Publication Items

Methane and Climate Change Toolbox [1]

Levels of methane, a potent greenhouse gas, have doubled in the past 150 years due to human activity, particularly from fossil fuels and extensive farming. As part of an ongoing Society of Environmental Journalists special project focused on covering climate solutions, check out a methane resource toolbox and stay tuned for a methane reporting tipsheet in the coming weeks. Plus, watch the recording [2] of an SEJ virtual webinar, Covering Climate Solutions: Containing and Monitoring Methane.

SEJ Publication Types:
Special Reports [3]
Topics on the Beat:
Agriculture [4]
Air [5]
Climate Change [6]
Energy & Fuel [7]
Environmental Health [8]
Environmental Studies [9]
Government [10]
Journalism & Media [11]
Laws & Regulations [12]
Natural Resources [13]
Policy [14]
Pollution [15]
Science [16]
Technology [17]
Region:
National (U.S.) [18]
Great Plains (IA KS ND NE MO SD) [19]
Mid-Atlantic (DC DE MD PA VA WV) [20]
Mountain West (CO ID MT NV UT WY) [21]
Southwest (AZ NM OK TX) [22]
International [23]
Visibility:
Public [24]
- Read more about Methane and Climate Change Toolbox [1]
WTO Deal on Fishing Subsidies May Reduce Ocean Overfishing [25]

A new World Trade Organization agreement to limit global overfishing may yield important stories for environmental journalists, as billions of people around the world rely on already heavily exploited fish stocks as their main source of protein. This Backgrounder offers details on the pact and how it tries to address the problem, while providing resources for your reporting.

SEJ Publication Types:
Backgrounders [26]
Topics on the Beat:
Economy & Business [27]
Environmental Health [8]
Environmental Justice [28]
Environmental Politics [29]
Fish & Fisheries [30]
Food [31]
Government [10]
Journalism & Media [11]
Laws & Regulations [12]
Natural Resources [13]
Policy [14]
Water & Oceans [32]
Wildlife [33]
Region:
National (U.S.) [18]
International [23]
Asia [34]
Europe [35]
Visibility:
Public [24]
- Read more about WTO Deal on Fishing Subsidies May Reduce Ocean Overfishing [25]
Reporting Ocean Stories Is Key to Blue Literacy, Planetary Health [36]

As part of a Society of Environmental Journalists publishing project focused on covering climate solutions, we take a closer look at ocean-based solutions. In this special tipsheet, ocean scientist and science writer Juli Berwald offers a primer on the climate-related challenges and possibilities in the global ocean’s physics, chemistry and biology. Plus, check out an expanded toolbox [37] with reporting resources and watch a recent SEJ webinar [38].

SEJ Publication Types:
Special Reports [3]
Topics on the Beat:
Biodiversity [39]
Climate Change [6]
Environmental Health [8]
Environmental Politics [29]
Environmental Studies [9]
Fish & Fisheries [30]
Journalism & Media [11]
Laws & Regulations [12]
Natural Resources [13]
Policy [14]
Science [16]
Water & Oceans [32]
Region:
National (U.S.) [18]
International [23]
Antarctica & Arctic [40]
Visibility:
Public [24]
- Read more about Reporting Ocean Stories Is Key to Blue Literacy, Planetary Health [36]
How 'Rights of Nature' Is Recasting the Relationship Between Law and the Earth [41]

In 2006, a local government council in Pennsylvania concerned about sewage sludge dumping enacted the Western legal system’s first formal “rights of nature” instrument. Today, numerous countries have laws recognizing specific rights or even legal personhood for nature. As legal expert Alice Bleby explains, this new perspective arises from a wide range of contexts and plays out in many different ways.

SEJ Publication Types:
Features [42]
Topics on the Beat:
Activism [43]
Biodiversity [39]
Chemicals [44]
Climate Change [6]
Environmental Health [8]
Environmental Justice [28]
Environmental Politics [29]
Environmental Studies [9]
Fish & Fisheries [30]
Forests [45]
Government [10]
Laws & Regulations [12]
Natural Resources [13]
Policy [14]
Pollution [15]
Religion, Faith and Spirituality [46]
Water & Oceans [32]
Region:
National (U.S.) [18]
California [47]
Great Lakes (IL IN MI MN OH WI) [48]
Mid-Atlantic (DC DE MD PA VA WV) [20]
International [23]
Africa [49]
Asia [34]
Australia & Oceania [50]
South America [51]
Visibility:
Public [24]
- Read more about How 'Rights of Nature' Is Recasting the Relationship Between Law and the Earth [41]
EPA’s FOIA Report Updates Progress on Backlog Reduction [52]

The Freedom of Information Act offers critical access to journalists — that is, when it’s working well. The latest WatchDog Opinion digs into the latest reports from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to see how well it lives up to its FOIA requirements and finds that despite progress, the agency continues to fall short on important measures. Plus, insight into how to work the system.

SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog [53]
Topics on the Beat:
Environmental Politics [29]
Government [10]
Journalism & Media [11]
Laws & Regulations [12]
Policy [14]
Region:
National (U.S.) [18]
Visibility:
Public [24]
- Read more about EPA’s FOIA Report Updates Progress on Backlog Reduction [52]
Ocean and Climate Change Toolbox [37]

Oceans and climate change intersect with many other issues, a crossover likely to be emphasized in the upcoming United Nations Ocean Conference and in future ocean-based climate discussions. This list of resources reflects some of that intersection in order to help environmental journalists better cover the field of “blue climate” solutions.

SEJ Publication Types:
Special Reports [3]
Topics on the Beat:
Biodiversity [39]
Climate Change [6]
Environmental Health [8]
Environmental Politics [29]
Environmental Studies [9]
Fish & Fisheries [30]
Laws & Regulations [12]
Natural Resources [13]
Policy [14]
Pollution [15]
Science [16]
Water & Oceans [32]
Region:
National (U.S.) [18]
International [23]
Visibility:
Public [24]
- Read more about Ocean and Climate Change Toolbox [37]
EPA Leak on Problem Coal Ash Sites Could Yield Local Drinking Water Stories [54]

Closure plans for more than 160 coal ash facilities crisscrossing the United States are under renewed scrutiny by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, according to a newly leaked list. The latest TipSheet credits that leak with offering local environmental reporters story leads on potential drinking water pollution in their communities. Get the details, plus story ideas and reporting resources.

SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [55]
Topics on the Beat:
Chemicals [44]
Energy & Fuel [7]
Environmental Politics [29]
Health [56]
Journalism & Media [11]
Laws & Regulations [12]
Pollution [15]
Waste [57]
Water & Oceans [32]
Region:
National (U.S.) [18]
SE (AL AR FL GA KY LA MS NC PR SC TN) [58]
Visibility:
Public [24]
- Read more about EPA Leak on Problem Coal Ash Sites Could Yield Local Drinking Water Stories [54]
Unpacking Bipartisan Infrastructure Law With Data … But Not Databases [59]

As funding from the U.S. government’s massive infrastructure bill starts to get spent, big swaths of it on environmental-related concerns, Reporter’s Toolbox points to a problem for journalists covering it — there appears to be no single database to help track the money. But for intrepid reporters, various data sources are out there to help tell the story.

SEJ Publication Types:
Reporters Toolbox [60]
Topics on the Beat:
Climate Change [6]
Environmental Politics [29]
Government [10]
Infrastructure [61]
Journalism & Media [11]
Laws & Regulations [12]
Policy [14]
Region:
National (U.S.) [18]
Visibility:
Public [24]
- Read more about Unpacking Bipartisan Infrastructure Law With Data … But Not Databases [59]
Supreme Court Winds Up for Another Swing at Clean Water Act [62]

In a second Issue Backgrounder looking at major environmental questions before the U.S. Supreme Court, SEJournal considers the long-standing controversy about the definition of “waters of the United States.” The Clean Water Act case, which the high court could (re)decide during its next term, would have profound environmental and economic implications. The latest Backgrounder wades into the issue.

SEJ Publication Types:
Backgrounders [26]
Topics on the Beat:
Agriculture [4]
Environmental Politics [29]
Fish & Fisheries [30]
Government [10]
Laws & Regulations [12]
Natural Resources [13]
Water & Oceans [32]
Region:
National (U.S.) [18]
Visibility:
Public [24]
- Read more about Supreme Court Winds Up for Another Swing at Clean Water Act [62]
Fine Particle Pollution Will Soon Spawn a Stormcloud of News [63]

New rules on soot may soon be on the way and will likely stir up the long-standing controversy over air pollution from particulate matter. The latest TipSheet has the backstory on the pending regulations, reviews human health impacts and offers a range of story ideas and reporting resources for environmental journalists to tell the story on a local and regional basis.

SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [55]
Topics on the Beat:
Air [5]
Chemicals [44]
Environmental Justice [28]
Environmental Politics [29]
Health [56]
Journalism & Media [11]
Laws & Regulations [12]
Policy [14]
Pollution [15]
Region:
National (U.S.) [18]
Visibility:
Public [24]
- Read more about Fine Particle Pollution Will Soon Spawn a Stormcloud of News [63]

Pages