TipSheet provides news tips, source leads and reporting tools for journalists for potential environmental stories. Journalists are eligible for a free email subscription for future editions, to be produced on an occasional basis. To join the list, send name and full contact information to the SEJ office. TipSheet is also available via RSS feed.
Archives: Searchable TipSheet issues, published biweekly from February 14, 2012 back to Jan. 3, 2007, and from Dec. 26, 2001 to Jan 3, 2001, are available below. Or browse all TipSheet archives previous to May 2009 on SEJ's old website.
(See also searchable archives of SEJ's ongoing biweekly WatchDog TipSheet, with story ideas, articles, updates, events and other information with a focus on freedom-of-information issues of concern to environmental journalists in both the U.S. and Canada.)
NOTE: SEJ regrets to announce that biweekly publication of the TipSheet was suspended after the February 29, 2012, issue. SEJ hopes to return to publication of TipSheet in the future, pending receipt of adequate funding. We welcome your help in identifying potential underwriters. Contact Executive Director Beth Parke.
Latest TipSheet Items
July 6, 2011
Feds and Private Sector Funding Major Solar Panel Projects
July 6, 2011–Project Amp, expected to lead to the installation of photovoltaic solar panels on about 750 industrial buildings in 28 states, would feed enough energy to the grid to power 90,000-100,000 homes. Taking a different approach, Google and a company called SolarCity are teaming up to spur installation of solar panels to power individual homes, committing $280 million to the project.June 22, 2011
Feds Award Millions for Environmental Projects
June 22, 2011–There is local news in these USDA and USFWS grants. These on-the-ground projects involve specific groups and individuals, offering prime examples of programs you can investigate to see whether federal tax dollars are being effectively and efficiently spent.New NOAA Fishery Advisers Appointed
June 22, 2011–Thirteen new members join the ranks; 8 others are reappointed. The shift in members provides an opportunity to explore what each Council has been doing, whether the new people will shift its direction (and NOAA's), and what the fishing industry, the public, and various interest groups think about past decisions and future directions.Plastics: All Kinds of News
June 22, 2011–Are you looking for a story of interest to consumers, retailers, manufacturers, lawyers, politicians, health officials, and editors of the business, politics, health, energy, science, and environment beats? Here are some starting points for coverage of plastics issues. Once you delve into this topic, other angles and sources will emerge.
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.June 8, 2011
41 New Trails Span About 650 Miles
June 8, 2011–Just in time for summer, 41 new segments of the US National Recreation Trails system in AL, AR, CT, FL, IL, IN, KS, MA, MD, MI, MN, NJ, NM, OK, PA, TN, and WV, covering about 650 land and water miles in 17 states, are open for business. These are part of a much larger system of about 1,100 trails spanning 13,000 miles.Communities in 40 States Get EPA Grants To Redevelop Brownfields
June 8, 2011–On June 6, EPA announced a new round of grants going to nearly 200 communities in some 40 states and 3 tribal areas. Most of them go to poor and minority areas with high unemployment rates.
Major Update of Local U.S. Climate Data Due by June 30
June 8, 2011–Each decade, NOAA's National Climatic Data Center updates its data for 30-year averages for a range of climate indicators. The most widely used "normals" for the period 1981-2010 (including temperature, precipitation, snowfall, snow depth, and heating and cooling degree days) are scheduled to be released at the end of June 2011, with the rest by year end.Several Tools Available To Check Drinking Water Quality
June 8, 2011–EPA has updated its Enforcement and Compliance History Online database so that federal standards violations through 2009 can be quickly identified. For example, pick a county and quickly get a customized listing of systems that fall into categories such as serial violators, or occasional violators of things such as health-based standards or monitoring requirements.May 25, 2011
Parties Near Deal on Endangered Species Listing Speed-Up?
May 25, 2011–While it's not a done deal, the US Fish and Wildlife Service and WildEarth Guardians have agreed on a list of 251 species that warrant the most immediate attention. Not all environmental groups support the choices, though.
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