Publication Items

Harnessing the Power of Global Forest Watch for Data-Driven Reporting on Land Cover Change [1]

Whether trees fall to chain saws or go up in smoke, deforestation is a major climate change driver. But on-the-ground reporting on forest loss is often challenging. Global Forest Watch provides worldwide land cover change data and tools that can help journalists contextualize deforestation events. Mongabay editor Morgan Erickson-Davis explains the power of this free online platform and shares her favorite features.

SEJ Publication Types:
Features [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Agriculture [3]
Biodiversity [4]
Climate Change [5]
Environmental Health [6]
Environmental Studies [7]
Forests [8]
Journalism & Media [9]
Natural Resources [10]
Science [11]
Technology [12]
Wildlife [13]
Region:
National (U.S.) [14]
International [15]
Visibility:
Public [16]
- Read more about Harnessing the Power of Global Forest Watch for Data-Driven Reporting on Land Cover Change [1]
Ag Census Offers Journalists Acres of Data [17]

The latest data from the five-year USDA agriculture census has specialized features that suggest numerous environmental stories — whether on irrigation, pesticides and fertilizer, renewable energy, conservation or more. There’s even a feature that provides data by congressional district. The latest Reporter’s Toolbox has more on the data source and how to use it smartly for your coverage.

SEJ Publication Types:
Reporters Toolbox [18]
Topics on the Beat:
Agriculture [3]
Chemicals [19]
Climate Change [5]
Energy & Fuel [20]
Environmental Health [6]
Food [21]
Journalism & Media [9]
Pollution [22]
Water & Oceans [23]
Region:
National (U.S.) [14]
Visibility:
Public [16]
- Read more about Ag Census Offers Journalists Acres of Data [17]
Spurt in Hydro Relicensing To Leave U.S. Awash in Environmental Stories [24]

Hundreds of hydropower dams in the United States will see their licenses expiring in the next decade, generating years-long federal relicensing processes. That prospect calls for close local and regional coverage of the complicated balance between renewable energy needs with negative environmental impacts. The latest TipSheet explains the licensing process and the dam backstory, along with a dozen story ideas and reporting resources.

SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [25]
Topics on the Beat:
Activism [26]
Climate Change [5]
Consumer [27]
Energy & Fuel [20]
Environmental Health [6]
Environmental Politics [28]
Fish & Fisheries [29]
Infrastructure [30]
Journalism & Media [9]
Laws & Regulations [31]
Natural Resources [10]
Policy [32]
Water & Oceans [23]
Region:
National (U.S.) [14]
California [33]
Great Lakes (IL IN MI MN OH WI) [34]
Northeast (CT MA ME NH NJ NY RI VT) [35]
Northwest (OR WA) [36]
Visibility:
Public [16]
- Read more about Spurt in Hydro Relicensing To Leave U.S. Awash in Environmental Stories [24]
Climate Crisis Makes for Real Fashion Emergency [37]

Fast fashion’s lack of sustainability has long been the subject of news media coverage. But now the realities of climate change mean that fashion reporting must be reimagined to include the lived environmental and human rights realities of workers making what we wear, writes contributor Yessenia Funes in the new Voices of Environmental Justice column. Ideas and resources for getting past simplistic fashion industry narratives.

SEJ Publication Types:
Voices of Environmental Justice [38]
Topics on the Beat:
Activism [26]
Agriculture [3]
Climate Change [5]
Consumer [27]
Economy & Business [39]
Environmental Justice [40]
Health [41]
Journalism & Media [9]
People & Population [42]
Policy [32]
Waste [43]
Region:
National (U.S.) [14]
International [15]
Asia [44]
Visibility:
Public [16]
- Read more about Climate Crisis Makes for Real Fashion Emergency [37]
Philly Steaks Out New Ground [45]

It just wouldn’t be the Society of Environmental Journalists annual conference recap without the waggish tales of SEJ’s resident wit, David Helvarg, who once again this year skewers the lot of us, sparing not a jot of our five days in Philadelphia. Read on and prepare to snicker.

SEJ Publication Types:
SEJ News [46]
Topics on the Beat:
Agriculture [3]
Climate Change [5]
Disasters [47]
Economy & Business [39]
Energy & Fuel [20]
Environmental Politics [28]
Food [21]
Government [48]
Health [41]
Infrastructure [30]
Journalism & Media [9]
Natural Resources [10]
Nuclear Power & Radiation [49]
Policy [32]
Pollution [22]
Technology [12]
Transportation [50]
Waste [43]
Water & Oceans [23]
Wildlife [13]
Region:
National (U.S.) [14]
Mid-Atlantic (DC DE MD PA VA WV) [51]
Visibility:
Public [16]
- Read more about Philly Steaks Out New Ground [45]
Courage and Caring — Documentary Celebrates Environmental Icon Stewart Udall [52]

While the name of Stewart Udall, U.S. interior secretary through the tumultuous 1960s, may have faded from public memory, his influence on environmental policies is still felt today. Contributor Francesca Lyman shines the spotlight on a new documentary about Udall and his legacy, and talks with director John de Graaf about Udall’s insights and inspiration.

SEJ Publication Types:
Features [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Air [53]
Biodiversity [4]
Climate Change [5]
Energy & Fuel [20]
Environmental Health [6]
Environmental Justice [40]
Environmental Politics [28]
Environmental Studies [7]
Forests [8]
Government [48]
Infrastructure [30]
Journalism & Media [9]
Laws & Regulations [31]
Natural Resources [10]
Nuclear Power & Radiation [49]
Policy [32]
Pollution [22]
Religion, Faith and Spirituality [54]
Transportation [50]
Water & Oceans [23]
Wildlife [13]
Region:
National (U.S.) [14]
California [33]
Mountain West (CO ID MT NV UT WY) [55]
Northwest (OR WA) [36]
Southwest (AZ NM OK TX) [56]
International [15]
Central America & the Caribbean [57]
Visibility:
Public [16]
- Read more about Courage and Caring — Documentary Celebrates Environmental Icon Stewart Udall [52]
Solar Power, the Community Way [58]

The energy transition imperative to move from fossil fuels toward renewable energies could leave out individual homeowners unable to install rooftop solar. But as the latest TipSheet points out, there’s an alternative: community solar. Good local reporting is needed to demystify it though. The backstory, plus more than a dozen story ideas and reporting resources.

SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [25]
Topics on the Beat:
Climate Change [5]
Consumer [27]
Energy & Fuel [20]
Environmental Politics [28]
Infrastructure [30]
Journalism & Media [9]
Laws & Regulations [31]
Policy [32]
Region:
National (U.S.) [14]
Visibility:
Public [16]
- Read more about Solar Power, the Community Way [58]
LNG To Fuel Conflict, Profit, Warming in Coming Years [59]

A partisan debate has flared over liquified natural gas, as industry, environmentalists and politicians wrangle over LNG’s role in climate change and the energy transition, heating and electricity prices, and international and domestic U.S. politics. Backgrounder lays out LNG’s history, starting with the fracking boom and bringing it up to speed with the war in Ukraine and upcoming presidential elections.

SEJ Publication Types:
Backgrounders [60]
Topics on the Beat:
Activism [26]
Chemicals [19]
Climate Change [5]
Energy & Fuel [20]
Environmental Politics [28]
Government [48]
Laws & Regulations [31]
Natural Resources [10]
Policy [32]
Pollution [22]
Technology [12]
Transportation [50]
Water & Oceans [23]
Region:
National (U.S.) [14]
Alaska and Hawaii [61]
Mid-Atlantic (DC DE MD PA VA WV) [51]
SE (AL AR FL GA KY LA MS NC PR SC TN) [62]
International [15]
Canada [63]
Mexico [64]
Asia [44]
Europe [65]
Middle East [66]
Visibility:
Public [16]
- Read more about LNG To Fuel Conflict, Profit, Warming in Coming Years [59]
Award-Winning Beat Reporting Highlights Legacy of Environmental Racism [67]

Top-flight regional reporting (and data analysis) that explored inequities between Black and white communities around Baltimore, Maryland, yielded journalist Scott Dance a wide range of stories — and a first-place prize in the most recent awards from the Society of Environmental Journalists. Dance, now on the climate desk for The Washington Post shares insights from the beat in the new Inside Story.

SEJ Publication Types:
Inside Story [68]
Topics on the Beat:
Agriculture [3]
Climate Change [5]
Environmental Justice [40]
Fish & Fisheries [29]
Health [41]
Journalism & Media [9]
People & Population [42]
Planning & Growth [69]
Policy [32]
Pollution [22]
Water & Oceans [23]
Region:
National (U.S.) [14]
Mid-Atlantic (DC DE MD PA VA WV) [51]
Visibility:
Public [16]
- Read more about Award-Winning Beat Reporting Highlights Legacy of Environmental Racism [67]
Finding Your Way Through the Forest of Forest Data [70]

Forests are full of environmental stories, from timber sales and wildlife habitat to climate change and hunting. And for reporters in search of resources to report them, the U.S. Forest Service offers an immense array of datasets to match the hundreds of millions of acres of land under its domain. The latest Reporter’s Toolbox gets you started on using the vast Forest Service data collection.

SEJ Publication Types:
Reporters Toolbox [18]
Topics on the Beat:
Agriculture [3]
Climate Change [5]
Environmental Health [6]
Forests [8]
Government [48]
Journalism & Media [9]
Natural Resources [10]
Policy [32]
Wildlife [13]
Region:
National (U.S.) [14]
Visibility:
Public [16]
- Read more about Finding Your Way Through the Forest of Forest Data [70]

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