Publication Items

Houston and Other Disasters at #SEJ2022 [1]

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 [2], Helvarg shares his trademark jests from Houston. Plus, (straighter) reportage from the gathering at the conference coverage page [3].

SEJ Publication Types:
Features [4]
Topics on the Beat:
Climate Change [5]
Environmental Health [6]
Environmental Politics [7]
Journalism & Media [8]
People & Population [9]
Pollution [10]
Water & Oceans [11]
Region:
National (U.S.) [12]
Southwest (AZ NM OK TX) [13]
Visibility:
Public [14]
- Read more about Houston and Other Disasters at #SEJ2022 [1]
Battlefront Emerges Over Disclosure of Financial Climate Risks [15]

The Biden administration’s “whole-of-government” attack on climate change has increasingly focused on the financial arena, with the most recent move a vote by the Securities and Exchange Commission to draft rules requiring publicly traded corporations to disclose climate risks. Industry and GOP opponents are preparing for the fight over the complex regulations, and WatchDog Opinion argues environmental journalists have a big stake.

SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog [16]
Topics on the Beat:
Activism [17]
Climate Change [5]
Economy & Business [18]
Environmental Politics [7]
Government [19]
Journalism & Media [8]
Laws & Regulations [20]
Policy [21]
Region:
National (U.S.) [12]
Visibility:
Public [14]
- Read more about Battlefront Emerges Over Disclosure of Financial Climate Risks [15]
How — And Why —To Avoid Jargon When Covering Climate [22]

Climate change reporting is sometimes peppered with jargon that confounds rather than clearly communicates. Audiences may miss not just one story’s message, but lose interest in the broader topic. Contributor Rebecca Hersher, a science reporter for National Public Radio, writes how the public’s connection with climate information increases when both journalists and scientists strive to replace elite terminology with simple and accurate language.

SEJ Publication Types:
Features [4]
Topics on the Beat:
Climate Change [5]
Consumer [23]
Environmental Studies [24]
Journalism & Media [8]
Science [25]
Region:
National (U.S.) [12]
International [26]
Visibility:
Public [14]
- Read more about How — And Why —To Avoid Jargon When Covering Climate [22]
Parks and Complications — Planning Stories Around Our Nation’s Green Spaces [27]

As more Americans make their way to the nation’s parks (and every other variety of outdoor locales), big budget bumps may not be enough to tackle a variety of ongoing worries, from overcrowding and climate change impacts to maintenance backlogs and political backlash. The latest Issue Backgrounder looks over the state of our nation’s parks.

SEJ Publication Types:
Backgrounders [28]
Topics on the Beat:
Climate Change [5]
Environmental Politics [7]
Forests [29]
Government [19]
Infrastructure [30]
Journalism & Media [8]
Laws & Regulations [20]
Natural Resources [31]
Water & Oceans [11]
Region:
National (U.S.) [12]
Visibility:
Public [14]
- Read more about Parks and Complications — Planning Stories Around Our Nation’s Green Spaces [27]
Houston Plays Host to First On-Site SEJ Conference Since 2019 [32]

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 [33]
Topics on the Beat:
Activism [17]
Air [34]
Biodiversity [35]
Chemicals [36]
Climate Change [5]
Disasters [37]
Diversity [38]
Economy & Business [18]
Energy & Fuel [39]
Environmental Health [6]
Environmental Justice [40]
Environmental Politics [7]
Fish & Fisheries [41]
Food [42]
Forests [29]
Government [19]
Health [43]
Infrastructure [30]
Journalism & Media [8]
Laws & Regulations [20]
People & Population [9]
Planning & Growth [44]
Policy [21]
Pollution [10]
Religion, Faith and Spirituality [45]
Science [25]
Technology [46]
Transportation [47]
Waste [48]
Water & Oceans [11]
Wildlife [49]
Region:
National (U.S.) [12]
Southwest (AZ NM OK TX) [13]
International [26]
Mexico [50]
Central America & the Caribbean [51]
Europe [52]
South America [53]
Visibility:
Public [14]
- Read more about Houston Plays Host to First On-Site SEJ Conference Since 2019 [32]
Aussie Author’s Angry Look at ‘Crimes Against Nature’ [54]

A historical look at how profit and capitalism have ravaged the natural world is the subject of our new BookShelf review. Contributor Melody Kemp offers her take on award-winning Australian journalist Jeff Sparrow’s forthcoming volume, which explores the damage wrought by cars, roads and PR spin, as well as solutions suggested by models of Indigenous land management.

SEJ Publication Types:
BookShelf [55]
Topics on the Beat:
Activism [17]
Climate Change [5]
Economy & Business [18]
Environmental Politics [7]
Infrastructure [30]
Natural Resources [31]
People & Population [9]
Policy [21]
Pollution [10]
Transportation [47]
Region:
International [26]
Australia & Oceania [56]
Visibility:
Public [14]
- Read more about Aussie Author’s Angry Look at ‘Crimes Against Nature’ [54]
Climate Crisis May Quickly Confront U.S., World With National Security Threats [57]

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 [28]
Topics on the Beat:
Climate Change [5]
Disasters [37]
Environmental Health [6]
Environmental Politics [7]
Food [42]
Government [19]
Military [58]
Natural Resources [31]
People & Population [9]
Policy [21]
Water & Oceans [11]
Region:
National (U.S.) [12]
International [26]
Mexico [50]
Africa [59]
Antarctica & Arctic [60]
Asia [61]
Central America & the Caribbean [51]
Middle East [62]
South America [53]
Visibility:
Public [14]
- Read more about Climate Crisis May Quickly Confront U.S., World With National Security Threats [57]
Making A Hard Rain Less Hard To Cover [63]

As extreme precipitation, intensified by climate change, becomes a more frequent story for environmental journalists, recent coverage points to important holes in the rain data bucket. But the latest Reporter’s Toolbox identifies some useful government and commercial data resources that track and predict rainfall and offers suggestions on using the data they provide.

SEJ Publication Types:
Reporters Toolbox [64]
Topics on the Beat:
Climate Change [5]
Disasters [37]
Infrastructure [30]
Journalism & Media [8]
Water & Oceans [11]
Region:
National (U.S.) [12]
Visibility:
Public [14]
- Read more about Making A Hard Rain Less Hard To Cover [63]
Walking With the ‘Guardians of the Forest’ — Lessons From Coverage of Amazonian Fires [65]

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 [66]
Topics on the Beat:
Activism [17]
Agriculture [67]
Biodiversity [35]
Climate Change [5]
Environmental Health [6]
Environmental Justice [40]
Environmental Politics [7]
Forests [29]
Journalism & Media [8]
Natural Resources [31]
People & Population [9]
Region:
International [26]
South America [53]
Visibility:
Public [14]
- Read more about Walking With the ‘Guardians of the Forest’ — Lessons From Coverage of Amazonian Fires [65]
New Army Climate Strategy Provokes Questions, Stories on Local and Regional Impact [68]

Military bases typically have big impacts on surrounding communities, including on resource use and the environment. Now, a new U.S. Army climate strategy makes clear the military understands climate change will affect the bases themselves, with numerous ripple effects. The latest TipSheet outlines how reporters can find local stories on these new realities at bases around the country, including near you.

SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [69]
Topics on the Beat:
Climate Change [5]
Disasters [37]
Environmental Politics [7]
Government [19]
Journalism & Media [8]
Military [58]
Planning & Growth [44]
Policy [21]
Region:
National (U.S.) [12]
Visibility:
Public [14]
- Read more about New Army Climate Strategy Provokes Questions, Stories on Local and Regional Impact [68]

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