EPA Greenhouse Data Site Offers Bounty of Local Stories

January 12, 2012–The searchable database is finally being published online for the first time after Congress mandated it in a rider to the 2008 omnibus appropriations bill. EPA compromised after protests from industry, limiting it to only the largest emitters. Pick only emitters in certain states. Focus on emissions of each of the six greenhouse gases it includes — or to customize views according to size of emission or emitting industry.

Toolbox: New CPR Database Helps You Track Secret Industry-OMB Meetings

November 30, 2011–Although details of what is said between lobbyists and the White House officials who rewrite agency rules remain largely secret, the Center for Progressive Reform's searchable database allows you to track whether OMB is meeting its deadlines, whether a meeting is linked to an OIRA regulatory review, and whether OIRA changed the rule.

Toolbox: Google Ocean Enables a World of Marine Stories

November 9, 2011–Overcome limited budgets for travel and visuals on ocean stories with Google Earth's new realm. Place your story in the context of many mapped layers of ocean features, as well as a realistic rendition of subsea and above-surface views, and add your own text, photos, images, video, narration, sound clips, and multimedia.

DocumentCloud: New Tool for Gumshoe Reporting

November 2, 2011–If you do investigative reporting, you probably rely often on large numbers of documents to make your case. This new, free tool can help you manage the evidence in a way that supports your story and helps you move seamlessly from research to publication.

SkyTruth Launches Online Environmental Accident Mapper

October 19, 2011–Reporters can now get a better picture of breaking environmental pollution events via SkyTruth Alerts on air and water pollution incidents, toxic spills, and more.

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.

Is FCC Slow To Reveal Cell Phone Risks?

June 1, 2011–A World Health Organization panel finds cell phone radiation might present a cancer risk , and spotlights ongoing reluctance by the Federal Communications Commission to share publicly all the health information it has on the subject — and possible complicity with industry in hushing the research.

Cool But Unsung EPA Databases Can Help Environmental Reporters

May 18, 2011–There has been a data renaissance going on at EPA for the past two years, and not all reporters have gotten the news that data-driven reporting has become a time-saver instead of a time-suck.

Toolbox: Data Science Toolkit

April 20, 2011–If you spend a lot of time researching things on the Internet as part of your reporting, the online Data Science Toolkit, which is especially handy with geographic data, and a book by Pete Warden could make parts of your job a lot easier.

Tiny Bits of Silver, Used As Bacteria-Eaters, Emerge As New Health Concern

January 15, 2011–Science Survey: In the Winter issue of SEJournal, Rae Tyson reports there may well be a connection between odor-resistant socks and an emerging health and environmental concern.