Publication Items

A Renowned Birder Shatters the Audubon Myth [1]

In his fascinating volume about John James Audubon, world-renowned naturalist-writer-illustrator Kenn Kaufman pays homage to the artist but meticulously dissects the man, writes BookShelf Editor Tom Henry. A review of “The Birds That Audubon Missed: Discovery and Desire in the American Wilderness” depicts how Audubon, driven by the rivalries of his time, marred his own legacy with factual errors and outright fraud.

SEJ Publication Types:
BookShelf [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Biodiversity [3]
Environmental Politics [4]
Environmental Studies [5]
Science [6]
Wildlife [7]
Region:
National (U.S.) [8]
International [9]
Visibility:
Public [10]
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For Animals, a New Text Suggests, the Play’s the Thing [11]

It’s a much-understudied area of animal behavior. But play, as it turns out, may serve many developmental functions. A new book, “Kingdom of Play,” explores what play looks like in many types of creatures and in the process provides a deft synthesis of evolutionary biology, neurology and the history of science to examine its elusive nature. A BookShelf review from Jenny Weeks.

SEJ Publication Types:
BookShelf [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Environmental Studies [5]
Science [6]
Wildlife [7]
Visibility:
Public [10]
- Read more about For Animals, a New Text Suggests, the Play’s the Thing [11]
Up for a Challenge — Fifty Environmental Journalists on the Profession and Its Future [12]

Environmental journalists tend to be intrepid and creative individuals who will fight to work their beat against all odds. That’s one of the findings of a journalism educator who is studying the rise of environmental journalism as a news priority. In this EJ Academy, Suzannah Evans Comfort talks about key takeaways from her research – and her next big question.

SEJ Publication Types:
EJ Academy [13]
Topics on the Beat:
Environmental Justice [14]
Environmental Studies [5]
Journalism & Media [15]
Region:
National (U.S.) [8]
Visibility:
Public [10]
- Read more about Up for a Challenge — Fifty Environmental Journalists on the Profession and Its Future [12]
Harnessing the Power of Global Forest Watch for Data-Driven Reporting on Land Cover Change [16]

Whether trees fall to chain saws or go up in smoke, deforestation is a major climate change driver. But on-the-ground reporting on forest loss is often challenging. Global Forest Watch provides worldwide land cover change data and tools that can help journalists contextualize deforestation events. Mongabay editor Morgan Erickson-Davis explains the power of this free online platform and shares her favorite features.

SEJ Publication Types:
Features [17]
Topics on the Beat:
Agriculture [18]
Biodiversity [3]
Climate Change [19]
Environmental Health [20]
Environmental Studies [5]
Forests [21]
Journalism & Media [15]
Natural Resources [22]
Science [6]
Technology [23]
Wildlife [7]
Region:
National (U.S.) [8]
International [9]
Visibility:
Public [10]
- Read more about Harnessing the Power of Global Forest Watch for Data-Driven Reporting on Land Cover Change [16]
Cross-Border Project Exposes Extent of PFAS Contamination in Europe [24]

A dozen European news partners collaborated last year to gather a massive set of water, soil and organism samples that pointed to more than 17,000 PFAS-contaminated sites in the region, many known to authorities but kept from the public. The award-winning project was led by Le Monde’s Stéphane Horel, who spoke with SEJournal for the latest Inside Story Q&A.

SEJ Publication Types:
Inside Story [25]
Topics on the Beat:
Chemicals [26]
Environmental Studies [5]
Health [27]
Journalism & Media [15]
Pollution [28]
Region:
International [9]
Europe [29]
Visibility:
Public [10]
- Read more about Cross-Border Project Exposes Extent of PFAS Contamination in Europe [24]
Courage and Caring — Documentary Celebrates Environmental Icon Stewart Udall [30]

While the name of Stewart Udall, U.S. interior secretary through the tumultuous 1960s, may have faded from public memory, his influence on environmental policies is still felt today. Contributor Francesca Lyman shines the spotlight on a new documentary about Udall and his legacy, and talks with director John de Graaf about Udall’s insights and inspiration.

SEJ Publication Types:
Features [17]
Topics on the Beat:
Air [31]
Biodiversity [3]
Climate Change [19]
Energy & Fuel [32]
Environmental Health [20]
Environmental Justice [14]
Environmental Politics [4]
Environmental Studies [5]
Forests [21]
Government [33]
Infrastructure [34]
Journalism & Media [15]
Laws & Regulations [35]
Natural Resources [22]
Nuclear Power & Radiation [36]
Policy [37]
Pollution [28]
Religion, Faith and Spirituality [38]
Transportation [39]
Water & Oceans [40]
Wildlife [7]
Region:
National (U.S.) [8]
California [41]
Mountain West (CO ID MT NV UT WY) [42]
Northwest (OR WA) [43]
Southwest (AZ NM OK TX) [44]
International [9]
Central America & the Caribbean [45]
Visibility:
Public [10]
- Read more about Courage and Caring — Documentary Celebrates Environmental Icon Stewart Udall [30]
Six Ways To Cover the Environmental Impacts of Animal Agriculture [46]

Animal agriculture is a massive industry with a vast environmental footprint, so there are plenty of reporting opportunities for journalists on the “eat beat.” In the second of two parts [47], following last week’s examination of diet-related greenhouse gas emissions, food-and-climate journalist Jenny Splitter serves up a variety of story ideas and information sources, plus some thoughts on solutions journalism.

SEJ Publication Types:
Features [17]
Topics on the Beat:
Activism [48]
Agriculture [18]
Air [31]
Biodiversity [3]
Climate Change [19]
Consumer [49]
Economy & Business [50]
Environmental Health [20]
Environmental Justice [14]
Environmental Politics [4]
Environmental Studies [5]
Food [51]
Forests [21]
Government [33]
Health [27]
Journalism & Media [15]
Pollution [28]
Waste [52]
Water & Oceans [40]
Wildlife [7]
Region:
National (U.S.) [8]
International [9]
Visibility:
Public [10]
- Read more about Six Ways To Cover the Environmental Impacts of Animal Agriculture [46]
Eat Local for Climate’s Sake? No, Eat Less Meat [47]

Many people who want to reduce their carbon footprint consider the climate impacts of diet, but their efforts may be misdirected. When it comes to greenhouse gas emissions, it turns out what we eat is often more important than where it comes from. Sentient Media’s Jenny Splitter unpacks the locavore myth and explains methane burps, carbon opportunity costs and more. First of two parts [46].

SEJ Publication Types:
Features [17]
Topics on the Beat:
Activism [48]
Agriculture [18]
Climate Change [19]
Consumer [49]
Economy & Business [50]
Environmental Health [20]
Environmental Politics [4]
Environmental Studies [5]
Food [51]
Forests [21]
Government [33]
Health [27]
Journalism & Media [15]
Pollution [28]
Transportation [39]
Waste [52]
Water & Oceans [40]
Region:
National (U.S.) [8]
International [9]
Visibility:
Public [10]
- Read more about Eat Local for Climate’s Sake? No, Eat Less Meat [47]
'Gaslit' Project Spotlights Challenges of Teaching Investigative Journalism [53]

Research, collaboration, human-centered storytelling and the ineluctable element of time — all these were among the facets of a complex, award-winning investigative report run by a team of students at Arizona State University on excessive and harmful natural gas flaring. How the project came together, and the lessons learned, in the new EJ Academy from column co-editor and longtime educator Bob Wyss.

SEJ Publication Types:
EJ Academy [13]
Topics on the Beat:
Energy & Fuel [32]
Environmental Studies [5]
Journalism & Media [15]
Natural Resources [22]
Pollution [28]
Region:
National (U.S.) [8]
Great Plains (IA KS ND NE MO SD) [54]
Southwest (AZ NM OK TX) [44]
Visibility:
Public [10]
- Read more about 'Gaslit' Project Spotlights Challenges of Teaching Investigative Journalism [53]
Reporter Unravels Complex Dynamic Between Climate Change and Nature [55]

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 [25]
Topics on the Beat:
Agriculture [18]
Climate Change [19]
Economy & Business [50]
Energy & Fuel [32]
Environmental Health [20]
Environmental Justice [14]
Environmental Studies [5]
Forests [21]
Journalism & Media [15]
Natural Resources [22]
Planning & Growth [56]
Policy [37]
Science [6]
Technology [23]
Region:
National (U.S.) [8]
Great Plains (IA KS ND NE MO SD) [54]
International [9]
Europe [29]
Visibility:
Public [10]
- Read more about Reporter Unravels Complex Dynamic Between Climate Change and Nature [55]

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