Publication Items

As Bird Populations Crash, Local Reporting Can Help Untangle Why [1]

A precipitous decline in bird populations worldwide and in North America has numerous causes and is, at least in part, the result of human activity. But the complexity of the problem doesn’t mean that it can’t be reported on the ground by environmental journalists using nearby resources. The latest TipSheet has more, along with a dozen-and-a-half story ideas and reporting resources.

SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Biodiversity [3]
Chemicals [4]
Environmental Health [5]
Journalism & Media [6]
Wildlife [7]
Region:
National (U.S.) [8]
International [9]
Canada [10]
Visibility:
Public [11]
- Read more about As Bird Populations Crash, Local Reporting Can Help Untangle Why [1]
When Extreme Weather Amplifies Hazardous Waste Threats [12]

Toxic waste is bad enough when it’s in one spot. But it can be even more dangerous when it is made mobile by climate-induced natural disasters. The latest TipSheet looks at just a few of the problems that can arise — or have already arisen. Plus, story ideas and reporting resources to cover this issue in your locale.

SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Air [13]
Chemicals [4]
Climate Change [14]
Disasters [15]
Environmental Health [5]
Health [16]
Journalism & Media [6]
People & Population [17]
Pollution [18]
Waste [19]
Water & Oceans [20]
Region:
National (U.S.) [8]
SE (AL AR FL GA KY LA MS NC PR SC TN) [21]
Southwest (AZ NM OK TX) [22]
Visibility:
Public [11]
- Read more about When Extreme Weather Amplifies Hazardous Waste Threats [12]
New TSCA Chemical Data Can Help Deepen Reporting [23]

Most environmental journalists are familiar with the Toxics Release Inventory as a data reporting tool. But there’s another potentially useful chemical reporting database, this one focused on the highest-volume chemicals. The latest Reporter’s Toolbox explores the Chemical Data Reporting National Review, reports on how its data is gathered and shares its strengths — and some weaknesses.

SEJ Publication Types:
Reporters Toolbox [24]
Topics on the Beat:
Chemicals [4]
Journalism & Media [6]
Laws & Regulations [25]
Pollution [18]
Region:
National (U.S.) [8]
Visibility:
Public [11]
- Read more about New TSCA Chemical Data Can Help Deepen Reporting [23]
Latest TRI Data Can Charge Up Local Stories, Including on PFAS [26]

When it comes to a core data set that just keeps giving for environmental journalists, Reporter’s Toolbox points you to the Toxics Release Inventory. A new year of data has just been released, with much insight to be extracted. And the TRI now also includes PFAS chemicals for the first time. Here’s how to use it for your local stories.

SEJ Publication Types:
Reporters Toolbox [24]
Topics on the Beat:
Chemicals [4]
Environmental Politics [27]
Government [28]
Health [16]
Journalism & Media [6]
Laws & Regulations [25]
Region:
National (U.S.) [8]
Visibility:
Public [11]
- Read more about Latest TRI Data Can Charge Up Local Stories, Including on PFAS [26]
Bring Home Cyber Risks to Water Supply, in Wake of EPA Tightening [29]

With the federal government now requiring that states pay closer attention to cybersecurity risks in their regular audits of public drinking water systems, environmental journalists should be doing the same, suggests the latest TipSheet. Here’s how to gauge the cyber risk and to understand the current safe drinking water regulatory regime, plus story ideas and resources to bolster your local reporting.

SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Chemicals [4]
Consumer [30]
Government [28]
Health [16]
Infrastructure [31]
Journalism & Media [6]
Laws & Regulations [25]
Technology [32]
Water & Oceans [20]
Region:
National (U.S.) [8]
SE (AL AR FL GA KY LA MS NC PR SC TN) [21]
Visibility:
Public [11]
- Read more about Bring Home Cyber Risks to Water Supply, in Wake of EPA Tightening [29]
Coming Your Way by Rail Today — A Hazmat Rogues’ Gallery [33]

Environmental reporters can prepare for possible rail accidents involving hazardous materials — like the one that hit East Palestine, Ohio — by having a keener understanding of what hazmat may be regularly carried through their communities. The latest Reporter’s Toolbox guides you to helpful lists of dangerous substances while offering a rundown of nearly a dozen-and-a-half of the worst offenders and their risks.

SEJ Publication Types:
Reporters Toolbox [24]
Topics on the Beat:
Air [13]
Chemicals [4]
Disasters [15]
Health [16]
Journalism & Media [6]
Transportation [34]
Region:
National (U.S.) [8]
Great Lakes (IL IN MI MN OH WI) [35]
Visibility:
Public [11]
- Read more about Coming Your Way by Rail Today — A Hazmat Rogues’ Gallery [33]
Finding the Secret Rail Hazmat Routes Near You [36]

Under federal rules, states can decide whether to divulge information about hazardous materials rolling along their railways — and mostly they don’t. Not knowing where and when hazmat trains are traveling or what’s on board creates anxiety and raises the risk for those who live near the tracks. TipSheet offers resources and step-by-step instructions for investigating railway hazmat threats to your community.

SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Chemicals [4]
Disasters [15]
Economy & Business [37]
Energy & Fuel [38]
Environmental Health [5]
Government [28]
Health [16]
Infrastructure [31]
Journalism & Media [6]
Laws & Regulations [25]
Policy [39]
Pollution [18]
Transportation [34]
Region:
National (U.S.) [8]
Great Lakes (IL IN MI MN OH WI) [35]
International [9]
Canada [10]
Visibility:
Public [11]
- Read more about Finding the Secret Rail Hazmat Routes Near You [36]
From Swine Waste, Student Journalist Extracts Prize-Winning Story [40]

Industrial hog farmers tout swine biogas as a clean, green energy source, but others point to its messy side. A young journalist who investigated the underreported stench of environmental racism associated with this technology learned valuable lessons along the way to producing a feature story that won her a Society of Environmental Journalists’ award for outstanding student reporting.

SEJ Publication Types:
EJ Academy [41]
Topics on the Beat:
Agriculture [42]
Air [13]
Chemicals [4]
Diversity [43]
Economy & Business [37]
Energy & Fuel [38]
Environmental Health [5]
Environmental Justice [44]
Environmental Politics [27]
Food [45]
Government [28]
Health [16]
Journalism & Media [6]
Laws & Regulations [25]
Pollution [18]
Science [46]
Technology [32]
Waste [19]
Water & Oceans [20]
Region:
National (U.S.) [8]
SE (AL AR FL GA KY LA MS NC PR SC TN) [21]
Visibility:
Public [11]
- Read more about From Swine Waste, Student Journalist Extracts Prize-Winning Story [40]
What’s in the Air in Kids’ Schools? Lessons on Addressing Indoor Pollution [47]

Now that kids are mostly back in school (and perhaps longing for snow days to send them back home), environmental reporters might want to start exploring some of the things that could make them sick. Not viruses, but potential pollutants. TipSheet explores the problem and why current law may do little to address it.

SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Air [13]
Chemicals [4]
Health [16]
Journalism & Media [6]
Laws & Regulations [25]
Policy [39]
Pollution [18]
Region:
National (U.S.) [8]
Visibility:
Public [11]
- Read more about What’s in the Air in Kids’ Schools? Lessons on Addressing Indoor Pollution [47]
Hazmat Highway Routes Key to Keeping Public Safe [48]

In the wake of the train derailment and toxic spill in Ohio, now is a good time for environmental journalists to be ready for the next such accident. The latest Reporter’s Toolbox offers up a data source for another transportation risk — hazardous materials transported via highway. Plus, why rail hazmat data can be trickier to access.

SEJ Publication Types:
Reporters Toolbox [24]
Topics on the Beat:
Chemicals [4]
Disasters [15]
Environmental Politics [27]
Health [16]
Infrastructure [31]
Journalism & Media [6]
Laws & Regulations [25]
Transportation [34]
Region:
National (U.S.) [8]
Great Lakes (IL IN MI MN OH WI) [35]
Visibility:
Public [11]
- Read more about Hazmat Highway Routes Key to Keeping Public Safe [48]

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