Publication Items

Finding the Secret Rail Hazmat Routes Near You [1]

Under federal rules, states can decide whether to divulge information about hazardous materials rolling along their railways — and mostly they don’t. Not knowing where and when hazmat trains are traveling or what’s on board creates anxiety and raises the risk for those who live near the tracks. TipSheet offers resources and step-by-step instructions for investigating railway hazmat threats to your community.

SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Chemicals [3]
Disasters [4]
Economy & Business [5]
Energy & Fuel [6]
Environmental Health [7]
Government [8]
Health [9]
Infrastructure [10]
Journalism & Media [11]
Laws & Regulations [12]
Policy [13]
Pollution [14]
Transportation [15]
Region:
National (U.S.) [16]
Great Lakes (IL IN MI MN OH WI) [17]
International [18]
Canada [19]
Visibility:
Public [20]
- Read more about Finding the Secret Rail Hazmat Routes Near You [1]
Will Thousands of Orphan Wells Be Safely Plugged? [21]

Abandoned oil and gas wells are found in significant numbers in some 27 states. Reporters who want to track their status can dig into several databases, but will need to support their data crunching with lots of shoe-leather and ground-truth reporting. Reporter’s Toolbox has insights into what the databases offer. Plus, a primer on API numbers.

SEJ Publication Types:
Reporters Toolbox [22]
Topics on the Beat:
Air [23]
Climate Change [24]
Economy & Business [5]
Energy & Fuel [6]
Environmental Health [7]
Environmental Politics [25]
Government [8]
Health [9]
Infrastructure [10]
Journalism & Media [11]
Laws & Regulations [12]
Natural Resources [26]
Policy [13]
Pollution [14]
Technology [27]
Water & Oceans [28]
Region:
National (U.S.) [16]
Mid-Atlantic (DC DE MD PA VA WV) [29]
Southwest (AZ NM OK TX) [30]
International [18]
Canada [19]
Visibility:
Public [20]
- Read more about Will Thousands of Orphan Wells Be Safely Plugged? [21]
Covering Indigenous Communities — Tips for Non-Native Journalists [31]

Non-Indigenous journalists may think they’re doing “marginalized” Indigenous communities a favor by covering them, but their coverage is too often extractive and riddled with racist tropes. Contributor Valerie Vande Panne offers insights and advice for avoiding these pitfalls. Seeking permission, listening, sharing and respecting are all critical tools for the job.

SEJ Publication Types:
Features [32]
Topics on the Beat:
Activism [33]
Diversity [34]
Environmental Justice [35]
Government [8]
Journalism & Media [11]
People & Population [36]
Religion, Faith and Spirituality [37]
Region:
National (U.S.) [16]
Alaska and Hawaii [38]
Northeast (CT MA ME NH NJ NY RI VT) [39]
Southwest (AZ NM OK TX) [30]
International [18]
Visibility:
Public [20]
- Read more about Covering Indigenous Communities — Tips for Non-Native Journalists [31]
Koalas, Under Pressure From Wildfires and Development, Are Beloved But Undefended [40]

The cuteness of the fuzzy koala appears not to be winning it special protection in its native Australia, despite dwindling numbers, per a new volume on the endangered marsupial. BookShelf contributor Melody Kemp offers praise for “Koala: A Natural History and an Uncertain Future,” with a review that begins amusingly with bodily functions but ends dispiritedly with yet more koala habitat lost to housing tracts and wildfire.

SEJ Publication Types:
BookShelf [41]
Topics on the Beat:
Biodiversity [42]
Environmental Health [7]
Environmental Studies [43]
Forests [44]
Government [8]
Wildlife [45]
Region:
International [18]
Australia & Oceania [46]
Visibility:
Public [20]
- Read more about Koalas, Under Pressure From Wildfires and Development, Are Beloved But Undefended [40]
Eco-Muckrakers, Dig In — Writing for Nonprofit Ecology and Conservation Magazines [47]

Freelancers looking to explore complex environmental issues may want to consider magazines published by … environmental organizations. Despite the caveats, like ensuring a publication’s editorial independence and guarding against organizational self-promotion, long-time environmental writer Francesca Lyman makes the case in the latest Freelance Files that the pros of such gigs outweigh the cons. Plus a sampler of pubs to approach.

SEJ Publication Types:
Freelance Files [48]
Topics on the Beat:
Activism [33]
Journalism & Media [11]
Region:
National (U.S.) [16]
International [18]
Visibility:
Public [20]
- Read more about Eco-Muckrakers, Dig In — Writing for Nonprofit Ecology and Conservation Magazines [47]
Epic Struggles Ahead in 2023 on Energy Transition, Pollution [49]

In our annual analysis of what’s ahead on the environment beat in 2023, there are some things to count on: worsening climate disasters and continued politicking over energy transitions, but also regulatory action on greenhouse gas emissions (not to mention on “forever chemicals”). Other things are less clear: environmental rulings by a conservative U.S. Supreme Court, energy impacts of war in Europe and the effectiveness of COP28 and treaty talks on plastic pollution. Read the full overview and get more in our “2023 Journalists’ Guide to Energy & Environment [50]” special report.

SEJ Publication Types:
Special Reports [51]
Topics on the Beat:
Activism [33]
Agriculture [52]
Air [23]
Biodiversity [42]
Chemicals [3]
Climate Change [24]
Disasters [4]
Economy & Business [5]
Energy & Fuel [6]
Environmental Justice [35]
Environmental Politics [25]
Fish & Fisheries [53]
Government [8]
Health [9]
Infrastructure [10]
Journalism & Media [11]
Laws & Regulations [12]
Military [54]
Natural Resources [26]
Planning & Growth [55]
Policy [13]
Pollution [14]
Science [56]
Waste [57]
Water & Oceans [28]
Region:
National (U.S.) [16]
International [18]
Europe [58]
Middle East [59]
Visibility:
Public [20]
- Read more about Epic Struggles Ahead in 2023 on Energy Transition, Pollution [49]
Cascadia Bioregion Rife With Energy, Environment Troubles To Report in 2023 [60]

Iconic critters like salmon, orca and wolves. Climate controversies like natural gas greenwashing and carbon auctions. And wildfire fallout like “smoke-a-geddon.” These are just some of the wide array of stories worth covering as environmental journalists scan Cascadia, the huge area encompassing Washington, Oregon and Idaho, and stretching from Alaska to Utah. This special TipSheet, part of our 2023 Journalists’ Guide to Energy & Environment, outlines top issues in the region, offering insights, resources and story angles.

SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Activism [33]
Agriculture [52]
Air [23]
Biodiversity [42]
Climate Change [24]
Consumer [61]
Disasters [4]
Diversity [34]
Economy & Business [5]
Energy & Fuel [6]
Environmental Health [7]
Environmental Justice [35]
Environmental Politics [25]
Environmental Studies [43]
Fish & Fisheries [53]
Food [62]
Forests [44]
Government [8]
Health [9]
Infrastructure [10]
Journalism & Media [11]
Laws & Regulations [12]
Natural Resources [26]
Planning & Growth [55]
Policy [13]
Pollution [14]
Transportation [15]
Waste [57]
Water & Oceans [28]
Wildlife [45]
Region:
National (U.S.) [16]
Alaska and Hawaii [38]
California [63]
Mountain West (CO ID MT NV UT WY) [64]
Northwest (OR WA) [65]
International [18]
Canada [19]
Visibility:
Public [20]
- Read more about Cascadia Bioregion Rife With Energy, Environment Troubles To Report in 2023 [60]
Exploring the Impacts of Hydroelectric Megaprojects on Indigenous Lands [66]

Nearly two-thirds of the world’s rivers are impeded by dams and we keep building them in our quest for cleaner and greener sources of electricity. But as podcast producer Farha Akhtar learned while producing a recent episode, these monumental structures are having a profound impact on our planet and catastrophic consequences for many Indigenous people.

SEJ Publication Types:
Features [32]
Topics on the Beat:
Activism [33]
Biodiversity [42]
Chemicals [3]
Climate Change [24]
Consumer [61]
Diversity [34]
Economy & Business [5]
Energy & Fuel [6]
Environmental Health [7]
Environmental Justice [35]
Environmental Politics [25]
Fish & Fisheries [53]
Food [62]
Government [8]
Health [9]
Infrastructure [10]
Journalism & Media [11]
Natural Resources [26]
Pollution [14]
Religion, Faith and Spirituality [37]
Science [56]
Technology [27]
Water & Oceans [28]
Wildlife [45]
Region:
National (U.S.) [16]
International [18]
Canada [19]
Asia [67]
Visibility:
Public [20]
- Read more about Exploring the Impacts of Hydroelectric Megaprojects on Indigenous Lands [66]
Publication Indexes — Roadmaps to Environmental Science Journals … and News [68]

Findings from scientific research provide many a news lead on the environment beat, and even reporters not closely attuned to the world of scientific journals can use them to find stories. The latest Reporter’s Toolbox offers up one key: indexes. They can guide you to abstracts and free versions of otherwise costly publications. A list of indexes to try. Plus, a half-dozen other pro tips.

SEJ Publication Types:
Reporters Toolbox [22]
Topics on the Beat:
Environmental Studies [43]
Journalism & Media [11]
Science [56]
Region:
National (U.S.) [16]
International [18]
Visibility:
Public [20]
- Read more about Publication Indexes — Roadmaps to Environmental Science Journals … and News [68]
Straddling the Narrow Divides Between Humans, Animals and Environmental Policy [69]

Prolific author-environmentalist Dave Dempsey’s new book, “Half Wild: People, Dogs, and Environmental Policy,” examines the complex boundaries between humans, wildlife and wilderness in a brief volume that includes vignettes of bears scouring trash heaps and of bourbon-fueled debates over the gap between conservationists and environmentalists. Not to mention bonus observations about his relationship with dogs. Contributor Gary Wilson has a review for our latest BookShelf.

SEJ Publication Types:
BookShelf [41]
Topics on the Beat:
Activism [33]
Environmental Health [7]
Wildlife [45]
Region:
National (U.S.) [16]
Great Lakes (IL IN MI MN OH WI) [17]
International [18]
Visibility:
Public [20]
- Read more about Straddling the Narrow Divides Between Humans, Animals and Environmental Policy [69]

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