Publication Items

How Transparent Is Your State? Check the Ratings [1]

The Center for Public Integrity systematically rated the 50 state governments on various measures of integrity. One of those was transparency. Only three states scored higher than D+.

SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Government [3]
Region:
National (U.S.) [4]
Visibility:
Public [5]
- Read more about How Transparent Is Your State? Check the Ratings [1]
Liberals Unmuzzle Canadian Scientists; Will U.S. Scientists Be Next? [6]

The speed and ease of this Canadian revolution by incoming Prime Minister Justin Trudeau belies the "common wisdom" among many jaded reporters and PR professionals that muzzling of U.S. government scientists and officials is somehow inevitable and woven into the culture of government.

SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Environmental Politics [7]
Fish & Fisheries [8]
Government [3]
Science [9]
Region:
Canada [10]
Visibility:
Public [5]
- Read more about Liberals Unmuzzle Canadian Scientists; Will U.S. Scientists Be Next? [6]
White House Unveils Third Open Government "Action Plan" [11]

"Action" may be too strong a word. For that matter, "open" may be too strong a word. The Obama administration Tuesday unveiled its third "National Action Plan" at the international Open Government Partnership in Mexico. But note that many items are held over from the second plan because they have not yet been accomplished.

SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Government [3]
Visibility:
Public [5]
- Read more about White House Unveils Third Open Government "Action Plan" [11]
WyoFile Publishes Photos in Defiance of State's Censorship Law [12]

Wyoming's legislature calls it "data trespass." Really? The state in March 2015 made it illegal to collect and report information about stream pollution or other environmental harm — when it involves entering private land. One independent publication invited its readers to collect and post such potentially illegal photos.

SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Environmental Politics [7]
Natural Resources [13]
Pollution [14]
Region:
Mountain West (CO ID MT NV UT WY) [15]
Visibility:
Public [5]
- Read more about WyoFile Publishes Photos in Defiance of State's Censorship Law [12]
Abandoned Mine Data Now a Bit More Available to Public [16]

The nonprofit SkyTruth, an innovator in applying map technology to environmental problems, offers an interactive version of an obscure federal database on abandoned coal mines. Also available, data from the Bureau of Land Management.

SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Environmental Health [17]
Natural Resources [13]
Pollution [14]
Visibility:
Public [5]
- Read more about Abandoned Mine Data Now a Bit More Available to Public [16]
EPA Intends To Add Natural Gas Processing Plants to Toxics Inventory [18]

Administrator Gina McCarthy revealed October 22, 2015, that the U.S. EPA intends to add some natural gas processing facilities to the Toxics Release Inventory, a searchable online database of many of the largest discharges of toxic substances to air, water, and land — and a key tool for environmental journalists.

SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Chemicals [19]
Energy & Fuel [20]
Pollution [14]
Visibility:
Public [5]
- Read more about EPA Intends To Add Natural Gas Processing Plants to Toxics Inventory [18]
Email Disclosure Conflicts Continue on Environmental Issues [21]

Investigations into emails are a hotter topic than ever. A new face-off between Congressional climate science deniers and the federal scientists who compile climate data is making headlines.

SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Climate Change [22]
Environmental Politics [7]
Science [9]
Visibility:
Public [5]
- Read more about Email Disclosure Conflicts Continue on Environmental Issues [21]
Between the Lines: Iconic Author, Former Farmer, Plants Seeds for a ‘More Attractive’ World [23]

In this "Between the Lines" excerpt from the latest issue of SEJournal, book editor Tom Henry interviews Earth Policy Institute's Lester Brown, recipient of 25 honorary degrees and author of 54 books (although, amazingly, he never learned to type).

SEJ Publication Types:
BookShelf [24]
Topics on the Beat:
Activism [25]
Climate Change [22]
Economy & Business [26]
Energy & Fuel [20]
Science [9]
Water & Oceans [27]
Visibility:
Public [5]
- Read more about Between the Lines: Iconic Author, Former Farmer, Plants Seeds for a ‘More Attractive’ World [23]
Are There Limits to FOIA Access to Research E-Mails? [28]

A war has broken out over academic emails — a war seemingly between academic freedom and the public's right to know. The smoking emails have prompted scandals galore, and produced stories. The issue got an airing in a plenary session October 9, 2015, at SEJ's Annual Conference. The WatchDog has details.

SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Environmental Studies [29]
Laws & Regulations [30]
Science [9]
Visibility:
Public [5]
- Read more about Are There Limits to FOIA Access to Research E-Mails? [28]
NICAR To Publish Long-Suppressed National Inventory of Dams [31]

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has for years suppressed full disclosure of the National Inventory of Dams, once a key tool for journalists reporting on dam safety — or the government's failure to ensure it. Now that tool is back in the toolbox ... mostly.

SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Disasters [32]
Government [3]
People & Population [33]
Water & Oceans [27]
Region:
National (U.S.) [4]
Visibility:
Public [5]
- Read more about NICAR To Publish Long-Suppressed National Inventory of Dams [31]

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