Publication Items

Clearing the Smoke — Collaboration Exposes Impacts of Wildfire Pollution-Reporting Rules [1]

Climate change is fueling the frequency and severity of wildfires, but a little-known Clean Air Act rule lets environmental agencies downplay the impacts of wildfire smoke. A collaborative investigation into this loophole connected dots that even the experts didn’t know about. Journalists Dillon Bergin and Molly Peterson explain their reporting process and offer advice for following your own local leads.

SEJ Publication Types:
Features [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Air [3]
Climate Change [4]
Disasters [5]
Environmental Health [6]
Government [7]
Health [8]
Journalism & Media [9]
Laws & Regulations [10]
Pollution [11]
Region:
National (U.S.) [12]
Alaska and Hawaii [13]
California [14]
Great Lakes (IL IN MI MN OH WI) [15]
Great Plains (IA KS ND NE MO SD) [16]
Mid-Atlantic (DC DE MD PA VA WV) [17]
Mountain West (CO ID MT NV UT WY) [18]
Northeast (CT MA ME NH NJ NY RI VT) [19]
Northwest (OR WA) [20]
SE (AL AR FL GA KY LA MS NC PR SC TN) [21]
Southwest (AZ NM OK TX) [22]
Visibility:
Public [23]
- Read more about Clearing the Smoke — Collaboration Exposes Impacts of Wildfire Pollution-Reporting Rules [1]
Personal Care Products — Bringing the Problems Home [24]

Health and environmental concerns about some beauty items — like the use of formaldehyde in certain hair straighteners — have started to emerge as a focus for federal regulation. But as the latest TipSheet points out, the response has been slow and fitful. Meanwhile, here are story ideas and resources to help reporters find local angles for this environmental and public health hazard.

SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [25]
Topics on the Beat:
Chemicals [26]
Consumer [27]
Government [7]
Health [8]
Journalism & Media [9]
Laws & Regulations [10]
Region:
National (U.S.) [12]
Visibility:
Public [23]
- Read more about Personal Care Products — Bringing the Problems Home [24]
U.S. Offshore Wind May Not Stay Becalmed for Long [28]

While the first offshore wind turbine started sending power into the U.S. grid just last month, and the renewable power source has enthusiastic support from the Biden administration, the industry has been slowed by politics, high interest rates and supply chain problems. But the latest Issue Backgrounder explores why offshore wind can be expected to succeed.

SEJ Publication Types:
Backgrounders [29]
Topics on the Beat:
Climate Change [4]
Economy & Business [30]
Energy & Fuel [31]
Environmental Health [6]
Environmental Politics [32]
Fish & Fisheries [33]
Government [7]
Infrastructure [34]
Laws & Regulations [10]
Natural Resources [35]
Policy [36]
Water & Oceans [37]
Region:
National (U.S.) [12]
Northeast (CT MA ME NH NJ NY RI VT) [19]
Visibility:
Public [23]
- Read more about U.S. Offshore Wind May Not Stay Becalmed for Long [28]
Want To Protect Your Sources? It Helps To Know the Law [38]

With climate-related legal disputes playing out worldwide, we could see more environmental journalists facing subpoenas to access their newsgathering materials and reveal their sources. Case in point: the legal battle embroiling a news nonprofit over its coverage of pipeline protests. The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press’ Chris Young looks at shield laws and resources to help deal with legal threats to your journalistic integrity.

SEJ Publication Types:
Features [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Activism [39]
Energy & Fuel [31]
Government [7]
Journalism & Media [9]
Laws & Regulations [10]
Natural Resources [35]
Policy [36]
Region:
National (U.S.) [12]
Alaska and Hawaii [13]
Great Lakes (IL IN MI MN OH WI) [15]
Mountain West (CO ID MT NV UT WY) [18]
Visibility:
Public [23]
- Read more about Want To Protect Your Sources? It Helps To Know the Law [38]
Reemerging Wetlands Controversy Brings Local Angles [40]

Wetlands provide a wide array of ecological and societal benefits. But in the United States, they also represent a morass of conflicting views going back decades on how best to regulate them. Now a recent Supreme Court ruling and proposed federal rules are the source of new discord. The latest TipSheet explores how best to cover the wetlands controversy for your community.

SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [25]
Topics on the Beat:
Agriculture [41]
Biodiversity [42]
Economy & Business [30]
Environmental Health [6]
Environmental Politics [32]
Fish & Fisheries [33]
Laws & Regulations [10]
Natural Resources [35]
Water & Oceans [37]
Region:
National (U.S.) [12]
Visibility:
Public [23]
- Read more about Reemerging Wetlands Controversy Brings Local Angles [40]
Floods, Fires, Dysfunction — Another Year Ahead of Faltering Steps on Environment, Energy [43]

In our annual look-ahead on the environment and energy beat in 2024, we see a bumpy ride on global climate change talks coupled with more climate-driven disasters, even amid the evolving energy transition. And we see possible risks to ocean life from deep sea mining and continuing risks to human life from pollution of air, water and land. Insights in our overview [43] and our full “2024 Journalists’ Guide to Environment & Energy [44]” special report.

SEJ Publication Types:
Special Reports [45]
Topics on the Beat:
Air [3]
Biodiversity [42]
Chemicals [26]
Climate Change [4]
Disasters [5]
Economy & Business [30]
Energy & Fuel [31]
Environmental Health [6]
Environmental Justice [46]
Environmental Politics [32]
Forests [47]
Government [7]
Health [8]
Infrastructure [34]
Laws & Regulations [10]
Natural Resources [35]
Policy [36]
Pollution [11]
Transportation [48]
Waste [49]
Water & Oceans [37]
Region:
National (U.S.) [12]
International [50]
Visibility:
Public [23]
- Read more about Floods, Fires, Dysfunction — Another Year Ahead of Faltering Steps on Environment, Energy [43]
Why Environmental Reporters Need To ‘Get’ the Budget Process [51]

When Congress debates funding — or cutting — government programs that deal with environmental and energy issues, journalists on those beats should pay attention. A special Backgrounder, part of our 2024 Journalists’ Guide to Environment and Energy, walks you through the (not so boring) budget process — rules, timelines, dealmaking — to help find the angles on what could be a major story of the coming year. Plus, a primer on budget primers.

SEJ Publication Types:
Backgrounders [29]
Topics on the Beat:
Environmental Politics [32]
Government [7]
Laws & Regulations [10]
Policy [36]
Region:
National (U.S.) [12]
Visibility:
Public [23]
- Read more about Why Environmental Reporters Need To ‘Get’ the Budget Process [51]
Reporting on Environmental Solutions and Equity — at a Watershed Scale [52]

Reporting on interconnected ecosystems lends itself to better environmental stories, and so tracing how water moves across landscapes, communities, industries and regulatory schemes can help the public connect the dots. That’s how Annie Ropeik, who helps run the Mississippi River Basin Ag & Water Desk, sees the watershed beat. She shares expert views and offers insights for environment journalists to use in their reporting.

SEJ Publication Types:
Features [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Activism [39]
Agriculture [41]
Climate Change [4]
Diversity [53]
Economy & Business [30]
Environmental Health [6]
Environmental Justice [46]
Environmental Politics [32]
Environmental Studies [54]
Government [7]
Health [8]
Infrastructure [34]
Journalism & Media [9]
Laws & Regulations [10]
Natural Resources [35]
Planning & Growth [55]
Policy [36]
Pollution [11]
Water & Oceans [37]
Region:
National (U.S.) [12]
Great Lakes (IL IN MI MN OH WI) [15]
Great Plains (IA KS ND NE MO SD) [16]
Mountain West (CO ID MT NV UT WY) [18]
Northwest (OR WA) [20]
SE (AL AR FL GA KY LA MS NC PR SC TN) [21]
International [50]
Canada [56]
Visibility:
Public [23]
- Read more about Reporting on Environmental Solutions and Equity — at a Watershed Scale [52]
Seabed Mining May Dredge Up Real Minerals, Fishy Worries in 2024 [57]

The mining of the ocean floor has stirred up significant debate, much of which clouds the realities of whether and to what degree it would cause ecological harm to one of the world’s greatest resources. This week’s TipSheet looks more closely at the controversy, which may well come to a head in the coming year. The latest entry in SEJournal’s 2024 Journalists’ Guide to Environment and Energy.

SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [25]
Topics on the Beat:
Activism [39]
Biodiversity [42]
Climate Change [4]
Economy & Business [30]
Environmental Health [6]
Environmental Politics [32]
Fish & Fisheries [33]
Food [58]
Government [7]
Journalism & Media [9]
Laws & Regulations [10]
Natural Resources [35]
Policy [36]
Pollution [11]
Water & Oceans [37]
Region:
International [50]
Visibility:
Public [23]
- Read more about Seabed Mining May Dredge Up Real Minerals, Fishy Worries in 2024 [57]
Do Home Buyers Have a Right to Flood Risk Disclosure? [59]

In the second of a two-parter for our 2024 Journalists’ Guide to Environment + Energy [44], the latest TipSheet considers how local environmental journalists can make news out of the state-by-state patchwork of flood risk disclosure laws amid rising climate extremes. A dozen-and-a-half story ideas and reporting resources on the topic. Plus, see part one [60] on climate and insurance.

SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [25]
Topics on the Beat:
Climate Change [4]
Consumer [27]
Disasters [5]
Government [7]
Infrastructure [34]
Journalism & Media [9]
Laws & Regulations [10]
Planning & Growth [55]
Policy [36]
Water & Oceans [37]
Region:
National (U.S.) [12]
Visibility:
Public [23]
- Read more about Do Home Buyers Have a Right to Flood Risk Disclosure? [59]

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