, The (New Orleans) Times-Picayune and 2003 SEJ Conference Co-Chair
Speakers:
Rev. Bernard P. Knoth, S.J., President, Loyola University New Orleans
Robert A. Thomas, Director, Center for Environmental Communications, Loyola University New Orleans, and 2003 SEJ Conference Co-Chair
Location: Grand Ballroom C & D, Second Floor

Opening Plenary
8:45 - 10:15 a.m.
Eye of the Storm: What are the Media Doing Wrong with Natural Disaster Coverage?
Experts on emergency preparedness, hurricanes and wildfires will critique the media's handling of natural disaster issues, and discuss how coverage of preparedness efforts has changed since 9/11.
Moderator: Peter Dykstra, Executive Producer, CNN
Speakers:
Jerry Jarrell, former director, National Hurricane Center
Conrad Smith, Professor, University of Wyoming, and Author, "Media and Apocalypse: News Coverage of the Yellowstone Forest Fires, Exxon Valdez Oil Spill, and Loma Prieta Earthquake"
James Lee Witt, former director, Federal Emergency Management Administration
Location: Grand Ballroom C & D, Second Floor

Coffee Break
10:15 - 10:45 a.m.
Location: Grand Gallery, Second Floor

Concurrent Sessions 1
10:45 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

THE COAST:
Coast 2050 — Science and Engineering: Rerouting the River and Building Barrier Islands
With 28 percent of the total coastal marsh of the contiguous 48 states, Louisiana continues to lose an estimated average of 25 square miles of coastal land a year. One hope in stemming the loss is to build large-scale projects that will mimic nature by diverting water from the Mississippi River into basins that need the freshwater and sediment. Representatives from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the State of Louisiana and coastal researchers will talk about what is involved in building a project of this size and discuss two diversion projects that have already been built.
Moderator: Amy Wold, Environment Reporter, The (Baton Rouge) Advocate
Panelists:
Len Bahr, Director, Governor's Coastal R&D Program, State of Louisiana's Office of Coastal Activities
Paul Kemp, Associate Research Professor, School of the Coast and Environment, Louisiana State University
William Klein Jr., Biologist/LCA Environmental Manager, Ecological Planning and Restoration, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Robert Twilley, Director of the Center For Ecology and Environmental Technology, and Professor of Biology, University of Louisiana at Lafayette
Location: Astor III, Second Floor

THE CITY:
Vehicle Fuel Efficiency and Emissions: What Would (Enlightened Soul of Your Choice Here) Drive?
The American auto industry is at a crossroads: It can either continue building profitable but gas-guzzling SUVs of the type targeted by the Detroit Project, or it can take the path blazed by the Toyota Prius and Honda Insight — low-emission hybrid cars. Should Detroit be forced into fuel efficiency by federal legislation, or does that approach simply produce unsafe cars nobody wants? And what's happening with that holy grail, the fuel-cell car?
Moderator: Jim Motavalli, Editor, E Magazine
Panelists:
John DeCicco, Senior Fellow, Environmental Defense
Dave Hermance, Executive Engineer, Environmental Engineering, Toyota
Sam Kazman, General Counsel, Competitive Enterprise Institute
Location: Toulouse B, Second Floor Mezzanine

THE LAND:
Nuclear Power
There are proposals to re-license and extend the working lives of some nuclear reactors and to possibly build new ones. This panel will look at issues relating to the integrity of nuclear reactor design and materials, considering some of the recent problems that have occurred and the potential for further problems.
Moderator: Neil Strassman, Reporter, Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Panelists:
Judith Johnsrud, Attorney, Sierra Club
Dave Lochbaum, Nuclear Safety Engineer, Union of Concerned Scientists
Alex Marion, Director of Engineering, Nuclear Energy Institute
Jack Strosnider, Deputy Director, Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research, Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Location: Bienville, Second Floor Mezzanine

ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH:
Is the Chemical Corridor Really "Cancer Alley"? The Psychology and Epidemiology of Cancer Clusters
Some call the complex of chemical plants along the lower Mississippi River in Louisiana the "chemical corridor." Others call it "cancer alley." For decades, the health effects of chemicals in the air, water and land of Louisiana have been the subject of intense debate. Are the concerns overblown, as many in the industry say, or are environmentalists right when they say death and disease have become the price of a good job? Hear experts in the science of Louisiana pollution put the story in perspective and offer guidance for journalists covering similar issues everywhere.
Moderator: John Pope, Medical Writer, The (New Orleans) Times-Picayune
Panelists:
Gerald Carney, Toxicologist, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Wilma Subra, President, Subra Company Inc.
Speaker with Louisiana Tumor Registry TBA
Location: Iberville, Second Floor Mezzanine

THE GLOBE:
From Shaman's Hut to Patent Office: Covering Native Rights in Latin America
New trends are surfacing amid the old story of whether industrialized countries abuse the ecological and medical knowledge of indigenous peoples to find bio-active chemicals and genes. A deep shift has occurred among scientists in ethical understanding about native rights. Some experts say a new spirit has arisen among global financial institutions that recognizes the intellectual property rights of native peoples. Specialized law clinics and referral services are popping up where indigenous groups can obtain unbiased counsel on patent issues. And economists have proposed an OPEC-like cartel of biodiversity-rich developing countries to maximize profits from corporate bio-prospecting.
Moderator: Bill Allen, Institutes for Journalism & Natural Resources
Panelists:
Charles McManis, Thomas & Karole Green Professor of Law, Washington University
Carmelo Ruiz-Marrero, Reporter, Claridad
Joseph Henry Vogel, Catedr·tico, Department of Economics, University of Puerto Rico
Location: Toulouse A, Second Floor Mezzanine

THE CRAFT I:
International History of Environmental Journalism
How has environmental journalism developed outside the United States, away from the influences of Thoreau, Muir, Leopold and Carson? This panel will consider some key factors in a range of countries, including Brazil, Ghana, India and Australia.
Moderator: Mark Neuzil, Chair, Department of Journalism and Mass Communication, University of St. Thomas
Panelists:
Odoemelan Chika Ebere, Postgraduate Research Student, Department of Media Studies, University of Malaya
Fernanda Couzemenco, Freelance Journalist
Adam Glenn, Senior Producer-Business, Health, Science & Technology, ABCNEWS.com
Sylvia Odonkor, Senior Reporter/News Presenter, Metro Television
Location: Astor I, Second Floor

THE CRAFT II (Interactive Workshop):
Covering Risk — A Risky Business
The list of risks we face seems to grow daily. But, beyond probability, just what is risk? How do factors like exposure and hazard come in? And what about risk perception? Why do our fears so often not match the facts? Join this group for a primer on some risk basics, and a discussion about how well, or poorly, risk is being covered, with two senior journalists who have grappled for years with the complex risk of covering risk well.
Moderator: David Ropeik, Director of Risk Communication, Harvard School of Public Health, Harvard Center for Risk Analysis
Panelists:
Jim Bruggers, The (Louisville) Courier-Journal
Kevin Carmody, Environment Writer, The Austin American-Statesman
Location: Astor II, Second Floor

Network Lunch
12:00 - 1:45 p.m.
Check your registration packet for a map and key to find the speakers you want to meet and the topics you want to discuss.

Discussion Tables:

1. Right-to Know, 1st Amendment and SEJ: Joe Davis, Editor, SEJ's Watchdog Newsletter.
   
2. Defense Environmental Exemptions — DOD's Sneak Attack on the Environment: Laura Paskus, Assistant Editor, High Country News.
   
3. Covering Chemical Accidents in a Post-9/11 World: Bill Dawson, Independent Journalist; Gerald Poje, Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board.
   
4. Vanishing Biodiversity Hotspots — Why Isn't Mass Extinction Illegal?: John Kunich, Associate Professor, School of Law, Roger Williams University.
   
5. New Clean Water Act Policies — Hanging US Water Resources Out to Dry?: Susie Bruninga, Senior Reporter, BNA's Daily Environment Report; Julie Sibbing, Wetlands Policy Specialist, National Wildlife Federation.
   
6. Nuts & Bolts of Environmental Justice — Following the Details: Adam Babich, Director, Tulane Environmental Law Clinic, Tulane University.
   
7. Environmental Signaling — Beyond Endocrine Disruptors: Jennifer Fox, Tulane Center for BioEnvironmental Research; Doug Meffert, Tulane Center for Bioenvironmental Research; Janet Raloff, Science News.
   
8. Energy Policy — States Forge Ahead, Congress Stalls: Rob Sargent, Senior Energy Policy Analyst, National Association of State PIRGs.
   
9. Drilling Waste — RCRA-Exempt Hazards from Oil and Gas Exploration: Sandy Barbier, Reporter, The Times-Picayune; Dina Cappiello, Environmental Reporter, Houston Chronicle.
   
10. Wildlife Megalinkages — A Proposed Solution to the North American Extinction Crisis: Matt Jenkins, Assistant Editor, High Country News; Leanne Klyza Linck, Executive Director, Wildlands Project.
    
11. SEJ 2004: Don Hopey, The Land and Environment Reporter, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
    
12. SEJournal: Mike Mansur, The Kansas City Star.
    
13. Marine Reserves — How Did They Become the Most Controversial Topic Since WMDs?: David Helvarg, Author/President, Blue Frontier Campaign.
    
14. Ecoterrorism — Burgeoning Movement or Overblown Threat?: Daniel Glick, Author and Freelance Journalist.
    
15. You Know Media — Doing Book Publicity for Yourself: Mark Neuzil, Chair, Department of Journalism and Mass Communication, University of St. Thomas, and Author, "Views on the Mississippi: The Photographs of Henry Peter Bosse".
    
16. Thirsty? Let the Market Decide — The Water Privatization Push: Hugh Jackson, Policy Analyst, Public Citizen; Louis Jenny, Senior Director for Government Affairs, National Association of Water Companies.
    
17. Building the SEJ Endowment: Peter Thomson, Independent Radio Producer and SEJ Treasurer.
    
18. Global Seagrass Decline — Can Fish Survive on Naked Coasts?: Carol Franze, Research Associate, Biological Sciences, University of New Orleans; Michael Poirrier, Professor, Biological Sciences, University of New Orleans.
    
19. Environmental Triggers for Future Violent Conflicts: Eric Dannenmaier, Director, Institute for Environmental Law and Policy, Tulane University.
    
20. Science Writing That's Savored by Readers and Scientists: Bette Hileman, Senior Editor, Chemical & Engineering News, American Chemical Society.
    
21. Writing About Environment and Disease: Facilitator: Seth Borenstein, National Correspondent, Knight Ridder Newspapers. Speaker: John Barry, Tulane Center for Bioenvironmental Research.
    
22. Ocean Issues — How to Report on the Other 70% of the Planet: Beth Daley, Staff Reporter, Health & Science Department, Boston Globe; Jackleen de La Harpe, Executive Director, The Metcalf Institute for Marine and Environmental Reporting.
    
23. Fires, Bugs and Forest Policy — Protection or Ruse?: Christy George, Producer, Oregon Public Broadcasting; Patrick Parenteau, Professor, Vermont Law School.
    
24. Why is the New EU Chemicals Policy Causing Such a Stir?: Rick Hind, Legislative Director, Greenpeace Toxics Campaign, Greenpeace; Angela Logomasini, Director of Risk and Environmental Policy, Competitive Enterprise Institute.
    
25. Covering Climate Change at the Local Level: Virginia Burkett, Chief, Forest Ecology Branch, USGS National Wetlands Research Center; Peyton Fleming, Public Affairs, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
    
26. From Turtles to Trees — South American Conservation: Darron Collins, Regional Forest Coordinator for Latin America and Caribbean, World Wildlife Fund; Miranda La Rose, Senior Reporter, Stabroek News.
    
27. Freelancing on the Environment: Frances Backhouse and Peter Fairley, Freelance Journalists.
    
28. Caribbean Environmental Reporters Network: Julius Gittens, Caribbean Environmental Reporters Network; Jan Voordouw, Panos Institute.
    

Location: Grand Ballroom C & D, Second Floor

Concurrent Sessions 2
2:00 - 3:15 p.m.

THE COAST:
Fixing Nature: The Politics of the Army Corps and Environmental Restoration
The Army Corps of Engineers, not known as nature's best friend, is now America's environmental restoration agency. It's already in charge of the $8 billion restoration of the Everglades, and a $15 billion revival of Louisiana's coastal wetlands might be next. Is this the next growth opportunity for the Corps? What are the politics of restoration? Is the Corps up to the job? And will Congress keep the cash coming?
Moderator: Michael Grunwald, Reporter, The Washington Post
Panelists:
Stuart Appelbaum, Chief, RECOVER Branch, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Jacksonville District
John Barry, Tulane Center for Bioenvironmental Research, and Author, "Rising Tide"
Mark Davis, Executive Director, Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana
Tim Searchinger, Senior Attorney, Environmental Defense
Location: Astor III, Second Floor

THE CITY:
Lead and Metals Poisoning: Impacts from Car Exhausts, Industry and Lead Paint
Despite myriad clean-up efforts, lead poisoning still plagues our nation. Join reporters from across the country, who have recently done major pieces on lead poisoning, to hear about how they covered this complex and difficult issue. They will discuss how to convince editors to support such stories, provide sources for information and offer tips on how to make the stories compelling and get readers to care.