Publication Items

2023 Gathering Goes Big in Boise [1]

The Society of Environmental Journalists’ annual conference is back to Boise, two-and-a-half years after the first attempt to meet in the mountainous Northwestern state was sidetracked by the COVID pandemic. Co-chairs Tom Michael and Christy George outline the rich schedule of plenaries, panels, tours and other events that are drawing record interest to the April 19-23 program.

SEJ Publication Types:
SEJ News [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Agriculture [3]
Biodiversity [4]
Climate Change [5]
Diversity [6]
Energy & Fuel [7]
Environmental Health [8]
Environmental Politics [9]
Fish & Fisheries [10]
Forests [11]
Government [12]
Journalism & Media [13]
Natural Resources [14]
Policy [15]
Water & Oceans [16]
Wildlife [17]
Region:
National (U.S.) [18]
Great Plains (IA KS ND NE MO SD) [19]
Mountain West (CO ID MT NV UT WY) [20]
Northwest (OR WA) [21]
Visibility:
Public [22]
- Read more about 2023 Gathering Goes Big in Boise [1]
What Will It Take for Geothermal To Heat Up the Renewable Energy Sector? [23]

Geothermal has long been hyped as the next big thing in renewable energy, but its breakthrough moment hasn’t happened yet. Barriers to expansion include the elusiveness of sites offering the magic trio of heat, water and permeability and concern for unique ecosystems. Contributor Jessica McKenzie on geothermal energy’s possibilities and challenges and the government funding that may finally fire it up.

SEJ Publication Types:
Features [24]
Topics on the Beat:
Biodiversity [4]
Climate Change [5]
Economy & Business [25]
Energy & Fuel [7]
Government [12]
Natural Resources [14]
Science [26]
Technology [27]
Wildlife [17]
Region:
National (U.S.) [18]
California [28]
Mountain West (CO ID MT NV UT WY) [20]
Northwest (OR WA) [21]
Southwest (AZ NM OK TX) [29]
International [30]
Australia & Oceania [31]
Europe [32]
Middle East [33]
Visibility:
Public [22]
- Read more about What Will It Take for Geothermal To Heat Up the Renewable Energy Sector? [23]
Finding the Secret Rail Hazmat Routes Near You [34]

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 [35]
Topics on the Beat:
Chemicals [36]
Disasters [37]
Economy & Business [25]
Energy & Fuel [7]
Environmental Health [8]
Government [12]
Health [38]
Infrastructure [39]
Journalism & Media [13]
Laws & Regulations [40]
Policy [15]
Pollution [41]
Transportation [42]
Region:
National (U.S.) [18]
Great Lakes (IL IN MI MN OH WI) [43]
International [30]
Canada [44]
Visibility:
Public [22]
- Read more about Finding the Secret Rail Hazmat Routes Near You [34]
From Swine Waste, Student Journalist Extracts Prize-Winning Story [45]

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 [46]
Topics on the Beat:
Agriculture [3]
Air [47]
Chemicals [36]
Diversity [6]
Economy & Business [25]
Energy & Fuel [7]
Environmental Health [8]
Environmental Justice [48]
Environmental Politics [9]
Food [49]
Government [12]
Health [38]
Journalism & Media [13]
Laws & Regulations [40]
Pollution [41]
Science [26]
Technology [27]
Waste [50]
Water & Oceans [16]
Region:
National (U.S.) [18]
SE (AL AR FL GA KY LA MS NC PR SC TN) [51]
Visibility:
Public [22]
- Read more about From Swine Waste, Student Journalist Extracts Prize-Winning Story [45]
Will Thousands of Orphan Wells Be Safely Plugged? [52]

Abandoned oil and gas wells are found in significant numbers in some 27 states. Reporters who want to track their status can dig into several databases, but will need to support their data crunching with lots of shoe-leather and ground-truth reporting. Reporter’s Toolbox has insights into what the databases offer. Plus, a primer on API numbers.

SEJ Publication Types:
Reporters Toolbox [53]
Topics on the Beat:
Air [47]
Climate Change [5]
Economy & Business [25]
Energy & Fuel [7]
Environmental Health [8]
Environmental Politics [9]
Government [12]
Health [38]
Infrastructure [39]
Journalism & Media [13]
Laws & Regulations [40]
Natural Resources [14]
Policy [15]
Pollution [41]
Technology [27]
Water & Oceans [16]
Region:
National (U.S.) [18]
Mid-Atlantic (DC DE MD PA VA WV) [54]
Southwest (AZ NM OK TX) [29]
International [30]
Canada [44]
Visibility:
Public [22]
- Read more about Will Thousands of Orphan Wells Be Safely Plugged? [52]
SEJ Panel Gauges Issues in the Works in the U.S. West [55]

As part of our 2023 Journalists’ Guide to Energy & Environment special report, we’ve got highlights from last week’s reporter panel on the year ahead, led by #SEJ2023 conference co-chair Tom Michael (pictured, left). The focus was largely on the U.S. West, where challenges abound over issues like equitable siting of renewable energy infrastructure, regulating natural gas, managing wildfires and addressing the health consequences of climate-driven heat waves. Read our account [55], plus check out the full 2023 Guide [56].

SEJ Publication Types:
SEJ News [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Agriculture [3]
Air [47]
Biodiversity [4]
Climate Change [5]
Disasters [37]
Economy & Business [25]
Energy & Fuel [7]
Environmental Health [8]
Environmental Justice [48]
Environmental Politics [9]
Fish & Fisheries [10]
Food [49]
Forests [11]
Government [12]
Health [38]
Infrastructure [39]
Journalism & Media [13]
Natural Resources [14]
People & Population [57]
Planning & Growth [58]
Policy [15]
Pollution [41]
Water & Oceans [16]
Wildlife [17]
Region:
California [28]
Mountain West (CO ID MT NV UT WY) [20]
Northwest (OR WA) [21]
Southwest (AZ NM OK TX) [29]
Visibility:
Public [22]
- Read more about SEJ Panel Gauges Issues in the Works in the U.S. West [55]
Epic Struggles Ahead in 2023 on Energy Transition, Pollution [59]

In our annual analysis of what’s ahead on the environment beat in 2023, there are some things to count on: worsening climate disasters and continued politicking over energy transitions, but also regulatory action on greenhouse gas emissions (not to mention on “forever chemicals”). Other things are less clear: environmental rulings by a conservative U.S. Supreme Court, energy impacts of war in Europe and the effectiveness of COP28 and treaty talks on plastic pollution. Read the full overview and get more in our “2023 Journalists’ Guide to Energy & Environment [56]” special report.

SEJ Publication Types:
Special Reports [60]
Topics on the Beat:
Activism [61]
Agriculture [3]
Air [47]
Biodiversity [4]
Chemicals [36]
Climate Change [5]
Disasters [37]
Economy & Business [25]
Energy & Fuel [7]
Environmental Justice [48]
Environmental Politics [9]
Fish & Fisheries [10]
Government [12]
Health [38]
Infrastructure [39]
Journalism & Media [13]
Laws & Regulations [40]
Military [62]
Natural Resources [14]
Planning & Growth [58]
Policy [15]
Pollution [41]
Science [26]
Waste [50]
Water & Oceans [16]
Region:
National (U.S.) [18]
International [30]
Europe [32]
Middle East [33]
Visibility:
Public [22]
- Read more about Epic Struggles Ahead in 2023 on Energy Transition, Pollution [59]
Cascadia Bioregion Rife With Energy, Environment Troubles To Report in 2023 [63]

Iconic critters like salmon, orca and wolves. Climate controversies like natural gas greenwashing and carbon auctions. And wildfire fallout like “smoke-a-geddon.” These are just some of the wide array of stories worth covering as environmental journalists scan Cascadia, the huge area encompassing Washington, Oregon and Idaho, and stretching from Alaska to Utah. This special TipSheet, part of our 2023 Journalists’ Guide to Energy & Environment, outlines top issues in the region, offering insights, resources and story angles.

SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [35]
Topics on the Beat:
Activism [61]
Agriculture [3]
Air [47]
Biodiversity [4]
Climate Change [5]
Consumer [64]
Disasters [37]
Diversity [6]
Economy & Business [25]
Energy & Fuel [7]
Environmental Health [8]
Environmental Justice [48]
Environmental Politics [9]
Environmental Studies [65]
Fish & Fisheries [10]
Food [49]
Forests [11]
Government [12]
Health [38]
Infrastructure [39]
Journalism & Media [13]
Laws & Regulations [40]
Natural Resources [14]
Planning & Growth [58]
Policy [15]
Pollution [41]
Transportation [42]
Waste [50]
Water & Oceans [16]
Wildlife [17]
Region:
National (U.S.) [18]
Alaska and Hawaii [66]
California [28]
Mountain West (CO ID MT NV UT WY) [20]
Northwest (OR WA) [21]
International [30]
Canada [44]
Visibility:
Public [22]
- Read more about Cascadia Bioregion Rife With Energy, Environment Troubles To Report in 2023 [63]
Exploring the Impacts of Hydroelectric Megaprojects on Indigenous Lands [67]

Nearly two-thirds of the world’s rivers are impeded by dams and we keep building them in our quest for cleaner and greener sources of electricity. But as podcast producer Farha Akhtar learned while producing a recent episode, these monumental structures are having a profound impact on our planet and catastrophic consequences for many Indigenous people.

SEJ Publication Types:
Features [24]
Topics on the Beat:
Activism [61]
Biodiversity [4]
Chemicals [36]
Climate Change [5]
Consumer [64]
Diversity [6]
Economy & Business [25]
Energy & Fuel [7]
Environmental Health [8]
Environmental Justice [48]
Environmental Politics [9]
Fish & Fisheries [10]
Food [49]
Government [12]
Health [38]
Infrastructure [39]
Journalism & Media [13]
Natural Resources [14]
Pollution [41]
Religion, Faith and Spirituality [68]
Science [26]
Technology [27]
Water & Oceans [16]
Wildlife [17]
Region:
National (U.S.) [18]
International [30]
Canada [44]
Asia [69]
Visibility:
Public [22]
- Read more about Exploring the Impacts of Hydroelectric Megaprojects on Indigenous Lands [67]
Whither the Permitting Reform Bill in 2023? [70]

The complex legal obstacles that face U.S. energy projects prompted political machinations over permitting reform in the last Congress and likely will again in the new one. The latest Backgrounder explores how the energy permitting system works (or doesn’t), why Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin may really be pushing for its reform and the reason some environmentalists concede reform may have green benefits.

SEJ Publication Types:
Backgrounders [71]
Topics on the Beat:
Climate Change [5]
Energy & Fuel [7]
Environmental Politics [9]
Government [12]
Infrastructure [39]
Laws & Regulations [40]
Policy [15]
Region:
National (U.S.) [18]
Great Lakes (IL IN MI MN OH WI) [43]
Great Plains (IA KS ND NE MO SD) [19]
Mid-Atlantic (DC DE MD PA VA WV) [54]
Northeast (CT MA ME NH NJ NY RI VT) [72]
International [30]
Canada [44]
Visibility:
Public [22]
- Read more about Whither the Permitting Reform Bill in 2023? [70]

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