Special Edition: Natural Disasters Toolbox

August 31, 2011–When covering each type of natural disaster, you'll need to dig into a wide range of human, weather/climate, and geography issues to describe accurately to your audience what the trends are, how prevention and emergency responses might be improved, etc. Here are resources for hurricanes, tornadoes, thunderstorms, heat waves, drought, blizzards, and more.

West Coast Damage May Presage Future Climate Change Effects

August 3, 2011–The effects of the 2009-2010 El Niño winter on western shorelines may be an indicator of what could occur more frequently as climate change continues, say researchers from the USGS, Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral Industries, Washington State Department of Ecology, University of California, Santa Cruz, Oregon State University, and Scripps Institution of Oceanography.

SEJ Offers Resources for Covering Summer Stories

July 20, 2011–Wildfire, hurricanes, recreation, extreme heat, drought, electric brownouts, UV rays and sunscreen, insect-borne disease like West Nile virus, fishing, dead zones, and algal blooms — TipSheet can help you cover these local environmental stories.

BP Blowout

July 15, 2011–

Enterprising Stories Stand Out in Recent Disaster Coverage — From Japan to Texas

July 15, 2011–

Just As Climate Change Becomes a Dirty Word In Washington, Natural Disasters Strike

July 15, 2011–

Nuclear Experts Assess How Well Media Covered Fukushima

July 15, 2011–

New Environment-Related CRS Reports Available

June 29, 2011–Congress still forbids the Congressional Research Service to release publicly reports that taxpayers have paid for. Thanks to groups like the Federation of American Scientists, however, taxpayers can read the reports online despite the charade.

Wildfire a Key to Local Environmental Stories

June 22, 2011–Rarely will you learn from national fire coverage the names of people whose homes the fire has destroyed or threatened. Or what flooding and wildlife loss may follow a fire. That is covered by local media or not at all. Be prepared with these resources to help you.

EPA Releases Coal Ash Pond Survey in Database Form

May 18, 2011–The spreadsheet covers 676 coal combustion waste impoundments at 240 facilities — making it much easier to cover the issue. After assessing many ponds, EPA rated at least 50 of the ponds as having high hazard potential.