Publication Items

“Choked: Life and Breath in the Age of Air Pollution” [1]

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 [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Air [3]
Disasters [4]
Health [5]
Laws & Regulations [6]
People & Population [7]
Pollution [8]
Science [9]
Region:
National (U.S.) [10]
International [11]
Asia [12]
Europe [13]
Visibility:
Public [14]
- Read more about “Choked: Life and Breath in the Age of Air Pollution” [1]
When the Crisis Was Immense, SEJ Award-Winner Went Narrow [15]

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 [16]
Topics on the Beat:
Activism [17]
Air [3]
Chemicals [18]
Disasters [4]
Environmental Health [19]
Government [20]
Health [5]
Journalism & Media [21]
People & Population [7]
Pollution [8]
Water & Oceans [22]
Region:
International [11]
Asia [12]
Visibility:
Public [14]
- Read more about When the Crisis Was Immense, SEJ Award-Winner Went Narrow [15]
Coronavirus Pandemic Spawns Many Stories on Environment Beat [23]

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 [24]. And an earlier TipSheet on how journalists can prepare [25] for public health emergencies.

SEJ Publication Types:
Backgrounders [26]
Topics on the Beat:
Activism [17]
Agriculture [27]
Air [3]
Biodiversity [28]
Climate Change [29]
Consumer [30]
Disasters [4]
Economy & Business [31]
Energy & Fuel [32]
Environmental Health [19]
Environmental Politics [33]
Environmental Studies [34]
Government [20]
Health [5]
Journalism & Media [21]
Laws & Regulations [6]
People & Population [7]
Policy [35]
Pollution [8]
Science [9]
Transportation [36]
Wildlife [37]
Region:
National (U.S.) [10]
International [11]
Asia [12]
Visibility:
Public [14]
- Read more about Coronavirus Pandemic Spawns Many Stories on Environment Beat [23]
SEJournal Relaunches WatchDog with a ‘Voice,’ Plus Coronavirus and More [38]

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 [39]
Topics on the Beat:
Activism [17]
Agriculture [27]
Air [3]
Biodiversity [28]
Chemicals [18]
Climate Change [29]
Consumer [30]
Disasters [4]
Economy & Business [31]
Energy & Fuel [32]
Environmental Health [19]
Environmental Politics [33]
Environmental Studies [34]
Fish & Fisheries [40]
Food [41]
Forests [42]
Government [20]
Health [5]
Journalism & Media [21]
Laws & Regulations [6]
Military [43]
Natural Resources [44]
Nuclear Power & Radiation [45]
Other or All [46]
People & Population [7]
Planning & Growth [47]
Policy [35]
Pollution [8]
Science [9]
Technology [48]
Transportation [36]
Waste [49]
Water & Oceans [22]
Wildlife [37]
Region:
National (U.S.) [10]
Alaska and Hawaii [50]
California [51]
Great Lakes (IL IN MI MN OH WI) [52]
Great Plains (IA KS ND NE MO SD) [53]
Mid-Atlantic (DC DE MD PA VA WV) [54]
Mountain West (CO ID MT NV UT WY) [55]
Northeast (CT MA ME NH NJ NY RI VT) [56]
Northwest (OR WA) [57]
SE (AL AR FL GA KY LA MS NC PR SC TN) [58]
Southwest (AZ NM OK TX) [59]
International [11]
Canada [60]
Mexico [61]
Africa [62]
Antarctica & Arctic [63]
Asia [12]
Australia & Oceania [64]
Central America & the Caribbean [65]
Europe [13]
Middle East [66]
South America [67]
Visibility:
Public [14]
- Read more about SEJournal Relaunches WatchDog with a ‘Voice,’ Plus Coronavirus and More [38]
Freelance Photographer Charts New Journalistic Path [68]

How do you survive as a freelance wildlife photojournalist in today’s constrained news media economy? In the latest EJ InSight, photographer Morgan Heim shares the approach she has successfully pursued, and shares its implications for storytelling, independence and integrity. See a slideshow of her images [69]. Plus, Heim explores the ethics of non-traditional photography [70].

SEJ Publication Types:
EJ InSight [71]
Topics on the Beat:
Activism [17]
Biodiversity [28]
Environmental Studies [34]
Fish & Fisheries [40]
Journalism & Media [21]
Science [9]
Water & Oceans [22]
Wildlife [37]
Region:
National (U.S.) [10]
California [51]
Mountain West (CO ID MT NV UT WY) [55]
International [11]
Asia [12]
Visibility:
Public [14]
- Read more about Freelance Photographer Charts New Journalistic Path [68]
Toxic Chemicals Data Can Inform Your Community of Risks [72]

The annual release this month of the latest Toxics Release Inventory opens up a world of data about local hazards — but only if journalists have the tools to uncover hidden problems. The latest TipSheet walks you through the background and context needed, plus offers up a reporter’s rig and a pack of questions for possible stories.

SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [73]
Topics on the Beat:
Chemicals [18]
Disasters [4]
Health [5]
Journalism & Media [21]
Laws & Regulations [6]
People & Population [7]
Pollution [8]
Region:
National (U.S.) [10]
International [11]
Asia [12]
Visibility:
Public [14]
- Read more about Toxic Chemicals Data Can Inform Your Community of Risks [72]
‘Last Days of the Mighty Mekong’ and ‘Dead in the Water’ [74]

The Mekong River is a lifeline for millions and a biodiversity hotspot. But massive hydropower projects have put the Southeast Asian body of water, as well as the lives of the people and natural world around it, in serious jeopardy. In the latest BookShelf, writer Melody Kemp, who lives alongside the legendary river, reviews two volumes that help explain what’s killing the Mekong.

SEJ Publication Types:
BookShelf [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Biodiversity [28]
Environmental Health [19]
Environmental Politics [33]
Fish & Fisheries [40]
Food [41]
Natural Resources [44]
People & Population [7]
Planning & Growth [47]
Water & Oceans [22]
Region:
International [11]
Asia [12]
Visibility:
Public [14]
- Read more about ‘Last Days of the Mighty Mekong’ and ‘Dead in the Water’ [74]
Future of Nuclear Power Hangs in Balance of Climate, Costs [75]

Safety has traditionally been the key question when discussing the realities of nuclear power. But in assessing the future of the nuclear industry amid debates over its potential to help tackle the climate crisis, the latest entry in our “2020 Journalists’ Guide to Energy & the Environment” reports that there may be an equally pressing concern.

SEJ Publication Types:
Backgrounders [26]
Topics on the Beat:
Activism [17]
Climate Change [29]
Disasters [4]
Energy & Fuel [32]
Journalism & Media [21]
Nuclear Power & Radiation [45]
Region:
National (U.S.) [10]
California [51]
Great Lakes (IL IN MI MN OH WI) [52]
Mid-Atlantic (DC DE MD PA VA WV) [54]
Northeast (CT MA ME NH NJ NY RI VT) [56]
SE (AL AR FL GA KY LA MS NC PR SC TN) [58]
International [11]
Canada [60]
Asia [12]
Visibility:
Public [14]
- Read more about Future of Nuclear Power Hangs in Balance of Climate, Costs [75]
Soiled Skies Incite ‘Choked’ Author To Pursue Air Pollution Story [76]

The data on dirty air is devastating. But it wasn’t just the numbers that prompted freelance journalist Beth Gardiner to chase the story of worsening air pollution around the globe. It was also the impact on human lives and the intersection with politics, power and money. She explains in our latest feature story. Plus, resources for your own reporting.

SEJ Publication Types:
Features [77]
Topics on the Beat:
Air [3]
Chemicals [18]
Climate Change [29]
Disasters [4]
Environmental Politics [33]
Health [5]
Journalism & Media [21]
Laws & Regulations [6]
People & Population [7]
Policy [35]
Pollution [8]
Science [9]
Region:
National (U.S.) [10]
International [11]
Asia [12]
Europe [13]
Visibility:
Public [14]
- Read more about Soiled Skies Incite ‘Choked’ Author To Pursue Air Pollution Story [76]
“Giants of the Monsoon Forest: Living and Working With Elephants” [78]

A new book, “Giants of the Monsoon Forest,” offers an intimate look at the lives of working elephants in conflict-ridden Myanmar, where one of the planet’s most majestic animals faces increasing pressures. BookShelf reviewer Melody Kemp, based in Laos, describes her own experience with elephants, their surprising history with man and hopeful possibilities for their future.

SEJ Publication Types:
BookShelf [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Biodiversity [28]
Forests [42]
Military [43]
Wildlife [37]
Region:
International [11]
Asia [12]
Visibility:
Public [14]
- Read more about “Giants of the Monsoon Forest: Living and Working With Elephants” [78]

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