Publication Items

While No One Was Watching — Changing Enviro Regs Under Trump [1]

Regulations that sprang from cornerstone environmental laws in place for decades are now under attack by the Trump administration, per legal experts in a recent webinar co-sponsored by the Society of Environmental Journalists and Columbia University’s Earth Institute. Get key takeaways and resources from the event from SEJ’s Dale Willman. Plus, watch the full webinar video.

SEJ Publication Types:
SEJ News [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Activism [3]
Air [4]
Chemicals [5]
Climate Change [6]
Energy & Fuel [7]
Environmental Health [8]
Environmental Politics [9]
Government [10]
Health [11]
Laws & Regulations [12]
Natural Resources [13]
Policy [14]
Pollution [15]
Science [16]
Transportation [17]
Waste [18]
Water & Oceans [19]
Region:
National (U.S.) [20]
Visibility:
Public [21]
- Read more about While No One Was Watching — Changing Enviro Regs Under Trump [1]
“Choked: Life and Breath in the Age of Air Pollution” [22]

To better grasp how COVID-19 is linked to the persistent problem of polluted air, our latest BookShelf review recommends going back to a prescient text, “Choked: Life and Breath in the Age of Air Pollution.” While the volume predates the pandemic, it makes painfully clear why, during this crisis, healthy air matters more than ever.

SEJ Publication Types:
BookShelf [23]
Topics on the Beat:
Air [4]
Disasters [24]
Health [11]
Laws & Regulations [12]
People & Population [25]
Pollution [15]
Science [16]
Region:
National (U.S.) [20]
International [26]
Asia [27]
Europe [28]
Visibility:
Public [21]
- Read more about “Choked: Life and Breath in the Age of Air Pollution” [22]
Could Combined Sewer Overflows Be a COVID-19 Threat? [29]

For reporters investigating the coronavirus-environment connection, you might look to the untreated sewage that can sometimes overflow municipal systems during wet weather, possibly bringing the novel pathogen to beaches and other places where people can get sick from it. The latest TipSheet takes a look at the reality, plus provides story ideas and reporter resources.

SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [30]
Topics on the Beat:
Disasters [24]
Environmental Health [8]
Environmental Studies [31]
Government [10]
Health [11]
Journalism & Media [32]
Laws & Regulations [12]
People & Population [25]
Pollution [15]
Waste [18]
Water & Oceans [19]
Region:
National (U.S.) [20]
California [33]
International [26]
Europe [28]
Visibility:
Public [21]
- Read more about Could Combined Sewer Overflows Be a COVID-19 Threat? [29]
Smokey’s 420 Gets the ‘Dirt’ on Pot Crop [34]

The story of Smokey’s 420, mom-and-pop pot shop that’s taken a more environmental perspective. Plus, why the explosion in the infant business legal cannabis could be bad news for the environment [35], if left largely unregulated.

SEJ Publication Types:
Features [36]
Topics on the Beat:
Activism [3]
Agriculture [37]
Chemicals [5]
Consumer [38]
Economy & Business [39]
Energy & Fuel [7]
Environmental Politics [9]
Government [10]
Health [11]
Journalism & Media [32]
Laws & Regulations [12]
Policy [14]
Pollution [15]
Waste [18]
Water & Oceans [19]
Region:
National (U.S.) [20]
Mountain West (CO ID MT NV UT WY) [40]
Visibility:
Public [21]
- Read more about Smokey’s 420 Gets the ‘Dirt’ on Pot Crop [34]
Why an Unregulated Pot Business May Be Bad for the Environment [35]

One industry seemingly unharmed by the coronavirus-related shutdown is legal cannabis. But the explosion in this infant business could be bad news for the environment, if left largely unregulated. A closer look at the issues. Plus, the story of Smokey’s 420 [34], mom-and-pop pot shop that’s taken a more environmental perspective.

SEJ Publication Types:
Features [36]
Topics on the Beat:
Activism [3]
Agriculture [37]
Chemicals [5]
Economy & Business [39]
Energy & Fuel [7]
Environmental Politics [9]
Government [10]
Health [11]
Journalism & Media [32]
Laws & Regulations [12]
Policy [14]
Pollution [15]
Waste [18]
Water & Oceans [19]
Region:
National (U.S.) [20]
Mountain West (CO ID MT NV UT WY) [40]
Visibility:
Public [21]
- Read more about Why an Unregulated Pot Business May Be Bad for the Environment [35]
Ignoring COVID-19 Link, EPA Leaves Lax Soot Standard in Place [41]

As researchers are finding that soot and other forms of fine particulates in the air may actually make people more vulnerable to the coronavirus, the EPA decided earlier this month against tightening related standards under the Clean Air Act. The latest TipSheet explains why the decision matters, provides deeper context and offers story ideas and resources.

SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [30]
Topics on the Beat:
Air [4]
Disasters [24]
Environmental Health [8]
Environmental Politics [9]
Environmental Studies [31]
Government [10]
Health [11]
Journalism & Media [32]
Laws & Regulations [12]
People & Population [25]
Policy [14]
Pollution [15]
Science [16]
Transportation [17]
Region:
National (U.S.) [20]
Visibility:
Public [21]
- Read more about Ignoring COVID-19 Link, EPA Leaves Lax Soot Standard in Place [41]
When the Crisis Was Immense, SEJ Award-Winner Went Narrow [42]

How do you gain perspective on a widespread public health disaster? Award-winning reporter Apoorva Mandavilli shares valuable lessons on using a small lens to cover a big story — no, not COVID-19, but the deadly 1984 gas leak in Bhopal, India. And as she explains in this Inside Story Q&A, this decades-old story never really went away in the first place.

SEJ Publication Types:
Inside Story [43]
Topics on the Beat:
Activism [3]
Air [4]
Chemicals [5]
Disasters [24]
Environmental Health [8]
Government [10]
Health [11]
Journalism & Media [32]
People & Population [25]
Pollution [15]
Water & Oceans [19]
Region:
International [26]
Asia [27]
Visibility:
Public [21]
- Read more about When the Crisis Was Immense, SEJ Award-Winner Went Narrow [42]
Massive COVID-19 Aid Bill Nears Passage with Key Environment, Energy Elements [44]

An historic multi-trillion-dollar COVID-19 aid bill is approaching passage in the U.S. Congress, and while details are currently sketchy, it appears to include some key environment and energy asks related to oil reserves, emergency transit funding, cuts in airline carbon emissions, clean energy tax credits, and relief for oil, gas and coal industries. Read on, find out more about the many environment and energy reporting angles to the COVID-19 outbreak [45] and stay tuned to SEJournal online for further developments.

SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [30]
Topics on the Beat:
Air [4]
Climate Change [6]
Consumer [38]
Disasters [24]
Economy & Business [39]
Energy & Fuel [7]
Environmental Politics [9]
Government [10]
Health [11]
Laws & Regulations [12]
Policy [14]
Pollution [15]
Region:
National (U.S.) [20]
Visibility:
Public [21]
- Read more about Massive COVID-19 Aid Bill Nears Passage with Key Environment, Energy Elements [44]
Coronavirus Pandemic Spawns Many Stories on Environment Beat [45]

The momentous COVID-19 outbreak has many, many reporting angles — environment and energy stories certainly among them. Our latest Issue Backgrounder has an extensive rundown on possible ways in for environment and energy reporters, including everything from respiratory disease and air pollution to science denial and climate change, and more. Plus, pending passage of a massive congressional aid package [44]. And an earlier TipSheet on how journalists can prepare [46] for public health emergencies.

SEJ Publication Types:
Backgrounders [47]
Topics on the Beat:
Activism [3]
Agriculture [37]
Air [4]
Biodiversity [48]
Climate Change [6]
Consumer [38]
Disasters [24]
Economy & Business [39]
Energy & Fuel [7]
Environmental Health [8]
Environmental Politics [9]
Environmental Studies [31]
Government [10]
Health [11]
Journalism & Media [32]
Laws & Regulations [12]
People & Population [25]
Policy [14]
Pollution [15]
Science [16]
Transportation [17]
Wildlife [49]
Region:
National (U.S.) [20]
International [26]
Asia [27]
Visibility:
Public [21]
- Read more about Coronavirus Pandemic Spawns Many Stories on Environment Beat [45]
SEJournal Relaunches WatchDog with a ‘Voice,’ Plus Coronavirus and More [50]

SEJournal welcomes back from hiatus our WatchDog feature, now recast as an opinion column from Joseph A. Davis, Society of Environmental Journalists’ veteran freedom of information advocate and longtime SEJournal contributor. In part one of a two-parter, find out why we’re relaunching the new column, plus get Davis’ take on government openness (or lack thereof) around coronavirus, as well as more on SEJ’s deep commitment to open information and a rundown of its recent FOI activities. And watch for part two next week.

SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog [51]
Topics on the Beat:
Activism [3]
Agriculture [37]
Air [4]
Biodiversity [48]
Chemicals [5]
Climate Change [6]
Consumer [38]
Disasters [24]
Economy & Business [39]
Energy & Fuel [7]
Environmental Health [8]
Environmental Politics [9]
Environmental Studies [31]
Fish & Fisheries [52]
Food [53]
Forests [54]
Government [10]
Health [11]
Journalism & Media [32]
Laws & Regulations [12]
Military [55]
Natural Resources [13]
Nuclear Power & Radiation [56]
Other or All [57]
People & Population [25]
Planning & Growth [58]
Policy [14]
Pollution [15]
Science [16]
Technology [59]
Transportation [17]
Waste [18]
Water & Oceans [19]
Wildlife [49]
Region:
National (U.S.) [20]
Alaska and Hawaii [60]
California [33]
Great Lakes (IL IN MI MN OH WI) [61]
Great Plains (IA KS ND NE MO SD) [62]
Mid-Atlantic (DC DE MD PA VA WV) [63]
Mountain West (CO ID MT NV UT WY) [40]
Northeast (CT MA ME NH NJ NY RI VT) [64]
Northwest (OR WA) [65]
SE (AL AR FL GA KY LA MS NC PR SC TN) [66]
Southwest (AZ NM OK TX) [67]
International [26]
Canada [68]
Mexico [69]
Africa [70]
Antarctica & Arctic [71]
Asia [27]
Australia & Oceania [72]
Central America & the Caribbean [73]
Europe [28]
Middle East [74]
South America [75]
Visibility:
Public [21]
- Read more about SEJournal Relaunches WatchDog with a ‘Voice,’ Plus Coronavirus and More [50]

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