Publication Items

On the Front Lines, When Wildfires Turn Personal [1]

Forest fires have grown increasingly dangerous in a warming climate, a subject freelance journalist Jane Braxton Little has covered extensively in recent years. But her reporting turned personal when the rampaging Dixie Fire destroyed her small California town. As she explains in the new Inside Story Q&A, the wildfire disaster gave her a perspective no reporter would wish for.

SEJ Publication Types:
Inside Story [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Climate Change [3]
Disasters [4]
Forests [5]
Journalism & Media [6]
People & Population [7]
Region:
National (U.S.) [8]
California [9]
Visibility:
Public [10]
- Read more about On the Front Lines, When Wildfires Turn Personal [1]
Environmental Journalists, Idling in Idaho [11]

With the Society of Environmental Journalists’ 32nd annual conference in Boise now behind us, humorist David Helvarg offers a sharp-witted, albeit affectionate, skewering of the five-day gathering, everything from the host state’s politics to the innumerable sessions and the final blowout party. Prepare for punnage. Plus, check out the evolving multimedia coverage [12] of the event, and watch for session audio recordings to come.

SEJ Publication Types:
SEJ News [13]
Topics on the Beat:
Biodiversity [14]
Climate Change [3]
Economy & Business [15]
Energy & Fuel [16]
Environmental Health [17]
Environmental Justice [18]
Environmental Politics [19]
Fish & Fisheries [20]
Forests [5]
Government [21]
Journalism & Media [6]
Natural Resources [22]
Policy [23]
Water & Oceans [24]
Wildlife [25]
Region:
National (U.S.) [8]
Mountain West (CO ID MT NV UT WY) [26]
Visibility:
Public [10]
- Read more about Environmental Journalists, Idling in Idaho [11]
Reporting on the Amazon Rainforest Highlights Accelerating Destruction [27]

A prize-winning feature from the frontlines of the Amazon rainforest drew accolades in the Society of Environmental Journalists’ most recent awards contest. Judges said the “deeply reported account explains history and present-day politics through the lens of people whose voices are rarely heard in U.S. media.” Bloomberg investigative reporter Jessica Brice shares insights from the joint project, in the latest Inside Story Q&A.

SEJ Publication Types:
Inside Story [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Agriculture [28]
Biodiversity [14]
Economy & Business [15]
Environmental Health [17]
Environmental Justice [18]
Environmental Politics [19]
Forests [5]
Journalism & Media [6]
Natural Resources [22]
People & Population [7]
Region:
International [29]
South America [30]
Visibility:
Public [10]
- Read more about Reporting on the Amazon Rainforest Highlights Accelerating Destruction [27]
Public Lands Face New Challenges in Today’s Energy, Climate Landscape [31]

The debate over drilling on public lands goes back decades. But now our view of how — or even whether — to use public lands faces the unprecedented reality of climate change, fire, drought, floods and the transition to clean energy. The latest Backgrounder explains how we got here and where the current battles rage, including over the Alaskan North Slope’s massive Willow Project.

SEJ Publication Types:
Backgrounders [32]
Topics on the Beat:
Activism [33]
Climate Change [3]
Energy & Fuel [16]
Environmental Health [17]
Environmental Politics [19]
Forests [5]
Government [21]
Laws & Regulations [34]
Natural Resources [22]
Policy [23]
Region:
National (U.S.) [8]
Alaska and Hawaii [35]
Northeast (CT MA ME NH NJ NY RI VT) [36]
Visibility:
Public [10]
- Read more about Public Lands Face New Challenges in Today’s Energy, Climate Landscape [31]
2023 Gathering Goes Big in Boise [37]

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 [13]
Topics on the Beat:
Agriculture [28]
Biodiversity [14]
Climate Change [3]
Diversity [38]
Energy & Fuel [16]
Environmental Health [17]
Environmental Politics [19]
Fish & Fisheries [20]
Forests [5]
Government [21]
Journalism & Media [6]
Natural Resources [22]
Policy [23]
Water & Oceans [24]
Wildlife [25]
Region:
National (U.S.) [8]
Great Plains (IA KS ND NE MO SD) [39]
Mountain West (CO ID MT NV UT WY) [26]
Northwest (OR WA) [40]
Visibility:
Public [10]
- Read more about 2023 Gathering Goes Big in Boise [37]
Why the 2023 Farm Bill Will Actually Be an Environmental Story — and a Huge One [41]

A massive farm bill soon to emerge for debate in Congress will have enormous implications for the environment beat, affecting natural resources, environmental health and climate, not to mention food production and public health. Backgrounder lays out some of the key issues expected to be taken up in the twice-a-decade measure and provides resources for ongoing coverage.

SEJ Publication Types:
Backgrounders [32]
Topics on the Beat:
Agriculture [28]
Climate Change [3]
Environmental Health [17]
Environmental Justice [18]
Environmental Politics [19]
Food [42]
Forests [5]
Government [21]
Health [43]
Laws & Regulations [34]
Natural Resources [22]
Policy [23]
Region:
National (U.S.) [8]
Visibility:
Public [10]
- Read more about Why the 2023 Farm Bill Will Actually Be an Environmental Story — and a Huge One [41]
Koalas, Under Pressure From Wildfires and Development, Are Beloved But Undefended [44]

The cuteness of the fuzzy koala appears not to be winning it special protection in its native Australia, despite dwindling numbers, per a new volume on the endangered marsupial. BookShelf contributor Melody Kemp offers praise for “Koala: A Natural History and an Uncertain Future,” with a review that begins amusingly with bodily functions but ends dispiritedly with yet more koala habitat lost to housing tracts and wildfire.

SEJ Publication Types:
BookShelf [45]
Topics on the Beat:
Biodiversity [14]
Environmental Health [17]
Environmental Studies [46]
Forests [5]
Government [21]
Wildlife [25]
Region:
International [29]
Australia & Oceania [47]
Visibility:
Public [10]
- Read more about Koalas, Under Pressure From Wildfires and Development, Are Beloved But Undefended [44]
SEJ Panel Gauges Issues in the Works in the U.S. West [48]

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 [48], plus check out the full 2023 Guide [49].

SEJ Publication Types:
SEJ News [13]
Topics on the Beat:
Agriculture [28]
Air [50]
Biodiversity [14]
Climate Change [3]
Disasters [4]
Economy & Business [15]
Energy & Fuel [16]
Environmental Health [17]
Environmental Justice [18]
Environmental Politics [19]
Fish & Fisheries [20]
Food [42]
Forests [5]
Government [21]
Health [43]
Infrastructure [51]
Journalism & Media [6]
Natural Resources [22]
People & Population [7]
Planning & Growth [52]
Policy [23]
Pollution [53]
Water & Oceans [24]
Wildlife [25]
Region:
California [9]
Mountain West (CO ID MT NV UT WY) [26]
Northwest (OR WA) [40]
Southwest (AZ NM OK TX) [54]
Visibility:
Public [10]
- Read more about SEJ Panel Gauges Issues in the Works in the U.S. West [48]
Cascadia Bioregion Rife With Energy, Environment Troubles To Report in 2023 [55]

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 [56]
Topics on the Beat:
Activism [33]
Agriculture [28]
Air [50]
Biodiversity [14]
Climate Change [3]
Consumer [57]
Disasters [4]
Diversity [38]
Economy & Business [15]
Energy & Fuel [16]
Environmental Health [17]
Environmental Justice [18]
Environmental Politics [19]
Environmental Studies [46]
Fish & Fisheries [20]
Food [42]
Forests [5]
Government [21]
Health [43]
Infrastructure [51]
Journalism & Media [6]
Laws & Regulations [34]
Natural Resources [22]
Planning & Growth [52]
Policy [23]
Pollution [53]
Transportation [58]
Waste [59]
Water & Oceans [24]
Wildlife [25]
Region:
National (U.S.) [8]
Alaska and Hawaii [35]
California [9]
Mountain West (CO ID MT NV UT WY) [26]
Northwest (OR WA) [40]
International [29]
Canada [60]
Visibility:
Public [10]
- Read more about Cascadia Bioregion Rife With Energy, Environment Troubles To Report in 2023 [55]
Determined Grantee Weaves Together Unique Project on Ash Trees, Wetlands and Baskets [61]

When the global pandemic interfered with independent journalist Gabriel Popkin’s plans for a grant-funded biodiversity reporting project on the emerald ash borer, an invasive pest threatening ash forests, he came up with a surprising solution. In this FEJ StoryLog, Popkin shares how he worked around travel shutdowns and subsequent story pitch rejections to ultimately discover an alternative storytelling option to keep his project alive.

SEJ Publication Types:
FEJ StoryLog [62]
Topics on the Beat:
Biodiversity [14]
Environmental Health [17]
Environmental Justice [18]
Forests [5]
Journalism & Media [6]
Natural Resources [22]
Religion, Faith and Spirituality [63]
Region:
National (U.S.) [8]
Great Lakes (IL IN MI MN OH WI) [64]
Mid-Atlantic (DC DE MD PA VA WV) [65]
Northeast (CT MA ME NH NJ NY RI VT) [36]
Visibility:
Public [10]
- Read more about Determined Grantee Weaves Together Unique Project on Ash Trees, Wetlands and Baskets [61]

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