Publication Items

COP 27 Egypt — From Afar, How UN Meeting Will Affect Climate Change Reporting [1]

How will the UN’s yearly climate treaty talks in Egypt next month touch domestic U.S. reporting? The latest Backgrounder has an outlook, with close attention to the question of compensation for nations suffering the worst impacts of global warming, plus the politics of war and energy, methane and HFCs. The prospects for action in and after Egypt.

SEJ Publication Types:
Backgrounders [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Climate Change [3]
Disasters [4]
Energy & Fuel [5]
Environmental Health [6]
Environmental Justice [7]
Environmental Politics [8]
Government [9]
Journalism & Media [10]
Policy [11]
Region:
National (U.S.) [12]
International [13]
Mexico [14]
Africa [15]
Asia [16]
Australia & Oceania [17]
Central America & the Caribbean [18]
Europe [19]
Middle East [20]
South America [21]
Visibility:
Public [22]
- Read more about COP 27 Egypt — From Afar, How UN Meeting Will Affect Climate Change Reporting [1]
On the Persistence of Ocean Plastics [23]

Concerns about seaborne plastic waste go back decades, but science writer Juli Berwald suggests that myths and disinformation about sources and solutions continue to cloud the waters. From lentil-sized nurdles to sprawling fishing nets, 200 million tons of plastic now fill the ocean and, for her, it has become evident that the ocean plastics story is really a land story. But will the newly signed international treaty on plastics offer relief?

SEJ Publication Types:
Features [24]
Topics on the Beat:
Activism [25]
Biodiversity [26]
Chemicals [27]
Climate Change [3]
Consumer [28]
Economy & Business [29]
Energy & Fuel [5]
Environmental Health [6]
Environmental Studies [30]
Fish & Fisheries [31]
Government [9]
Infrastructure [32]
Journalism & Media [10]
Laws & Regulations [33]
Natural Resources [34]
Policy [11]
Pollution [35]
Science [36]
Technology [37]
Waste [38]
Water & Oceans [39]
Wildlife [40]
Region:
National (U.S.) [12]
Alaska and Hawaii [41]
California [42]
Northeast (CT MA ME NH NJ NY RI VT) [43]
Northwest (OR WA) [44]
SE (AL AR FL GA KY LA MS NC PR SC TN) [45]
Southwest (AZ NM OK TX) [46]
International [13]
Mexico [14]
Africa [15]
Asia [16]
Europe [19]
Visibility:
Public [22]
- Read more about On the Persistence of Ocean Plastics [23]
Beat Reporter’s Coverage Calls Out Natural Gas Proponents [47]

Electric utilities may sound like a wonky beat, but in the hands of L.A. Times’ Sammy Roth, it became an opportunity to weave together seemingly dry, technical subject matter into a series of award-winning stories on natural gas that captured flash points for climate change, communities of color and energy politics. Roth shares his reporting experience in the latest Inside Story Q&A.

SEJ Publication Types:
Inside Story [48]
Topics on the Beat:
Activism [25]
Air [49]
Climate Change [3]
Consumer [28]
Economy & Business [29]
Energy & Fuel [5]
Environmental Justice [7]
Environmental Politics [8]
Infrastructure [32]
Journalism & Media [10]
Natural Resources [34]
People & Population [50]
Policy [11]
Pollution [35]
Region:
National (U.S.) [12]
California [42]
Southwest (AZ NM OK TX) [46]
Visibility:
Public [22]
- Read more about Beat Reporter’s Coverage Calls Out Natural Gas Proponents [47]
Air Conditioner HFCs Are on the Way Out — The Kigali Amendment Explained [51]

For the first time in years, the United States has ratified a climate change-related treaty — one that phases out HFCs, the greenhouse gas widely used as a refrigerant. That leaves environmental reporters to report how the change will affect everyday objects like ACs, refrigerators and cars. TipSheet has the backstory on the Kigali Amendment, along with story ideas and reporting resources.

SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [52]
Topics on the Beat:
Chemicals [27]
Climate Change [3]
Economy & Business [29]
Environmental Politics [8]
Government [9]
Journalism & Media [10]
Laws & Regulations [33]
Policy [11]
Pollution [35]
Technology [37]
Region:
National (U.S.) [12]
International [13]
Visibility:
Public [22]
- Read more about Air Conditioner HFCs Are on the Way Out — The Kigali Amendment Explained [51]
Toolbox on Nature-Based Solutions and Native/Indigenous Perspectives [53]

As concerns over global warming, the endangerment of plant and animal species, and water rights escalate, many environmentalists are turning to Indigenous people for guidance. As part of a Society of Environmental Journalists special initiative focused on covering climate solutions, we take a closer look at nature-based solutions and Indigenous people with reporter Brian Bull. Check out a resource toolbox and stay tuned for a reporting tipsheet in coming weeks. Plus, be sure to register for a Sept. 28 webinar [54] on covering Indigenous communities and nature-based climate solutions.

SEJ Publication Types:
Special Reports [55]
Topics on the Beat:
Activism [25]
Agriculture [56]
Biodiversity [26]
Climate Change [3]
Diversity [57]
Energy & Fuel [5]
Environmental Health [6]
Environmental Justice [7]
Environmental Politics [8]
Fish & Fisheries [31]
Food [58]
Forests [59]
Government [9]
Health [60]
Natural Resources [34]
Nuclear Power & Radiation [61]
People & Population [50]
Religion, Faith and Spirituality [62]
Technology [37]
Waste [38]
Water & Oceans [39]
Wildlife [40]
Region:
National (U.S.) [12]
International [13]
Visibility:
Public [22]
- Read more about Toolbox on Nature-Based Solutions and Native/Indigenous Perspectives [53]
Open Data Is Still Important at the EPA — and Worth Updating [63]

Solid data can fuel great journalism. But the data must come from somewhere. For environmental reporters, one critical source is the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Access to its data, however, is not always as free as journalists would like. So a new WatchDog takes an (admittedly geeky) look at the agency’s open data plan to clarify its efforts to promote access.

SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog [64]
Topics on the Beat:
Environmental Politics [8]
Government [9]
Journalism & Media [10]
Region:
National (U.S.) [12]
Visibility:
Public [22]
- Read more about Open Data Is Still Important at the EPA — and Worth Updating [63]
Outfit Your News Kit With Disaster Resilience Resources [65]

Extreme weather and other natural disasters can bring a community to its knees. But journalists can be part of what gets it standing again — or even foresee the risk … if they’ve got the right resources. The latest Reporter’s Toolbox takes a close look at two federal products that could be a good starting point, along with several others worth a try.

SEJ Publication Types:
Reporters Toolbox [66]
Topics on the Beat:
Disasters [4]
Government [9]
Infrastructure [32]
Journalism & Media [10]
Region:
National (U.S.) [12]
Visibility:
Public [22]
- Read more about Outfit Your News Kit With Disaster Resilience Resources [65]
Author Shares Unorthodox Look at the Ways of Water [67]

How water moves through the global ecosystem and shapes our landscapes is the subject of a must-read new book by writer Erica Gies, according to BookShelf editor Tom Henry. A significant part of water’s story is how humanity invariably fails when trying to manipulate it. But hope may reside with Gies’ various “water detectives,” who explore how to “let water go where it wants to go.”

SEJ Publication Types:
BookShelf [68]
Topics on the Beat:
Climate Change [3]
Environmental Health [6]
Natural Resources [34]
Water & Oceans [39]
Wildlife [40]
Region:
National (U.S.) [12]
California [42]
Great Lakes (IL IN MI MN OH WI) [69]
Great Plains (IA KS ND NE MO SD) [70]
SE (AL AR FL GA KY LA MS NC PR SC TN) [45]
International [13]
Canada [71]
Africa [15]
Asia [16]
Europe [19]
Middle East [20]
South America [21]
Visibility:
Public [22]
- Read more about Author Shares Unorthodox Look at the Ways of Water [67]
Methane, a Key Global Warming Source, Is Targeted by Nations [72]

Carbon dioxide may get more attention, but the second-most damaging greenhouse gas, methane, is now the focus of a global pledge to cut emissions 30% by 2030. As part of a Society of Environmental Journalists publishing project focused on covering climate solutions, we take a closer look at methane with energy reporter Nushin Huq. A primer on the climate-related problems of methane and the promise of methane-based solutions. Plus, watch a recent SEJ methane solutions webinar [73] and see our Methane and Climate Change Toolbox [74].

SEJ Publication Types:
Special Reports [55]
Topics on the Beat:
Chemicals [27]
Climate Change [3]
Energy & Fuel [5]
Environmental Health [6]
Environmental Politics [8]
Environmental Studies [30]
Government [9]
Journalism & Media [10]
Natural Resources [34]
Policy [11]
Pollution [35]
Region:
National (U.S.) [12]
Alaska and Hawaii [41]
Great Plains (IA KS ND NE MO SD) [70]
Mountain West (CO ID MT NV UT WY) [75]
SE (AL AR FL GA KY LA MS NC PR SC TN) [45]
Southwest (AZ NM OK TX) [46]
International [13]
Visibility:
Public [22]
- Read more about Methane, a Key Global Warming Source, Is Targeted by Nations [72]
EPA-Mandated Regional Haze Plans Open Horizons on Local, State Stories [76]

A Biden administration move to force states to submit cleanup plans for regional haze offers opportunities to report air pollution news in your area, writes the latest TipSheet. The Clean Air Act regulatory program, focused on parks and wilderness areas, is not just about the scenery, but human health too. The backstory and the list of states, plus reporting resources and story ideas.

SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [52]
Topics on the Beat:
Air [49]
Health [60]
Journalism & Media [10]
Region:
National (U.S.) [12]
Visibility:
Public [22]
- Read more about EPA-Mandated Regional Haze Plans Open Horizons on Local, State Stories [76]

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