Publication Items

How Ireland’s Tree Farms, Licensed With Little Environmental Assessment, Harm Biodiversity, Rural Communities [1]

A crowdsourced, crowdfunded investigation on the damage caused by the spread of commercial spruce plantations, both to the biodiversity-rich areas of Ireland and the isolated farming communities where they are planted, was the subject of an award-winning report from journalist Niall Sargent. Find out how he ID’d the problem, overcame investigative challenges and ultimately told a human-centered, data-rich story. Our latest Inside Story Q&A.

SEJ Publication Types:
Inside Story [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Agriculture [3]
Biodiversity [4]
Economy & Business [5]
Environmental Health [6]
Environmental Justice [7]
Environmental Politics [8]
Forests [9]
Government [10]
Journalism & Media [11]
Natural Resources [12]
People & Population [13]
Region:
International [14]
Europe [15]
Visibility:
Public [16]
- Read more about How Ireland’s Tree Farms, Licensed With Little Environmental Assessment, Harm Biodiversity, Rural Communities [1]
Battlefront Emerges Over Disclosure of Financial Climate Risks [17]

The Biden administration’s “whole-of-government” attack on climate change has increasingly focused on the financial arena, with the most recent move a vote by the Securities and Exchange Commission to draft rules requiring publicly traded corporations to disclose climate risks. Industry and GOP opponents are preparing for the fight over the complex regulations, and WatchDog Opinion argues environmental journalists have a big stake.

SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog [18]
Topics on the Beat:
Activism [19]
Climate Change [20]
Economy & Business [5]
Environmental Politics [8]
Government [10]
Journalism & Media [11]
Laws & Regulations [21]
Policy [22]
Region:
National (U.S.) [23]
Visibility:
Public [16]
- Read more about Battlefront Emerges Over Disclosure of Financial Climate Risks [17]
Houston Plays Host to First On-Site SEJ Conference Since 2019 [24]

Environmental journalists from around the country and beyond will gather in Houston later this month for the Society of Environmental Journalists’ 31st annual conference. Widely known as the energy capital of the world, this highly diverse city is an ideal place to drill down on the causes and consequences of climate change and other environmental issues of the day.

SEJ Publication Types:
SEJ News [25]
Topics on the Beat:
Activism [19]
Air [26]
Biodiversity [4]
Chemicals [27]
Climate Change [20]
Disasters [28]
Diversity [29]
Economy & Business [5]
Energy & Fuel [30]
Environmental Health [6]
Environmental Justice [7]
Environmental Politics [8]
Fish & Fisheries [31]
Food [32]
Forests [9]
Government [10]
Health [33]
Infrastructure [34]
Journalism & Media [11]
Laws & Regulations [21]
People & Population [13]
Planning & Growth [35]
Policy [22]
Pollution [36]
Religion, Faith and Spirituality [37]
Science [38]
Technology [39]
Transportation [40]
Waste [41]
Water & Oceans [42]
Wildlife [43]
Region:
National (U.S.) [23]
Southwest (AZ NM OK TX) [44]
International [14]
Mexico [45]
Central America & the Caribbean [46]
Europe [15]
South America [47]
Visibility:
Public [16]
- Read more about Houston Plays Host to First On-Site SEJ Conference Since 2019 [24]
Aussie Author’s Angry Look at ‘Crimes Against Nature’ [48]

A historical look at how profit and capitalism have ravaged the natural world is the subject of our new BookShelf review. Contributor Melody Kemp offers her take on award-winning Australian journalist Jeff Sparrow’s forthcoming volume, which explores the damage wrought by cars, roads and PR spin, as well as solutions suggested by models of Indigenous land management.

SEJ Publication Types:
BookShelf [49]
Topics on the Beat:
Activism [19]
Climate Change [20]
Economy & Business [5]
Environmental Politics [8]
Infrastructure [34]
Natural Resources [12]
People & Population [13]
Policy [22]
Pollution [36]
Transportation [40]
Region:
International [14]
Australia & Oceania [50]
Visibility:
Public [16]
- Read more about Aussie Author’s Angry Look at ‘Crimes Against Nature’ [48]
Deep in the Heart of Complexity … Or, the View From Texas [51]

As the Society of Environmental Journalists prepares for its annual conference in Houston this March, the SEJournal asked Texas-based reporter Greg Harman to explore the Lone Star State's most critical stories for 2022. Here, in this special Texas-focused TipSheet, are leads, resources, encouragements and challenges.

SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [52]
Topics on the Beat:
Activism [19]
Air [26]
Chemicals [27]
Climate Change [20]
Disasters [28]
Economy & Business [5]
Energy & Fuel [30]
Environmental Justice [7]
Environmental Politics [8]
Government [10]
Health [33]
Infrastructure [34]
Journalism & Media [11]
People & Population [13]
Planning & Growth [35]
Policy [22]
Pollution [36]
Wildlife [43]
Region:
National (U.S.) [23]
Southwest (AZ NM OK TX) [44]
Visibility:
Public [16]
- Read more about Deep in the Heart of Complexity … Or, the View From Texas [51]
Conflict Over Biden’s Offshore Wind Drive To Generate News in 2022 and Beyond [53]

Offshore wind, which some see as a panacea in the search for climate-friendly energy solutions, is getting a push from the Biden administration. But as noted in this week’s TipSheet, part of our 2022 Journalists’ Guide to Energy & Environment, there are numerous obstacles to the renewable power source, whether from states, coastal property owners and towns, fishing industry and even some environmentalists.

SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [52]
Topics on the Beat:
Activism [19]
Climate Change [20]
Economy & Business [5]
Energy & Fuel [30]
Environmental Politics [8]
Fish & Fisheries [31]
Government [10]
Infrastructure [34]
Journalism & Media [11]
Laws & Regulations [21]
Natural Resources [12]
Policy [22]
Water & Oceans [42]
Region:
National (U.S.) [23]
California [54]
Mid-Atlantic (DC DE MD PA VA WV) [55]
Northeast (CT MA ME NH NJ NY RI VT) [56]
Northwest (OR WA) [57]
SE (AL AR FL GA KY LA MS NC PR SC TN) [58]
Visibility:
Public [16]
- Read more about Conflict Over Biden’s Offshore Wind Drive To Generate News in 2022 and Beyond [53]
Reporters Reveal ‘Decades of Deceit’ Over Underground Water Contamination [59]

A trove of confidential documents about a well-known groundwater pollution problem helped journalists Paul LaRocco and David M. Schwartz uncover how much had actually been hidden about the contamination’s severity and how it could have been kept from worsening. In the latest Inside Story Q&A, LaRocco and Schwartz share the story behind their award-winning investigation.

SEJ Publication Types:
Inside Story [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Chemicals [27]
Disasters [28]
Economy & Business [5]
Environmental Health [6]
Health [33]
Journalism & Media [11]
Military [60]
Pollution [36]
Water & Oceans [42]
Region:
National (U.S.) [23]
Northeast (CT MA ME NH NJ NY RI VT) [56]
Visibility:
Public [16]
- Read more about Reporters Reveal ‘Decades of Deceit’ Over Underground Water Contamination [59]
Challenging Another Year of Oil Company Promises [61]

When disinformation pollutes the debate over the environment and climate change, it’s on journalists to recognize industry PR spin and push back against misleading narratives and false narratives, argues the latest WatchDog Opinion column. A look at the industry “playbook” to delay government action, at deceptive language on energy and news media’s obligation to approach the endless pledges skeptically.

SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog [18]
Topics on the Beat:
Climate Change [20]
Consumer [62]
Economy & Business [5]
Energy & Fuel [30]
Environmental Politics [8]
Journalism & Media [11]
Region:
National (U.S.) [23]
International [14]
Visibility:
Public [16]
- Read more about Challenging Another Year of Oil Company Promises [61]
New Reporting Network Aims To Make Connections in the Mississippi Basin [63]

The Mississippi River and its tributaries drain more than 40% of the continent, but most coverage of environmental stories within the Mississippi Basin is localized and siloed. The recently launched Mississippi River Basin Ag & Water Desk hopes to help news outlets provide region-wide reporting that contextualizes issues like climate change-driven flooding and the Gulf of Mexico dead zone.

SEJ Publication Types:
Features [64]
Topics on the Beat:
Agriculture [3]
Chemicals [27]
Climate Change [20]
Disasters [28]
Economy & Business [5]
Environmental Health [6]
Environmental Justice [7]
Fish & Fisheries [31]
Government [10]
Infrastructure [34]
Journalism & Media [11]
Pollution [36]
Transportation [40]
Waste [41]
Water & Oceans [42]
Region:
National (U.S.) [23]
Great Lakes (IL IN MI MN OH WI) [65]
Great Plains (IA KS ND NE MO SD) [66]
Mid-Atlantic (DC DE MD PA VA WV) [55]
Mountain West (CO ID MT NV UT WY) [67]
Northeast (CT MA ME NH NJ NY RI VT) [56]
SE (AL AR FL GA KY LA MS NC PR SC TN) [58]
Southwest (AZ NM OK TX) [44]
International [14]
Canada [68]
Mexico [45]
Central America & the Caribbean [46]
Visibility:
Public [16]
- Read more about New Reporting Network Aims To Make Connections in the Mississippi Basin [63]
Congressional Infrastructure Bill Loaded With Local Stories [69]

The massive infrastructure measure signed into law last week is a potential mother lode of stories for environmental journalists. If that is, they can figure out where the money is going. The latest TipSheet takes an initial look at the $1.2 trillion plan and offers guidance on how to track down reportable local and regional projects.

SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [52]
Topics on the Beat:
Chemicals [27]
Climate Change [20]
Disasters [28]
Economy & Business [5]
Energy & Fuel [30]
Environmental Politics [8]
Government [10]
Infrastructure [34]
Journalism & Media [11]
Laws & Regulations [21]
Policy [22]
Transportation [40]
Water & Oceans [42]
Wildlife [43]
Region:
National (U.S.) [23]
Visibility:
Public [16]
- Read more about Congressional Infrastructure Bill Loaded With Local Stories [69]

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