Publication Items

Does Climate’s Future Depend on Better Batteries? [1]

The path of our planetary climate may depend largely on our transition away from energy sources that cause global warming. And that, in turn, may rely on one thing: improved batteries. The new Backgrounder explores the future of energy storage — how batteries work, the progress the technology has made and the brutal battery competition ahead between the United States and China.

SEJ Publication Types:
Backgrounders [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Climate Change [3]
Consumer [4]
Economy & Business [5]
Energy & Fuel [6]
Environmental Politics [7]
Science [8]
Technology [9]
Transportation [10]
Region:
National (U.S.) [11]
International [12]
Asia [13]
Visibility:
Public [14]
- Read more about Does Climate’s Future Depend on Better Batteries? [1]
“What Bears Teach Us” [15]

Bears are incredibly complex animals with much to teach humans, writes the author of a new volume on grizzlies, black and polar bears. Our BookShelf review calls the text, which also integrates striking photographs, highly scientific yet accessible, and suggests it might go a long way to helping not just to understand bears, but improve their odds of survival.

SEJ Publication Types:
BookShelf [16]
Topics on the Beat:
Climate Change [3]
Environmental Studies [17]
Science [8]
Wildlife [18]
Region:
International [12]
Canada [19]
Visibility:
Public [14]
- Read more about “What Bears Teach Us” [15]
Infrastructure Week All Year — But Will That Infrastructure Be Green? [20]

A much-anticipated infrastructure bill in Congress could help address the United States’ poorly rated roads, pipes and powerlines. But could the massive measure also do the heavy lifting for much-needed climate policy? The latest Backgrounder takes a deep dive into the context around climate-friendly infrastructure legislation, and looks ahead on what’s expected and how to report it.

SEJ Publication Types:
Backgrounders [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Activism [21]
Climate Change [3]
Consumer [4]
Energy & Fuel [6]
Environmental Politics [7]
Government [22]
Infrastructure [23]
Journalism & Media [24]
Laws & Regulations [25]
Planning & Growth [26]
Policy [27]
Pollution [28]
Technology [9]
Transportation [10]
Region:
National (U.S.) [11]
Visibility:
Public [14]
- Read more about Infrastructure Week All Year — But Will That Infrastructure Be Green? [20]
Teaching Environmental Journalism. For the First Time. In a Pandemic. [29]

An initiate to the ways of teaching collegiate journalism winds her way through unique obstacles of a first term under COVID-19, from students reporting in masks to class sessions on computer screens. Not to mention the already onerous challenges of training young journalists to report and write a range of environmental stories. EJ Academy has her story, from the stumbles to the successes.

SEJ Publication Types:
EJ Academy [30]
Topics on the Beat:
Climate Change [3]
Environmental Studies [17]
Health [31]
Journalism & Media [24]
Natural Resources [32]
Pollution [28]
Water & Oceans [33]
Wildlife [18]
Region:
National (U.S.) [11]
Northeast (CT MA ME NH NJ NY RI VT) [34]
Visibility:
Public [14]
- Read more about Teaching Environmental Journalism. For the First Time. In a Pandemic. [29]
Biden Rollbacks of Trump Energy-Efficiency Cuts Generate Local Stories [35]

From cardigans to orange tans, the history of presidential politics around energy efficiency has been an odd one. But the story of so-called nega-watts is actually a compelling one. And with new efficiency rules being eyed by the Biden administration, it’s also time for reporters to explore the local angle to energy savings. Our latest TipSheet explains how.

SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [36]
Topics on the Beat:
Climate Change [3]
Consumer [4]
Energy & Fuel [6]
Environmental Politics [7]
Government [22]
Journalism & Media [24]
Laws & Regulations [25]
Policy [27]
Science [8]
Technology [9]
Region:
National (U.S.) [11]
Visibility:
Public [14]
- Read more about Biden Rollbacks of Trump Energy-Efficiency Cuts Generate Local Stories [35]
Grid Data Can Guide Reporting on Power Disasters [37]

The power and water fiasco that followed a deep freeze in Texas was a predictable debacle and, thus, a warning signal to journalists covering disasters and climate-driven weather extremes. To help, the latest Reporter’s Toolbox provides a rundown of data sources about power grids, from local, regional and national entities, and recommends you start tracking the numbers and be prepared.

SEJ Publication Types:
Reporters Toolbox [38]
Topics on the Beat:
Climate Change [3]
Consumer [4]
Disasters [39]
Energy & Fuel [6]
Government [22]
Infrastructure [23]
Journalism & Media [24]
Laws & Regulations [25]
Planning & Growth [26]
Region:
National (U.S.) [11]
Northeast (CT MA ME NH NJ NY RI VT) [34]
Southwest (AZ NM OK TX) [40]
Visibility:
Public [14]
- Read more about Grid Data Can Guide Reporting on Power Disasters [37]
Seeding Climate Stories in the Backyard Garden [41]

Spring may be weeks away, but gardeners are already browsing the seed catalogs, and that makes it a good time for environmental journalists to apprise them of how climate change will affect their backyard patches. Reporter’s Toolbox talks “hardiness zones” and explains why one of the usual repositories of government information may fall short. That plus, story sources to, well, cultivate.

SEJ Publication Types:
Reporters Toolbox [38]
Topics on the Beat:
Agriculture [42]
Climate Change [3]
Consumer [4]
Environmental Politics [7]
Food [43]
Journalism & Media [24]
Region:
National (U.S.) [11]
Visibility:
Public [14]
- Read more about Seeding Climate Stories in the Backyard Garden [41]
Top Biden Climate Advisor, Others Preview 2021 Energy and Enviro News [44]

President Biden’s national climate advisor Gina McCarthy joined an outspoken U.S. senator and a roundtable of elite journalists last week to preview dramatic changes possibly ahead in U.S. and international climate policy, environmental justice, clean energy and more. Get the upshot from the Society of Environmental Journalists’ 2021 Guide to Energy & Environment event. Plus, watch video of the full program [45].

SEJ Publication Types:
SEJ News [46]
Topics on the Beat:
Climate Change [3]
Energy & Fuel [6]
Environmental Politics [7]
Government [22]
Health [31]
Journalism & Media [24]
Laws & Regulations [25]
People & Population [47]
Policy [27]
Science [8]
Water & Oceans [33]
Region:
National (U.S.) [11]
California [48]
Great Plains (IA KS ND NE MO SD) [49]
Mountain West (CO ID MT NV UT WY) [50]
Northwest (OR WA) [51]
Southwest (AZ NM OK TX) [40]
International [12]
Europe [52]
Visibility:
Public [14]
- Read more about Top Biden Climate Advisor, Others Preview 2021 Energy and Enviro News [44]
Super-Heated Year Ahead on Energy & Environment News [53]

The Biden administration has moved rapidly to reset energy and environment policies dramatically shifted by the Trump White House. But how quickly can such a reversal occur, what are the priorities and what are the critical pathways for change? To help sort out the latest news and track larger trends, SEJournal offers this overview and analysis, part of our extensive “2021 Journalists’ Guide to Energy & Environment [54].”

SEJ Publication Types:
Features [55]
Topics on the Beat:
Agriculture [42]
Air [56]
Biodiversity [57]
Chemicals [58]
Climate Change [3]
Consumer [4]
Disasters [39]
Economy & Business [5]
Energy & Fuel [6]
Environmental Politics [7]
Government [22]
Health [31]
Journalism & Media [24]
Laws & Regulations [25]
Planning & Growth [26]
Policy [27]
Pollution [28]
Science [8]
Transportation [10]
Waste [59]
Water & Oceans [33]
Wildlife [18]
Region:
National (U.S.) [11]
International [12]
Visibility:
Public [14]
- Read more about Super-Heated Year Ahead on Energy & Environment News [53]
Biden Nominees Foretell Aggressive Action on Climate, Environmental Justice [60]

Key picks for President Biden’s environment and energy team suggest top priorities, among them an aggressive, whole-government climate change agenda. The latest Backgrounder assesses choices to pursue Biden’s international and domestic climate policies, as well as historic selections for EPA and Interior, and more. Plus, dive into SEJournal’s expanding “2021 Journalists’ Guide to Energy & Environment [54]” special report.

SEJ Publication Types:
Backgrounders [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Activism [21]
Climate Change [3]
Energy & Fuel [6]
Environmental Politics [7]
Government [22]
Laws & Regulations [25]
Policy [27]
Region:
National (U.S.) [11]
California [48]
Great Lakes (IL IN MI MN OH WI) [61]
Great Plains (IA KS ND NE MO SD) [49]
Northeast (CT MA ME NH NJ NY RI VT) [34]
Southwest (AZ NM OK TX) [40]
International [12]
Visibility:
Public [14]
- Read more about Biden Nominees Foretell Aggressive Action on Climate, Environmental Justice [60]

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