Publication Items

The Spread of Harmful Algal Blooms Makes News in Multitude of Locales [1]

As algal blooms (think “red tides” or “dead zones”) grow larger and more frequent, they are emerging not just on the coasts and major estuaries, but in inland lakes and streams. And they cause all kinds of harm, to humans and to the environment. The latest TipSheet has details on how to cover the problem locally, including story ideas and reporting resources.

SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Agriculture [3]
Climate Change [4]
Environmental Health [5]
Fish & Fisheries [6]
Health [7]
Journalism & Media [8]
Pollution [9]
Water & Oceans [10]
Region:
National (U.S.) [11]
Great Lakes (IL IN MI MN OH WI) [12]
SE (AL AR FL GA KY LA MS NC PR SC TN) [13]
Southwest (AZ NM OK TX) [14]
International [15]
Visibility:
Public [16]
- Read more about The Spread of Harmful Algal Blooms Makes News in Multitude of Locales [1]
Heat Warning — Expect Extreme Temps To Be Local Story This Summer [17]

Some areas of the United States are hot and getting hotter, thanks to climate change and now the coming El Niño. But some areas have little history with extreme temperatures — and those places are among the ones to watch this summer for local and regional reporting. Plus, who are the most vulnerable in your community when it comes to heat waves?

SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Climate Change [4]
Disasters [18]
Environmental Justice [19]
Health [7]
Journalism & Media [8]
People & Population [20]
Region:
National (U.S.) [11]
California [21]
Great Lakes (IL IN MI MN OH WI) [12]
Northwest (OR WA) [22]
International [15]
Visibility:
Public [16]
- Read more about Heat Warning — Expect Extreme Temps To Be Local Story This Summer [17]
Coming Your Way by Rail Today — A Hazmat Rogues’ Gallery [23]

Environmental reporters can prepare for possible rail accidents involving hazardous materials — like the one that hit East Palestine, Ohio — by having a keener understanding of what hazmat may be regularly carried through their communities. The latest Reporter’s Toolbox guides you to helpful lists of dangerous substances while offering a rundown of nearly a dozen-and-a-half of the worst offenders and their risks.

SEJ Publication Types:
Reporters Toolbox [24]
Topics on the Beat:
Air [25]
Chemicals [26]
Disasters [18]
Health [7]
Journalism & Media [8]
Transportation [27]
Region:
National (U.S.) [11]
Great Lakes (IL IN MI MN OH WI) [12]
Visibility:
Public [16]
- Read more about Coming Your Way by Rail Today — A Hazmat Rogues’ Gallery [23]
Finding the Secret Rail Hazmat Routes Near You [28]

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 [26]
Disasters [18]
Economy & Business [29]
Energy & Fuel [30]
Environmental Health [5]
Government [31]
Health [7]
Infrastructure [32]
Journalism & Media [8]
Laws & Regulations [33]
Policy [34]
Pollution [9]
Transportation [27]
Region:
National (U.S.) [11]
Great Lakes (IL IN MI MN OH WI) [12]
International [15]
Canada [35]
Visibility:
Public [16]
- Read more about Finding the Secret Rail Hazmat Routes Near You [28]
Diving Deeper on the Wetlands Beat Yields Groundbreaking Coverage [36]

Two journalists covering water policy used a wide range of reporting techniques, from FOIA appeals to on-the-ground reporting, to get at the heart of how problems with wetlands and waterways in the United States are tied to climate change concerns. Inside Story spoke with Hannah Northey and Kevin Bogardus of E&E News about their award-winning beat reporting.

SEJ Publication Types:
Inside Story [37]
Topics on the Beat:
Biodiversity [38]
Climate Change [4]
Disasters [18]
Diversity [39]
Economy & Business [29]
Environmental Health [5]
Environmental Justice [19]
Environmental Politics [40]
Government [31]
Health [7]
Infrastructure [32]
Journalism & Media [8]
Laws & Regulations [33]
Policy [34]
Pollution [9]
Science [41]
Technology [42]
Water & Oceans [10]
Region:
National (U.S.) [11]
Great Lakes (IL IN MI MN OH WI) [12]
SE (AL AR FL GA KY LA MS NC PR SC TN) [13]
Visibility:
Public [16]
- Read more about Diving Deeper on the Wetlands Beat Yields Groundbreaking Coverage [36]
Hazmat Highway Routes Key to Keeping Public Safe [43]

In the wake of the train derailment and toxic spill in Ohio, now is a good time for environmental journalists to be ready for the next such accident. The latest Reporter’s Toolbox offers up a data source for another transportation risk — hazardous materials transported via highway. Plus, why rail hazmat data can be trickier to access.

SEJ Publication Types:
Reporters Toolbox [24]
Topics on the Beat:
Chemicals [26]
Disasters [18]
Environmental Politics [40]
Health [7]
Infrastructure [32]
Journalism & Media [8]
Laws & Regulations [33]
Transportation [27]
Region:
National (U.S.) [11]
Great Lakes (IL IN MI MN OH WI) [12]
Visibility:
Public [16]
- Read more about Hazmat Highway Routes Key to Keeping Public Safe [43]
Determined Grantee Weaves Together Unique Project on Ash Trees, Wetlands and Baskets [44]

When the global pandemic interfered with independent journalist Gabriel Popkin’s plans for a grant-funded biodiversity reporting project on the emerald ash borer, an invasive pest threatening ash forests, he came up with a surprising solution. In this FEJ StoryLog, Popkin shares how he worked around travel shutdowns and subsequent story pitch rejections to ultimately discover an alternative storytelling option to keep his project alive.

SEJ Publication Types:
FEJ StoryLog [45]
Topics on the Beat:
Biodiversity [38]
Environmental Health [5]
Environmental Justice [19]
Forests [46]
Journalism & Media [8]
Natural Resources [47]
Religion, Faith and Spirituality [48]
Region:
National (U.S.) [11]
Great Lakes (IL IN MI MN OH WI) [12]
Mid-Atlantic (DC DE MD PA VA WV) [49]
Northeast (CT MA ME NH NJ NY RI VT) [50]
Visibility:
Public [16]
- Read more about Determined Grantee Weaves Together Unique Project on Ash Trees, Wetlands and Baskets [44]
Straddling the Narrow Divides Between Humans, Animals and Environmental Policy [51]

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 [52]
Topics on the Beat:
Activism [53]
Environmental Health [5]
Wildlife [54]
Region:
National (U.S.) [11]
Great Lakes (IL IN MI MN OH WI) [12]
International [15]
Visibility:
Public [16]
- Read more about Straddling the Narrow Divides Between Humans, Animals and Environmental Policy [51]
Whither the Permitting Reform Bill in 2023? [55]

The complex legal obstacles that face U.S. energy projects prompted political machinations over permitting reform in the last Congress and likely will again in the new one. The latest Backgrounder explores how the energy permitting system works (or doesn’t), why Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin may really be pushing for its reform and the reason some environmentalists concede reform may have green benefits.

SEJ Publication Types:
Backgrounders [56]
Topics on the Beat:
Climate Change [4]
Energy & Fuel [30]
Environmental Politics [40]
Government [31]
Infrastructure [32]
Laws & Regulations [33]
Policy [34]
Region:
National (U.S.) [11]
Great Lakes (IL IN MI MN OH WI) [12]
Great Plains (IA KS ND NE MO SD) [57]
Mid-Atlantic (DC DE MD PA VA WV) [49]
Northeast (CT MA ME NH NJ NY RI VT) [50]
International [15]
Canada [35]
Visibility:
Public [16]
- Read more about Whither the Permitting Reform Bill in 2023? [55]
Collaborative Journalism Project Reveals Inequities in Escaping Climate Change Hazards [58]

When U.S. communities become unlivable due to climate change impacts, can residents count on government relocation assistance — and are those most in need of help actually getting it? Those questions kickstarted a year-long investigation led by three high-powered journalism organizations. Now they’re sharing their reporting resources toolkit and inviting other journalists to widen the coverage with more local stories.

SEJ Publication Types:
Features [59]
Topics on the Beat:
Climate Change [4]
Disasters [18]
Diversity [39]
Economy & Business [29]
Environmental Health [5]
Environmental Justice [19]
Environmental Politics [40]
Government [31]
Health [7]
Infrastructure [32]
Journalism & Media [8]
Laws & Regulations [33]
People & Population [20]
Planning & Growth [60]
Policy [34]
Water & Oceans [10]
Region:
National (U.S.) [11]
Alaska and Hawaii [61]
California [21]
Great Lakes (IL IN MI MN OH WI) [12]
Mid-Atlantic (DC DE MD PA VA WV) [49]
Northeast (CT MA ME NH NJ NY RI VT) [50]
Northwest (OR WA) [22]
SE (AL AR FL GA KY LA MS NC PR SC TN) [13]
Southwest (AZ NM OK TX) [14]
Visibility:
Public [16]
- Read more about Collaborative Journalism Project Reveals Inequities in Escaping Climate Change Hazards [58]

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