Publication Items

New Landsat 9 Offers Variety of Resource Stories [1]

The launch of NASA’s new Landsat Earth-observing satellite is a reminder to reporters that millions of images from over five decades can help unearth many environmental trends, whether deforestation, coastal erosion, suburban sprawl or wildfire impacts. The new Reporter’s Toolbox explains how the service works and how to access the resource, along with examples of prize-winning stories.

SEJ Publication Types:
Reporters Toolbox [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Agriculture [3]
Climate Change [4]
Environmental Health [5]
Environmental Studies [6]
Forests [7]
Government [8]
Journalism & Media [9]
Natural Resources [10]
Science [11]
Technology [12]
Water & Oceans [13]
Wildlife [14]
Region:
National (U.S.) [15]
International [16]
Visibility:
Public [17]
- Read more about New Landsat 9 Offers Variety of Resource Stories [1]
How Climate Attribution Science Went Mainstream, and What It Means [18]

A growing body of research shows the links between global warming and extreme weather. And that knowledge can help communities prepare, and assign responsibility for damages. Veteran climate journalist Bob Berwyn lays out the science of climate attribution — for heat waves, flooding, wildfires and, ironically, crop-killing freezes — and discusses its implications for future climate change policy.

SEJ Publication Types:
Features [19]
Topics on the Beat:
Activism [20]
Agriculture [3]
Climate Change [4]
Disasters [21]
Economy & Business [22]
Environmental Justice [23]
Environmental Politics [24]
Environmental Studies [6]
Food [25]
Government [8]
Infrastructure [26]
Laws & Regulations [27]
Planning & Growth [28]
Policy [29]
Science [11]
Water & Oceans [13]
Region:
National (U.S.) [15]
International [16]
Europe [30]
South America [31]
Visibility:
Public [17]
- Read more about How Climate Attribution Science Went Mainstream, and What It Means [18]
Two Communities, Two Hazards and the Two Award-Winners Reporting Them [32]

Two outstanding features — one on air pollution from a local coke plant in Pennsylvania, another on deaths from a shellfish toxin in Alaska, and both focused on public health, neglected communities and environmental justice — are the subject of the new Inside Story Q&A. Society of Environmental Journalists’ award-winners Nancy Averett and Zoya Teirstein share their reporting insights and advice.

SEJ Publication Types:
Inside Story [33]
Topics on the Beat:
Air [34]
Climate Change [4]
Diversity [35]
Energy & Fuel [36]
Environmental Health [5]
Environmental Justice [23]
Environmental Studies [6]
Fish & Fisheries [37]
Food [25]
Health [38]
Journalism & Media [9]
People & Population [39]
Pollution [40]
Science [11]
Water & Oceans [13]
Region:
National (U.S.) [15]
Alaska and Hawaii [41]
Mid-Atlantic (DC DE MD PA VA WV) [42]
Visibility:
Public [17]
- Read more about Two Communities, Two Hazards and the Two Award-Winners Reporting Them [32]
Early Toxics Release Inventory Data Can Yield Scoops [43]

In a few weeks, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will officially release the latest year’s Toxics Release Inventory. But as Reporter’s Toolbox explains, you can get ahead of the data — and possibly generate some scoops. That’s because EPA quietly releases incomplete preliminary data months earlier. Top tips on making sense of the early data, along with nine smart story leads.

SEJ Publication Types:
Reporters Toolbox [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Chemicals [44]
Environmental Justice [23]
Environmental Politics [24]
Environmental Studies [6]
Government [8]
Health [38]
Journalism & Media [9]
Laws & Regulations [27]
People & Population [39]
Pollution [40]
Waste [45]
Region:
National (U.S.) [15]
Visibility:
Public [17]
- Read more about Early Toxics Release Inventory Data Can Yield Scoops [43]
Covering New IPCC Reports Helps Explain Gravity of Climate Crisis [46]

A new science assessment released this week pinpoints more global warming risks, but also represents reporting challenges to environmental journalists working to cover climate change. Veteran climate journalist Bob Berwyn has the latest news from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, and advice for reporters working the climate beat. Plus, links to other climate change reporting resources.

SEJ Publication Types:
Features [19]
Topics on the Beat:
Agriculture [3]
Climate Change [4]
Disasters [21]
Energy & Fuel [36]
Environmental Health [5]
Environmental Justice [23]
Environmental Politics [24]
Environmental Studies [6]
Forests [7]
Government [8]
Health [38]
Journalism & Media [9]
Laws & Regulations [27]
Planning & Growth [28]
Policy [29]
Science [11]
Transportation [47]
Water & Oceans [13]
Region:
National (U.S.) [15]
International [16]
Visibility:
Public [17]
- Read more about Covering New IPCC Reports Helps Explain Gravity of Climate Crisis [46]
Digging Deep Into an Insect ‘Die-off’ When the Data Is Missing [48]

Even with a book in the works and a pledge to not take on new projects, freelance environmental journalist Jeremy Hance couldn’t say no to a series on global insect decline. Despite missing data and numerous other challenges, the resulting project was an award-winning example of explanatory reporting. Insights and lessons learned, in the new Inside Story.

SEJ Publication Types:
Inside Story [33]
Topics on the Beat:
Biodiversity [49]
Environmental Health [5]
Environmental Studies [6]
Journalism & Media [9]
Science [11]
Wildlife [14]
Region:
National (U.S.) [15]
International [16]
Visibility:
Public [17]
- Read more about Digging Deep Into an Insect ‘Die-off’ When the Data Is Missing [48]
When No News Is Bad News — EPA Uncensors Climate Indicators [50]

A government website that tracked climate change is back after being frozen by the Trump administration. But the return of the EPA’s climate indicator page, argues the new WatchDog opinion column, is just one step in undoing a longer-term and more systematic assault on science that has hobbled truth-seeking journalists. WatchDog on what must come next.

SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog [51]
Topics on the Beat:
Activism [20]
Climate Change [4]
Environmental Politics [24]
Environmental Studies [6]
Government [8]
Journalism & Media [9]
Policy [29]
Science [11]
Region:
National (U.S.) [15]
Visibility:
Public [17]
- Read more about When No News Is Bad News — EPA Uncensors Climate Indicators [50]
Cruising EPA’s CompTox Chemicals Dashboard [52]

A massive database of databases maintained by EPA tracks more than 800,000 chemicals. And while CompTox is highly technical, it’s the source for important developments that environmental journalists need to know about, among them exploring whole classes of toxic chemicals, and understanding how big data and AI is transforming their regulation. Plus, alternate sources of chemical data for your reporting needs.

SEJ Publication Types:
Reporters Toolbox [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Chemicals [44]
Environmental Studies [6]
Science [11]
Technology [12]
Region:
National (U.S.) [15]
International [16]
Visibility:
Public [17]
- Read more about Cruising EPA’s CompTox Chemicals Dashboard [52]
“What Bears Teach Us” [53]

Bears are incredibly complex animals with much to teach humans, writes the author of a new volume on grizzlies, black and polar bears. Our BookShelf review calls the text, which also integrates striking photographs, highly scientific yet accessible, and suggests it might go a long way to helping not just to understand bears, but improve their odds of survival.

SEJ Publication Types:
BookShelf [54]
Topics on the Beat:
Climate Change [4]
Environmental Studies [6]
Science [11]
Wildlife [14]
Region:
International [16]
Canada [55]
Visibility:
Public [17]
- Read more about “What Bears Teach Us” [53]
Teaching Environmental Journalism. For the First Time. In a Pandemic. [56]

An initiate to the ways of teaching collegiate journalism winds her way through unique obstacles of a first term under COVID-19, from students reporting in masks to class sessions on computer screens. Not to mention the already onerous challenges of training young journalists to report and write a range of environmental stories. EJ Academy has her story, from the stumbles to the successes.

SEJ Publication Types:
EJ Academy [57]
Topics on the Beat:
Climate Change [4]
Environmental Studies [6]
Health [38]
Journalism & Media [9]
Natural Resources [10]
Pollution [40]
Water & Oceans [13]
Wildlife [14]
Region:
National (U.S.) [15]
Northeast (CT MA ME NH NJ NY RI VT) [58]
Visibility:
Public [17]
- Read more about Teaching Environmental Journalism. For the First Time. In a Pandemic. [56]

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