Publication Items

Environmental Policies Upended, Climate Plans a Casualty As Trump Takes Power [1]

In the overview summary for our “2025 Journalists’ Guide to Environment + Energy” special report, we foresee the very real prospect that environmental protection and energy policies in place, in some cases, for decades could swiftly be swept aside by the Trump administration and a GOP-controlled Congress. Read our analysis [1], plus look back at more than three dozen stories gathered together in our ninth annual guide [2].

SEJ Publication Types:
Special Reports [3]
Topics on the Beat:
Climate Change [4]
Energy & Fuel [5]
Environmental Justice [6]
Environmental Politics [7]
Government [8]
Health [9]
Infrastructure [10]
Journalism & Media [11]
Laws & Regulations [12]
Policy [13]
Pollution [14]
Region:
National (U.S.) [15]
International [16]
Visibility:
Public [17]
- Read more about Environmental Policies Upended, Climate Plans a Casualty As Trump Takes Power [1]
Open Door to Industry for Trump Environmental Agency Appointees [18]

It’s not just the heads of Trump administration environmental agencies who come from the industries they now are entrusted to regulate. The latest TipSheet explains that it’s also the political appointees below them — officials responsible for overseeing air, water, toxic chemicals, Superfund, forests and drilling — who are now likely examples of regulatory capture. A short list. Plus, more from our new Trump 2.0 EJWatch special section [19].

SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [20]
Topics on the Beat:
Agriculture [21]
Air [22]
Chemicals [23]
Climate Change [4]
Economy & Business [24]
Energy & Fuel [5]
Environmental Politics [7]
Forests [25]
Government [8]
Journalism & Media [11]
Laws & Regulations [12]
Natural Resources [26]
Policy [13]
Pollution [14]
Waste [27]
Water & Oceans [28]
Region:
National (U.S.) [15]
Visibility:
Public [17]
- Read more about Open Door to Industry for Trump Environmental Agency Appointees [18]
Insurance Meltdown a Foreseeable Climate Disaster [29]

Whether fires in California or flooding in North Carolina, climate disasters are revealing a major fault line in U.S. emergency response — a serious insurance shortfall that may lead to financial catastrophe. The new Issue Backgrounder explores the risks of underinsured disasters, the limits to the national flood insurance programs and FEMA aid, and the predictable scapegoating that has created solution gridlock.

SEJ Publication Types:
Backgrounders [30]
Topics on the Beat:
Climate Change [4]
Consumer [31]
Disasters [32]
Economy & Business [24]
Government [8]
Laws & Regulations [12]
People & Population [33]
Planning & Growth [34]
Policy [13]
Water & Oceans [28]
Visibility:
Public [17]
- Read more about Insurance Meltdown a Foreseeable Climate Disaster [29]
Telling the Stories of the Silent Sentinels [35]

To many, plants are a merely green backdrop, indistinguishable and inconsequential. But, freelancer Karen Mockler says that such “plant blindness” belies an urgent need for our notice. More than a third of the world’s trees and thousands of other plant species face extinction. Their plight — and their many blessings — offer perceptive journalists a wealth of reporting and storytelling opportunities. Mockler on why to write about plants.

SEJ Publication Types:
Features [36]
Topics on the Beat:
Agriculture [21]
Air [22]
Biodiversity [37]
Climate Change [4]
Environmental Health [38]
Environmental Justice [6]
Environmental Politics [7]
Environmental Studies [39]
Food [40]
Forests [25]
Government [8]
Health [9]
Journalism & Media [11]
Laws & Regulations [12]
Natural Resources [26]
Pollution [14]
Religion, Faith and Spirituality [41]
Science [42]
Water & Oceans [28]
Wildlife [43]
Region:
National (U.S.) [15]
California [44]
Northwest (OR WA) [45]
Southwest (AZ NM OK TX) [46]
International [16]
Canada [47]
Visibility:
Public [17]
- Read more about Telling the Stories of the Silent Sentinels [35]
‘One Big, Beautiful Bill’ Could Undo Biden’s Climate Progress [48]

A single “reconciliation” bill, promised by House Speaker Mike Johnson in the first 100 days of the new Congress, could wipe out the outgoing administration’s climate ambitions. EJ TransitionWatch explains the budget process and spotlights a half dozen energy and environment provisions — affecting offshore drilling, methane emissions, electric vehicle incentives and more — that could be in the measure if the Trump administration gets its way.

SEJ Publication Types:
EJ TransitionWatch [49]
Topics on the Beat:
Climate Change [4]
Energy & Fuel [5]
Environmental Politics [7]
Government [8]
Laws & Regulations [12]
Natural Resources [26]
Policy [13]
Region:
National (U.S.) [15]
Visibility:
Public [17]
- Read more about ‘One Big, Beautiful Bill’ Could Undo Biden’s Climate Progress [48]
Speaking Up for the First Amendment [50]

Many journalists can’t imagine themselves writing an opinion piece, but veteran reporter Tim Wheeler suggests they reconsider. With public distrust of news media mounting and government willingness to inform plummeting, Wheeler says it’s more important than ever for journalists to explain what they do and why it matters. Advice and an annotated example: How to put on the opinion writer’s hat.

SEJ Publication Types:
Features [36]
Topics on the Beat:
Government [8]
Journalism & Media [11]
Laws & Regulations [12]
Region:
National (U.S.) [15]
Visibility:
Public [17]
- Read more about Speaking Up for the First Amendment [50]
What Biden Rules Could Congress Unplug With Review Act? [51]

As the Biden White House rushes to enact environment and energy policy before Inauguration Day, an obscure law leaves room for the incoming administration to claw them back. At risk: strengthened emissions standards for vehicles and power, tougher energy efficiency standards and plans to replace lead pipes. The latest EJ TransitionWatch explains how the reversal works — and why it might not.

SEJ Publication Types:
EJ TransitionWatch [49]
Topics on the Beat:
Air [22]
Climate Change [4]
Economy & Business [24]
Energy & Fuel [5]
Environmental Politics [7]
Government [8]
Infrastructure [10]
Laws & Regulations [12]
Policy [13]
Pollution [14]
Technology [52]
Transportation [53]
Water & Oceans [28]
Region:
National (U.S.) [15]
Visibility:
Public [17]
- Read more about What Biden Rules Could Congress Unplug With Review Act? [51]
What Will a Second Trump Term Mean for Environmental Justice? [54]

An incoming Trump administration hostile to the very idea of environmental justice likely means the rollback of numerous policies and regulations designed to protect disadvantaged communities, cuts to an important “whole-of-government” initiative and downsizing of key federal environmental justice offices. The latest EJ TransitionWatch examines what’s at stake. And for more, see our Topics on the Beat page on environmental justice [55].

SEJ Publication Types:
EJ TransitionWatch [49]
Topics on the Beat:
Air [22]
Climate Change [4]
Environmental Justice [6]
Environmental Politics [7]
Government [8]
Health [9]
Infrastructure [10]
Laws & Regulations [12]
People & Population [33]
Policy [13]
Pollution [14]
Waste [27]
Water & Oceans [28]
Region:
National (U.S.) [15]
Visibility:
Public [17]
- Read more about What Will a Second Trump Term Mean for Environmental Justice? [54]
Beat Reporter Spotlights Costs of California's Environmental Reckoning [56]

The fossil fuel industry’s outsized climate policy role in the U.S.’s most populous state is the core of award-winning coverage from investigative journalist Aaron Cantú for nonprofit newsroom Capital & Main. In the new Inside Story Q&A, Cantú shares some of what challenged him in his reporting, what surprised him most and a lesson learned.

SEJ Publication Types:
Inside Story [57]
Topics on the Beat:
Climate Change [4]
Economy & Business [24]
Energy & Fuel [5]
Environmental Justice [6]
Environmental Politics [7]
Government [8]
Journalism & Media [11]
Laws & Regulations [12]
Natural Resources [26]
Policy [13]
Region:
National (U.S.) [15]
California [44]
Visibility:
Public [17]
- Read more about Beat Reporter Spotlights Costs of California's Environmental Reckoning [56]
Climate Action Looks First To Go Under New Administration [58]

President-elect Donald Trump has promised to pull the United States out of the Paris climate treaty and to maximize U.S. fossil fuel production. And as the transition to his incoming administration unfolds, he has named a cabinet replete with climate action skeptics. But will all that stop the transition to cleaner power? The latest EJ TransitionWatch has an assessment.

SEJ Publication Types:
EJ TransitionWatch [49]
Topics on the Beat:
Agriculture [21]
Climate Change [4]
Consumer [31]
Energy & Fuel [5]
Environmental Politics [7]
Government [8]
Infrastructure [10]
Laws & Regulations [12]
Policy [13]
Pollution [14]
Region:
National (U.S.) [15]
International [16]
Visibility:
Public [17]
- Read more about Climate Action Looks First To Go Under New Administration [58]

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