Publication Items

Are Data Behind Companies' Greenhouse Gas Emissions Trade Secrets? [1]

EPA's upcoming rulings on confidentiality for data going into the companies' GHG calculations will be important. Those determinations may impact whether companies' reporting is accurate — and whether they can ever be held accountable for their emissions.
SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Pollution [3]
Health [4]
Environmental Health [5]
Economy & Business [6]
Climate Change [7]
Air [8]
Visibility:
Public [9]
- Read more about Are Data Behind Companies' Greenhouse Gas Emissions Trade Secrets? [1]
RTK Net Reporting Tools Still Sharp After Many Years [10]

The Right-To-Know Network has been around since 1989. Today, with a modern and searchable Web interface, it offers access to some data that reporters would be hard put to find anywhere else. Most important is its collection of Risk Management Plans — which chemical plants are required to maintain to prevent, prepare for, and respond to toxic disasters.

SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Chemicals [11]
Disasters [12]
Journalism & Media [13]
Technology [14]
Visibility:
Public [9]
- Read more about RTK Net Reporting Tools Still Sharp After Many Years [10]
Integrity Problems at Interior's Science Integrity Program? [15]

One sign of problems came when Interior's Inspector General office launched what seemed to be a ham-handed investigation, later dropped, into activities of the scientist who sounded the alarm on polar bears losing habitat to global warming. Now Interior has fired one of its scientific integrity officers — who is defending himself by saying he was just doing his job.
SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Wildlife [16]
Water & Oceans [17]
Science [18]
Government [19]
Fish & Fisheries [20]
Environmental Politics [21]
Climate Change [7]
Biodiversity [22]
Visibility:
Public [9]
- Read more about Integrity Problems at Interior's Science Integrity Program? [15]
Dykstra Returns to the Calling of Journalism, Climate Change and the Next Best Story [23]

Bill Dawson has the "Inside Story" on ex-CNN science, environment, weather and technology executive producer Peter Dykstra's return to the journalism fold.

SEJ Publication Types:
Inside Story [25]
Topics on the Beat:
Biodiversity [22]
Climate Change [7]
Health [4]
Journalism & Media [13]
Water & Oceans [17]
Visibility:
Public [9]
- Read more about Dykstra Returns to the Calling of Journalism, Climate Change and the Next Best Story [23]
SEJournal Spring 2012, Vol. 22 No. 1 [26]

In this issue: Getting into the (Clean Water) Act; SEJ's grant program has real impact on reporting; indie enviro films at Sundance; election year buzzwords; sneak preview of SEJ's 2012 conference, Lubbock, Texas; web tool DocumentCloud brings documents to life; ex-CNN executive producer Dykstra returns to journalism; meteorologists as environmental journalists; SEJ members honored, produce videos, win awards and grants; and 5 book reviews! (Why wait 3 months for access to each quarterly issue? Get your Summer/Fall issue [24] now: how to join [27] or subscribe. [28])

SEJ Publication Types:
SEJournal Online [29]
Topics on the Beat:
Climate Change [7]
Journalism & Media [13]
Science [18]
Water & Oceans [17]
Visibility:
Public [9]
- Read more about SEJournal Spring 2012, Vol. 22 No. 1 [26]
Coast Guard Security Zones Restrict Access to Nukes, Water Intakes [30]

The Coast Guard defines "security zones" to protect certain sensitive facilities in its bailiwick. It does sometimes grant permission for boats to transit these zones. We suggest journalists interested in such maritime investigations contact their local Coast Guard district or station first.
SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Water & Oceans [17]
Nuclear Power & Radiation [31]
Visibility:
Public [9]
- Read more about Coast Guard Security Zones Restrict Access to Nukes, Water Intakes [30]
Mexico Moves Toward Federalizing Crimes Against Journalists [32]

The Mexican Senate on March 13, 2012, approved a constitutional amendment making attacks on journalists a federal crime — which would help journalists bypass possibly corrupt local police officials. The measure must now be approved by a majority of Mexico's state legislatures.
SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Laws & Regulations [33]
Journalism & Media [13]
Government [19]
Region:
Mexico [34]
Visibility:
Public [9]
- Read more about Mexico Moves Toward Federalizing Crimes Against Journalists [32]
Data Tools: Journalists' One-Stop Shopping for Ethics Investigations? [35]

At Ethics.gov, search several databases with a single search-term entry, potentially speeding discovery of information. It includes data on lobbying registrations, political action committees, contributions to candidates, travel reports, foreign agents registrations, and more. But some open-government advocates consider it merely a down payment on a more comprehensive system.
SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Technology [14]
Visibility:
Public [9]
- Read more about Data Tools: Journalists' One-Stop Shopping for Ethics Investigations? [35]
EPA Toxic-Disclosure Proposal Under Scrutiny at Obama White House [36]

On December 27, 2012, EPA submitted to the Office of Management and Budget its proposal to alter the interpretation of the Toxic Substances Control Act to require disclosure of the identities of the chemicals subject to health-effects studies before they are used in manufactured products. On January 20, 2012, a secret meeting took place between OMB officials and chemical industry lobbyists. We don't know what they talked about, but we do know that the meeting took place and who attended it.
SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Government [19]
Chemicals [11]
Visibility:
Public [9]
- Read more about EPA Toxic-Disclosure Proposal Under Scrutiny at Obama White House [36]
"Winged Obsession: The Pursuit of the World's Most Notorious Butterfly Smuggler" [37]

SEJ Publication Types:
BookShelf [38]
Topics on the Beat:
Biodiversity [22]
Wildlife [16]
Visibility:
Public [9]
- Read more about "Winged Obsession: The Pursuit of the World's Most Notorious Butterfly Smuggler" [37]

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