Publication Items

Award-Winning Beat Reporting Highlights Legacy of Environmental Racism [1]

Top-flight regional reporting (and data analysis) that explored inequities between Black and white communities around Baltimore, Maryland, yielded journalist Scott Dance a wide range of stories — and a first-place prize in the most recent awards from the Society of Environmental Journalists. Dance, now on the climate desk for The Washington Post shares insights from the beat in the new Inside Story.

SEJ Publication Types:
Inside Story [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Agriculture [3]
Climate Change [4]
Environmental Justice [5]
Fish & Fisheries [6]
Health [7]
Journalism & Media [8]
People & Population [9]
Planning & Growth [10]
Policy [11]
Pollution [12]
Water & Oceans [13]
Region:
National (U.S.) [14]
Mid-Atlantic (DC DE MD PA VA WV) [15]
Visibility:
Public [16]
- Read more about Award-Winning Beat Reporting Highlights Legacy of Environmental Racism [1]
Wildfire Preparedness Is a Story Worth Telling — Before ‘Fire Season’ [17]

Wildfires in the Texas Panhandle are a good reminder that wildfire season now stretches across much of the year, so environmental journalists would do well to look for ways to localize their reporting on wildfire preparedness. The latest TipSheet offers 10 story ideas and half a dozen reporting resources to tell the story of your community’s wildfire risk.

SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [18]
Topics on the Beat:
Disasters [19]
Journalism & Media [8]
Planning & Growth [10]
Region:
National (U.S.) [14]
Southwest (AZ NM OK TX) [20]
Visibility:
Public [16]
- Read more about Wildfire Preparedness Is a Story Worth Telling — Before ‘Fire Season’ [17]
Why Parking, Long Term, Presents a Lot of Problems [21]

A new book makes the case that U.S. cities have had their environments, their housing and their businesses warped by parking policies. BookShelf contributor Jennifer Weeks, who shares her own parking-related frustrations, explores the arguments made in “Paved Paradise: How Parking Explains the World,” and also takes a look at what the author sees as “parking-light” solutions.

SEJ Publication Types:
BookShelf [22]
Topics on the Beat:
Climate Change [4]
Consumer [23]
Economy & Business [24]
Energy & Fuel [25]
Environmental Health [26]
Environmental Politics [27]
Government [28]
Health [7]
Infrastructure [29]
Planning & Growth [10]
Policy [11]
Pollution [12]
Transportation [30]
Region:
National (U.S.) [14]
California [31]
Northeast (CT MA ME NH NJ NY RI VT) [32]
Visibility:
Public [16]
- Read more about Why Parking, Long Term, Presents a Lot of Problems [21]
Take This Clean Electricity ‘Dashboard’ for a Trip Into the Energy Transition Future [33]

To better understand progress in the U.S. energy transition, some of the best nonpartisan data comes from the Energy Information Administration. And, as the latest Reporter’s Toolbox explains, EIA has an effective dashboard tool for exploring state-by-state variations in clean energy performance, among other things. Here’s how to use it smartly. Plus, a few caveats.

SEJ Publication Types:
Reporters Toolbox [34]
Topics on the Beat:
Energy & Fuel [25]
Government [28]
Journalism & Media [8]
Laws & Regulations [35]
Natural Resources [36]
Planning & Growth [10]
Policy [11]
Region:
National (U.S.) [14]
Visibility:
Public [16]
- Read more about Take This Clean Electricity ‘Dashboard’ for a Trip Into the Energy Transition Future [33]
What’s Ahead on Climate Justice, Climate Crisis Beat [37]

What environment stories will matter most in 2024 to communities of color and Indigenous communities? Columnist Yessenia Funes sheds light on concerns ranging from the environmental damage in Gaza and extreme weather across the United States to the fallout from the U.S. presidential election to the local impacts of the clean energy transition. Insights in the latest Voices of Environmental Justice.

SEJ Publication Types:
Voices of Environmental Justice [38]
Topics on the Beat:
Activism [39]
Climate Change [4]
Disasters [19]
Diversity [40]
Economy & Business [24]
Energy & Fuel [25]
Environmental Justice [5]
Environmental Politics [27]
Government [28]
Health [7]
Infrastructure [29]
Journalism & Media [8]
Military [41]
People & Population [9]
Planning & Growth [10]
Policy [11]
Pollution [12]
Water & Oceans [13]
Region:
National (U.S.) [14]
Alaska and Hawaii [42]
Northeast (CT MA ME NH NJ NY RI VT) [32]
SE (AL AR FL GA KY LA MS NC PR SC TN) [43]
International [44]
Middle East [45]
Visibility:
Public [16]
- Read more about What’s Ahead on Climate Justice, Climate Crisis Beat [37]
Drainage Infrastructure Leads to Wet Basement Stories [46]

Nothing may seem more personal than a home flooded by heavy rains. But the latest TipSheet points out that for local environmental reporters, there’s a bigger story to be told: how your community regulates stormwater and storm sewers, especially in the face of climate change-driven extreme precipitation. More than a dozen reporting ideas and resources.

SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [18]
Topics on the Beat:
Climate Change [4]
Infrastructure [29]
Journalism & Media [8]
Planning & Growth [10]
Waste [47]
Water & Oceans [13]
Region:
National (U.S.) [14]
Great Lakes (IL IN MI MN OH WI) [48]
Great Plains (IA KS ND NE MO SD) [49]
Mid-Atlantic (DC DE MD PA VA WV) [15]
Visibility:
Public [16]
- Read more about Drainage Infrastructure Leads to Wet Basement Stories [46]
Reporter Unravels Complex Dynamic Between Climate Change and Nature [50]

Nature-based climate solutions have become a much-talked-of topic, one that journalist Gabriel Popkin turned into a loose beat through which to explore the complicated realities beyond some easy narratives. The resulting stories were published widely to high praise, and in the latest Inside Story Q&A, Popkin spoke about his efforts and offered up five critical factors for producing original, impactful journalism.

SEJ Publication Types:
Inside Story [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Agriculture [3]
Climate Change [4]
Economy & Business [24]
Energy & Fuel [25]
Environmental Health [26]
Environmental Justice [5]
Environmental Studies [51]
Forests [52]
Journalism & Media [8]
Natural Resources [36]
Planning & Growth [10]
Policy [11]
Science [53]
Technology [54]
Region:
National (U.S.) [14]
Great Plains (IA KS ND NE MO SD) [49]
International [44]
Europe [55]
Visibility:
Public [16]
- Read more about Reporter Unravels Complex Dynamic Between Climate Change and Nature [50]
Reporting on Environmental Solutions and Equity — at a Watershed Scale [56]

Reporting on interconnected ecosystems lends itself to better environmental stories, and so tracing how water moves across landscapes, communities, industries and regulatory schemes can help the public connect the dots. That’s how Annie Ropeik, who helps run the Mississippi River Basin Ag & Water Desk, sees the watershed beat. She shares expert views and offers insights for environment journalists to use in their reporting.

SEJ Publication Types:
Features [57]
Topics on the Beat:
Activism [39]
Agriculture [3]
Climate Change [4]
Diversity [40]
Economy & Business [24]
Environmental Health [26]
Environmental Justice [5]
Environmental Politics [27]
Environmental Studies [51]
Government [28]
Health [7]
Infrastructure [29]
Journalism & Media [8]
Laws & Regulations [35]
Natural Resources [36]
Planning & Growth [10]
Policy [11]
Pollution [12]
Water & Oceans [13]
Region:
National (U.S.) [14]
Great Lakes (IL IN MI MN OH WI) [48]
Great Plains (IA KS ND NE MO SD) [49]
Mountain West (CO ID MT NV UT WY) [58]
Northwest (OR WA) [59]
SE (AL AR FL GA KY LA MS NC PR SC TN) [43]
International [44]
Canada [60]
Visibility:
Public [16]
- Read more about Reporting on Environmental Solutions and Equity — at a Watershed Scale [56]
Author Brings Far-Reaching Insight to ‘The Three Ages of Water’ [61]

Leading water expert Peter Gleick’s new book on water’s past, present and future is an ambitious volume that offers a panoramic look at this essential resource — and hope for living in harmony with it in the future. BookShelf Editor Tom Henry calls “The Three Ages of Water” a rare book of breadth and depth, part history and part sustainable remedy. Read his review.

SEJ Publication Types:
BookShelf [22]
Topics on the Beat:
Climate Change [4]
Environmental Health [26]
Environmental Justice [5]
Food [62]
Health [7]
Natural Resources [36]
People & Population [9]
Planning & Growth [10]
Policy [11]
Science [53]
Water & Oceans [13]
Region:
National (U.S.) [14]
Great Lakes (IL IN MI MN OH WI) [48]
International [44]
Africa [63]
Asia [64]
Visibility:
Public [16]
- Read more about Author Brings Far-Reaching Insight to ‘The Three Ages of Water’ [61]
Do Home Buyers Have a Right to Flood Risk Disclosure? [65]

In the second of a two-parter for our 2024 Journalists’ Guide to Environment + Energy [66], the latest TipSheet considers how local environmental journalists can make news out of the state-by-state patchwork of flood risk disclosure laws amid rising climate extremes. A dozen-and-a-half story ideas and reporting resources on the topic. Plus, see part one [67] on climate and insurance.

SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [18]
Topics on the Beat:
Climate Change [4]
Consumer [23]
Disasters [19]
Government [28]
Infrastructure [29]
Journalism & Media [8]
Laws & Regulations [35]
Planning & Growth [10]
Policy [11]
Water & Oceans [13]
Region:
National (U.S.) [14]
Visibility:
Public [16]
- Read more about Do Home Buyers Have a Right to Flood Risk Disclosure? [65]

Pages