Publication Items

Biden Faces Environmental Challenges on Multiple International Treaties [1]

As the incoming Biden administration prepares to re-engage on the global stage, environment-related treaties are high on the agenda. The latest Backgrounder, part of our 2021 Guide [2], takes a closer look at 10-plus top treaties, including those focused on climate change, biodiversity, plastics pollution, airplane emissions, the future of the Arctic and more.

SEJ Publication Types:
Backgrounders [3]
Topics on the Beat:
Activism [4]
Air [5]
Biodiversity [6]
Chemicals [7]
Climate Change [8]
Economy & Business [9]
Energy & Fuel [10]
Environmental Politics [11]
Forests [12]
Government [13]
Laws & Regulations [14]
Natural Resources [15]
Policy [16]
Pollution [17]
Transportation [18]
Waste [19]
Water & Oceans [20]
Wildlife [21]
Region:
National (U.S.) [22]
International [23]
Visibility:
Public [24]
- Read more about Biden Faces Environmental Challenges on Multiple International Treaties [1]
Environmental Justice Stories Will Keep Proliferating in 2021 [25]

The surging racial justice movement has reenergized aspirations to correct the environmental injustices that blemish countless underprivileged U.S. communities. The new TipSheet, another part of our 2021 Guide [2], scans the landscape of trouble spots, from urban to rural, industrial zones to Superfund sites. Plus, story ideas and reporting resources.

SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [26]
Topics on the Beat:
Activism [4]
Air [5]
Chemicals [7]
Environmental Health [27]
Environmental Politics [11]
Government [13]
Health [28]
Journalism & Media [29]
People & Population [30]
Policy [16]
Pollution [17]
Waste [19]
Water & Oceans [20]
Region:
National (U.S.) [22]
Great Lakes (IL IN MI MN OH WI) [31]
Great Plains (IA KS ND NE MO SD) [32]
Mid-Atlantic (DC DE MD PA VA WV) [33]
Mountain West (CO ID MT NV UT WY) [34]
SE (AL AR FL GA KY LA MS NC PR SC TN) [35]
Southwest (AZ NM OK TX) [36]
International [23]
Mexico [37]
Visibility:
Public [24]
- Read more about Environmental Justice Stories Will Keep Proliferating in 2021 [25]
Climate Change Policy Likely To Permeate Executive Under Biden [38]

What will climate change policy look like under a Biden administration? If nothing else, it appears it will be broadly based across a wide range of executive branch operations. This week’s TipSheet walks you through the top 10 federal departments, agencies and spending centers and how they will pivot to focus on global warming.

SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [26]
Topics on the Beat:
Agriculture [39]
Air [5]
Chemicals [7]
Economy & Business [9]
Energy & Fuel [10]
Environmental Politics [11]
Forests [12]
Government [13]
Laws & Regulations [14]
Military [40]
Natural Resources [15]
Nuclear Power & Radiation [41]
Policy [16]
Pollution [17]
Science [42]
Technology [43]
Transportation [18]
Region:
National (U.S.) [22]
International [23]
Visibility:
Public [24]
- Read more about Climate Change Policy Likely To Permeate Executive Under Biden [38]
For Waste Industry, PFAS Disposal Leads to Controversy, Regulation, Mounting Costs [44]

The toxic compounds known as PFAS are causing a crisis in the waste and recycling industry, which faces mounting regulation and litigation over handling its presence in the waste stream. One reporter on the PFAS front lines explains the industry’s dilemma, as well as the challenges of covering the story and how a financial prism led to important insights into industry’s response.

SEJ Publication Types:
Features [45]
Topics on the Beat:
Chemicals [7]
Economy & Business [9]
Environmental Health [27]
Health [28]
Journalism & Media [29]
Laws & Regulations [14]
Military [40]
Pollution [17]
Waste [19]
Water & Oceans [20]
Region:
National (U.S.) [22]
California [46]
Great Lakes (IL IN MI MN OH WI) [31]
Northeast (CT MA ME NH NJ NY RI VT) [47]
Northwest (OR WA) [48]
SE (AL AR FL GA KY LA MS NC PR SC TN) [35]
Visibility:
Public [24]
- Read more about For Waste Industry, PFAS Disposal Leads to Controversy, Regulation, Mounting Costs [44]
Letting Residents Take the Lead in ‘Polluter's Paradise’ [49]

A battery of polluting industry spewing toxic pollution and a small town of residents south of Baton Rouge unbowed by their circumstance make for the ingredients of a powerful team investigative project, newly named to the top prize in the Society of Environmental Journalists’ 2020 reporting awards. Inside Story offers a look behind “Polluter’s Paradise” in a Q&A with reporter Tristan Baurick.

SEJ Publication Types:
Inside Story [50]
Topics on the Beat:
Activism [4]
Air [5]
Chemicals [7]
Environmental Politics [11]
Health [28]
Journalism & Media [29]
People & Population [30]
Pollution [17]
Region:
National (U.S.) [22]
SE (AL AR FL GA KY LA MS NC PR SC TN) [35]
Visibility:
Public [24]
- Read more about Letting Residents Take the Lead in ‘Polluter's Paradise’ [49]
Could Dems Borrow GOP Playbook To Roll Back Trump Rules? [51]

If oddsmakers are right and the Dems sweep the White House and both houses of Congress next month, one significant outcome could be the rollback of prominent Trump administration deregulatory moves. The latest TipSheet explains how an arcane law might make such reversals possible, and then spotlights half-a-dozen potentially vulnerable Trump regulatory actions.

SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [26]
Topics on the Beat:
Air [5]
Chemicals [7]
Climate Change [8]
Economy & Business [9]
Energy & Fuel [10]
Environmental Politics [11]
Government [13]
Journalism & Media [29]
Laws & Regulations [14]
Policy [16]
Pollution [17]
Science [42]
Wildlife [21]
Region:
National (U.S.) [22]
Visibility:
Public [24]
- Read more about Could Dems Borrow GOP Playbook To Roll Back Trump Rules? [51]
LNG Transport Proposal Flags Worries Over Rail Hazmat [52]

A Trump administration push to allow trains to carry liquified natural gas raises larger concerns about allowing hazardous materials to be carried around the United States by rail, per the latest TipSheet. Get the latest on the LNG transport plan, along with the backstory about the risks of numerous other rail hazmat, plus story ideas and reporting resources.

SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [26]
Topics on the Beat:
Chemicals [7]
Disasters [53]
Energy & Fuel [10]
Laws & Regulations [14]
Transportation [18]
Region:
National (U.S.) [22]
International [23]
Canada [54]
Visibility:
Public [24]
- Read more about LNG Transport Proposal Flags Worries Over Rail Hazmat [52]
Bringing Stories Home Under Lockdown, With Remote Video Interviews [55]

They’ve long been a staple of the news business. But now, with the pandemic continuing to keep journalists from their subjects, remote video interviews have become an essential tool. And even newbie video reporters can quickly learn the basics. Science video producer Eli Kintisch shares a quick eight-step remote video setup and some simple tricks of the trade, in this SEJournal how-to.

SEJ Publication Types:
Features [45]
Topics on the Beat:
Activism [4]
Agriculture [39]
Air [5]
Biodiversity [6]
Chemicals [7]
Climate Change [8]
Consumer [56]
Disasters [53]
Economy & Business [9]
Energy & Fuel [10]
Environmental Health [27]
Environmental Politics [11]
Environmental Studies [57]
Fish & Fisheries [58]
Food [59]
Forests [12]
Government [13]
Health [28]
Journalism & Media [29]
Laws & Regulations [14]
Military [40]
Natural Resources [15]
Nuclear Power & Radiation [41]
Other or All [60]
People & Population [30]
Planning & Growth [61]
Policy [16]
Pollution [17]
Science [42]
Technology [43]
Transportation [18]
Waste [19]
Water & Oceans [20]
Region:
National (U.S.) [22]
Alaska and Hawaii [62]
California [46]
Great Lakes (IL IN MI MN OH WI) [31]
Great Plains (IA KS ND NE MO SD) [32]
Mid-Atlantic (DC DE MD PA VA WV) [33]
Mountain West (CO ID MT NV UT WY) [34]
Northeast (CT MA ME NH NJ NY RI VT) [47]
Northwest (OR WA) [48]
SE (AL AR FL GA KY LA MS NC PR SC TN) [35]
Southwest (AZ NM OK TX) [36]
International [23]
Canada [54]
Mexico [37]
Africa [63]
Antarctica & Arctic [64]
Asia [65]
Australia & Oceania [66]
Central America & the Caribbean [67]
Europe [68]
Middle East [69]
South America [70]
Visibility:
Public [24]
- Read more about Bringing Stories Home Under Lockdown, With Remote Video Interviews [55]
Potentially Explosive Fertilizer Could Be Found in Your Community [71]

Ammonium nitrate, the explosive agricultural fertilizer that blew up in Lebanon this month, killing dozens and severely damaging Beirut’s center, is stored by the thousands of tons all over the United States. But regulatory blindspots and secretive information policies mean few know exactly where. Backgrounder reviews the chemical’s oversight regime — and its gaps — and has ideas for reporting from your community.

SEJ Publication Types:
Backgrounders [3]
Topics on the Beat:
Agriculture [39]
Chemicals [7]
Disasters [53]
Government [13]
Journalism & Media [29]
Laws & Regulations [14]
Region:
National (U.S.) [22]
Southwest (AZ NM OK TX) [36]
International [23]
Middle East [69]
Visibility:
Public [24]
- Read more about Potentially Explosive Fertilizer Could Be Found in Your Community [71]
Building Materials Data Can Help Construct Environmental Stories [72]

Toxics abound in many building materials, creating indoor environmental hazards for workers and residents alike. To help report the story, Reporter’s Toolbox details a massive database of chemicals and building materials, and explains how to use it to assess their presence in buildings in your community. Plus, story ideas to get you started.

SEJ Publication Types:
Reporters Toolbox [73]
Topics on the Beat:
Air [5]
Chemicals [7]
Consumer [56]
Disasters [53]
Environmental Health [27]
Health [28]
Journalism & Media [29]
Region:
National (U.S.) [22]
International [23]
Visibility:
Public [24]
- Read more about Building Materials Data Can Help Construct Environmental Stories [72]

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