Publication Items

Grantee Wades Into Surprising Blue-Green Algae Problem [1]

A chance encounter with a social media post from a retired government official led environmental journalist Sharon Oosthoek on a virtual, pandemic-era journey deep into the waters of Lake Superior to chase down an algal bloom. In her contribution to FEJ StoryLog, Oosthoek shares how she leveraged the tip into a grant that allowed her and her TV channel partner to produce a multi-part text, video, engagement and teaching project.

SEJ Publication Types:
FEJ StoryLog [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Climate Change [3]
Environmental Health [4]
Fish & Fisheries [5]
Journalism & Media [6]
Natural Resources [7]
Pollution [8]
Water & Oceans [9]
Region:
National (U.S.) [10]
Great Lakes (IL IN MI MN OH WI) [11]
International [12]
Canada [13]
Visibility:
Public [14]
- Read more about Grantee Wades Into Surprising Blue-Green Algae Problem [1]
Houston and Other Disasters at #SEJ2022 [15]

If it often feels like the world of environmental journalism is all dour worry over our collective futures, resident humorist David Helvarg is here to remind you that our present is just as scary — if for different, and funnier, reasons. In his latest lampoon of the Society of Environmental Journalists’ annual conference [16], Helvarg shares his trademark jests from Houston. Plus, (straighter) reportage from the gathering at the conference coverage page [17].

SEJ Publication Types:
Features [18]
Topics on the Beat:
Climate Change [3]
Environmental Health [4]
Environmental Politics [19]
Journalism & Media [6]
People & Population [20]
Pollution [8]
Water & Oceans [9]
Region:
National (U.S.) [10]
Southwest (AZ NM OK TX) [21]
Visibility:
Public [14]
- Read more about Houston and Other Disasters at #SEJ2022 [15]
How Ireland’s Tree Farms, Licensed With Little Environmental Assessment, Harm Biodiversity, Rural Communities [22]

A crowdsourced, crowdfunded investigation on the damage caused by the spread of commercial spruce plantations, both to the biodiversity-rich areas of Ireland and the isolated farming communities where they are planted, was the subject of an award-winning report from journalist Niall Sargent. Find out how he ID’d the problem, overcame investigative challenges and ultimately told a human-centered, data-rich story. Our latest Inside Story Q&A.

SEJ Publication Types:
Inside Story [23]
Topics on the Beat:
Agriculture [24]
Biodiversity [25]
Economy & Business [26]
Environmental Health [4]
Environmental Justice [27]
Environmental Politics [19]
Forests [28]
Government [29]
Journalism & Media [6]
Natural Resources [7]
People & Population [20]
Region:
International [12]
Europe [30]
Visibility:
Public [14]
- Read more about How Ireland’s Tree Farms, Licensed With Little Environmental Assessment, Harm Biodiversity, Rural Communities [22]
A Castoff Bumper Leads to a Literary ‘Autobiography’ of Plastic [31]

Environmental writer Allison Cobb, in “Plastic: An Autobiography,” tells the story of the ubiquitous material through a series of interwoven narratives that range from her own experiences with it (including a discarded plastic car bumper), to the corporate origins of its spread and the way it’s now dangerously carpeting nature and damaging human communities. Contributor Nano Riley has a review in our new BookShelf.

SEJ Publication Types:
BookShelf [32]
Topics on the Beat:
Consumer [33]
Environmental Health [4]
Environmental Justice [27]
Health [34]
Pollution [8]
Waste [35]
Water & Oceans [9]
Wildlife [36]
Region:
National (U.S.) [10]
Alaska and Hawaii [37]
International [12]
Canada [13]
Mexico [38]
Africa [39]
Antarctica & Arctic [40]
Asia [41]
Australia & Oceania [42]
Central America & the Caribbean [43]
Europe [30]
Middle East [44]
South America [45]
Visibility:
Public [14]
- Read more about A Castoff Bumper Leads to a Literary ‘Autobiography’ of Plastic [31]
Now Maskless, What Are Schools Doing in the COVID-19 Era About Clean Indoor Air? [46]

As schools (and many other institutions) around the United States relax mask mandates, questions remain about how they will keep indoor air clean and safe. The latest TipSheet takes a look at the often-underestimated risks of indoor air pollution, as well as well-known practices to clean it up. Get story ideas and resources for reporting on schools in your community.

SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [47]
Topics on the Beat:
Air [48]
Disasters [49]
Environmental Health [4]
Environmental Politics [19]
Health [34]
Infrastructure [50]
Journalism & Media [6]
Laws & Regulations [51]
Pollution [8]
Region:
National (U.S.) [10]
Visibility:
Public [14]
- Read more about Now Maskless, What Are Schools Doing in the COVID-19 Era About Clean Indoor Air? [46]
Pollinator Gardens Yield Local Story Possibilities [52]

It’s perhaps the ultimate local environment story — found right in your audience’s literal backyard. Pollinator gardens offer environmental journalists an opportunity not just to report on ecologically beneficial (and attractive) plantings, but also to tell the complex story of pollinators — butterflies, birds and, of course, bees. The latest TipSheet plants ideas and resources to cover the pollinator garden story.

SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [47]
Topics on the Beat:
Agriculture [24]
Biodiversity [25]
Environmental Health [4]
Region:
National (U.S.) [10]
Visibility:
Public [14]
- Read more about Pollinator Gardens Yield Local Story Possibilities [52]
Environmental Justice Beat Gets Boost From New Database [53]

The Biden administration, which has been making environmental justice a top goal, has released a new screening tool that complements existing environmental equity databases, but with especially strong attention to a range of categories like clean transit, clean water, housing issues, life expectancy and more (although, interestingly, not race). The latest Reporter’s Toolbox has a guide to the new screening tool.

SEJ Publication Types:
Reporters Toolbox [54]
Topics on the Beat:
Diversity [55]
Environmental Health [4]
Environmental Justice [27]
Environmental Politics [19]
Health [34]
Journalism & Media [6]
People & Population [20]
Planning & Growth [56]
Policy [57]
Pollution [8]
Region:
National (U.S.) [10]
Visibility:
Public [14]
- Read more about Environmental Justice Beat Gets Boost From New Database [53]
Houston Plays Host to First On-Site SEJ Conference Since 2019 [58]

Environmental journalists from around the country and beyond will gather in Houston later this month for the Society of Environmental Journalists’ 31st annual conference. Widely known as the energy capital of the world, this highly diverse city is an ideal place to drill down on the causes and consequences of climate change and other environmental issues of the day.

SEJ Publication Types:
SEJ News [59]
Topics on the Beat:
Activism [60]
Air [48]
Biodiversity [25]
Chemicals [61]
Climate Change [3]
Disasters [49]
Diversity [55]
Economy & Business [26]
Energy & Fuel [62]
Environmental Health [4]
Environmental Justice [27]
Environmental Politics [19]
Fish & Fisheries [5]
Food [63]
Forests [28]
Government [29]
Health [34]
Infrastructure [50]
Journalism & Media [6]
Laws & Regulations [51]
People & Population [20]
Planning & Growth [56]
Policy [57]
Pollution [8]
Religion, Faith and Spirituality [64]
Science [65]
Technology [66]
Transportation [67]
Waste [35]
Water & Oceans [9]
Wildlife [36]
Region:
National (U.S.) [10]
Southwest (AZ NM OK TX) [21]
International [12]
Mexico [38]
Central America & the Caribbean [43]
Europe [30]
South America [45]
Visibility:
Public [14]
- Read more about Houston Plays Host to First On-Site SEJ Conference Since 2019 [58]
Climate Crisis May Quickly Confront U.S., World With National Security Threats [68]

The climate-security nexus has drawn attention from the Biden administration, but less so elsewhere, even as security experts worry about climate change as a threat multiplier that can exacerbate other causes of conflict. Our new Backgrounder explores these concerns, with a look at how the issue has played out in recent U.S. politics. Plus, seven global regions where climate change may worsen ongoing conflict.

SEJ Publication Types:
Backgrounders [69]
Topics on the Beat:
Climate Change [3]
Disasters [49]
Environmental Health [4]
Environmental Politics [19]
Food [63]
Government [29]
Military [70]
Natural Resources [7]
People & Population [20]
Policy [57]
Water & Oceans [9]
Region:
National (U.S.) [10]
International [12]
Mexico [38]
Africa [39]
Antarctica & Arctic [40]
Asia [41]
Central America & the Caribbean [43]
Middle East [44]
South America [45]
Visibility:
Public [14]
- Read more about Climate Crisis May Quickly Confront U.S., World With National Security Threats [68]
Walking With the ‘Guardians of the Forest’ — Lessons From Coverage of Amazonian Fires [71]

Three teams of video journalists descended on the Brazilian Amazon amid some of its worst-ever fires to capture efforts of Indigenous rainforest “guardians” to protect it from destruction. They returned with award-winning reporting, but also a deeper understanding of the region and its people, and of how to bring the climate change story closer to home. They share their experiences, in the new EJ InSight.

SEJ Publication Types:
EJ InSight [72]
Topics on the Beat:
Activism [60]
Agriculture [24]
Biodiversity [25]
Climate Change [3]
Environmental Health [4]
Environmental Justice [27]
Environmental Politics [19]
Forests [28]
Journalism & Media [6]
Natural Resources [7]
People & Population [20]
Region:
International [12]
South America [45]
Visibility:
Public [14]
- Read more about Walking With the ‘Guardians of the Forest’ — Lessons From Coverage of Amazonian Fires [71]

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