Publication Items

Cross-Border Project Exposes Extent of PFAS Contamination in Europe [1]

A dozen European news partners collaborated last year to gather a massive set of water, soil and organism samples that pointed to more than 17,000 PFAS-contaminated sites in the region, many known to authorities but kept from the public. The award-winning project was led by Le Monde’s Stéphane Horel, who spoke with SEJournal for the latest Inside Story Q&A.

SEJ Publication Types:
Inside Story [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Chemicals [3]
Environmental Studies [4]
Health [5]
Journalism & Media [6]
Pollution [7]
Region:
International [8]
Europe [9]
Visibility:
Public [10]
- Read more about Cross-Border Project Exposes Extent of PFAS Contamination in Europe [1]
Spurt in Hydro Relicensing To Leave U.S. Awash in Environmental Stories [11]

Hundreds of hydropower dams in the United States will see their licenses expiring in the next decade, generating years-long federal relicensing processes. That prospect calls for close local and regional coverage of the complicated balance between renewable energy needs with negative environmental impacts. The latest TipSheet explains the licensing process and the dam backstory, along with a dozen story ideas and reporting resources.

SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [12]
Topics on the Beat:
Activism [13]
Climate Change [14]
Consumer [15]
Energy & Fuel [16]
Environmental Health [17]
Environmental Politics [18]
Fish & Fisheries [19]
Infrastructure [20]
Journalism & Media [6]
Laws & Regulations [21]
Natural Resources [22]
Policy [23]
Water & Oceans [24]
Region:
National (U.S.) [25]
California [26]
Great Lakes (IL IN MI MN OH WI) [27]
Northeast (CT MA ME NH NJ NY RI VT) [28]
Northwest (OR WA) [29]
Visibility:
Public [10]
- Read more about Spurt in Hydro Relicensing To Leave U.S. Awash in Environmental Stories [11]
Climate Crisis Makes for Real Fashion Emergency [30]

Fast fashion’s lack of sustainability has long been the subject of news media coverage. But now the realities of climate change mean that fashion reporting must be reimagined to include the lived environmental and human rights realities of workers making what we wear, writes contributor Yessenia Funes in the new Voices of Environmental Justice column. Ideas and resources for getting past simplistic fashion industry narratives.

SEJ Publication Types:
Voices of Environmental Justice [31]
Topics on the Beat:
Activism [13]
Agriculture [32]
Climate Change [14]
Consumer [15]
Economy & Business [33]
Environmental Justice [34]
Health [5]
Journalism & Media [6]
People & Population [35]
Policy [23]
Waste [36]
Region:
National (U.S.) [25]
International [8]
Asia [37]
Visibility:
Public [10]
- Read more about Climate Crisis Makes for Real Fashion Emergency [30]
Will Zombie Ag-Gag Laws Ever Really Die? [38]

Laws that make undercover journalistic investigations of animal agriculture operations illegal violate the First Amendment, right? Not so clear, laments WatchDog Opinion, which points out that while the Supreme Court appeared to have struck down such laws just last year, it may now revisit the issue. Why it should matter not just to environmental reporters but to all journalists.

SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog [39]
Topics on the Beat:
Activism [13]
Agriculture [32]
Environmental Politics [18]
Journalism & Media [6]
Laws & Regulations [21]
Policy [23]
Region:
National (U.S.) [25]
Great Plains (IA KS ND NE MO SD) [40]
SE (AL AR FL GA KY LA MS NC PR SC TN) [41]
Southwest (AZ NM OK TX) [42]
Visibility:
Public [10]
- Read more about Will Zombie Ag-Gag Laws Ever Really Die? [38]
Roadkill Makes for Jolting Read in ‘Crossings’ [43]

As human roadways sprawl across a global network, the planet’s other living things have not only found the vehicles that travel them among the world’s deadliest weapons but also that road noise, the impassable divisions of the landscape and more have massive implications for nature. BookShelf reviews Ben Goldfarb’s eye-opening new book, “Crossings,” and the realities of road ecology.

SEJ Publication Types:
BookShelf [44]
Topics on the Beat:
Biodiversity [45]
Environmental Health [17]
Environmental Justice [34]
Infrastructure [20]
Planning & Growth [46]
Pollution [7]
Transportation [47]
Wildlife [48]
Region:
National (U.S.) [25]
California [26]
Northeast (CT MA ME NH NJ NY RI VT) [28]
International [8]
Australia & Oceania [49]
Europe [9]
Visibility:
Public [10]
- Read more about Roadkill Makes for Jolting Read in ‘Crossings’ [43]
Energy Data With Global Reach — and Policy Fallout [50]

If solid data about the world’s energy and climate change realities is what you need for your environmental reporting, the latest Reporter’s Toolbox suggests you scour the vast datasets of the intergovernmental body known as the International Energy Agency. Its data (mostly open) chronicles much about the energy transition and offers easy-to-browse info and free-to-use charts. Plus, it’s not afraid to make policy recommendations.

SEJ Publication Types:
Reporters Toolbox [51]
Visibility:
Public [10]
- Read more about Energy Data With Global Reach — and Policy Fallout [50]
Philly Steaks Out New Ground [52]

It just wouldn’t be the Society of Environmental Journalists annual conference recap without the waggish tales of SEJ’s resident wit, David Helvarg, who once again this year skewers the lot of us, sparing not a jot of our five days in Philadelphia. Read on and prepare to snicker.

SEJ Publication Types:
SEJ News [53]
Topics on the Beat:
Agriculture [32]
Climate Change [14]
Disasters [54]
Economy & Business [33]
Energy & Fuel [16]
Environmental Politics [18]
Food [55]
Government [56]
Health [5]
Infrastructure [20]
Journalism & Media [6]
Natural Resources [22]
Nuclear Power & Radiation [57]
Policy [23]
Pollution [7]
Technology [58]
Transportation [47]
Waste [36]
Water & Oceans [24]
Wildlife [48]
Region:
National (U.S.) [25]
Mid-Atlantic (DC DE MD PA VA WV) [59]
Visibility:
Public [10]
- Read more about Philly Steaks Out New Ground [52]
Courage and Caring — Documentary Celebrates Environmental Icon Stewart Udall [60]

While the name of Stewart Udall, U.S. interior secretary through the tumultuous 1960s, may have faded from public memory, his influence on environmental policies is still felt today. Contributor Francesca Lyman shines the spotlight on a new documentary about Udall and his legacy, and talks with director John de Graaf about Udall’s insights and inspiration.

SEJ Publication Types:
Features [61]
Topics on the Beat:
Air [62]
Biodiversity [45]
Climate Change [14]
Energy & Fuel [16]
Environmental Health [17]
Environmental Justice [34]
Environmental Politics [18]
Environmental Studies [4]
Forests [63]
Government [56]
Infrastructure [20]
Journalism & Media [6]
Laws & Regulations [21]
Natural Resources [22]
Nuclear Power & Radiation [57]
Policy [23]
Pollution [7]
Religion, Faith and Spirituality [64]
Transportation [47]
Water & Oceans [24]
Wildlife [48]
Region:
National (U.S.) [25]
California [26]
Mountain West (CO ID MT NV UT WY) [65]
Northwest (OR WA) [29]
Southwest (AZ NM OK TX) [42]
International [8]
Central America & the Caribbean [66]
Visibility:
Public [10]
- Read more about Courage and Caring — Documentary Celebrates Environmental Icon Stewart Udall [60]
Solar Power, the Community Way [67]

The energy transition imperative to move from fossil fuels toward renewable energies could leave out individual homeowners unable to install rooftop solar. But as the latest TipSheet points out, there’s an alternative: community solar. Good local reporting is needed to demystify it though. The backstory, plus more than a dozen story ideas and reporting resources.

SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [12]
Topics on the Beat:
Climate Change [14]
Consumer [15]
Energy & Fuel [16]
Environmental Politics [18]
Infrastructure [20]
Journalism & Media [6]
Laws & Regulations [21]
Policy [23]
Region:
National (U.S.) [25]
Visibility:
Public [10]
- Read more about Solar Power, the Community Way [67]
#SEJ2024 LIVE: On-the-Ground Coverage from Reporters in Our Inaugural Student Newsroom [68]

As part of a new initiative for the Society of Environmental Journalists' 2024 annual conference [69] in Philadelphia, PA, from April 3-7, the SEJ Publications team has organized an inaugural student newsroom to provide running coverage throughout the conference and beyond.

Numerous sessions and workshops touched on issues ranging from climate, war and migration to sustainable foods, just transitions and watershed solutions, with viewpoints from luminary scientists and top government officials, plus experts, activists and leading environment reporters. Explore on-the-spot writeups and images from our student reporters.

SEJ Sessions and Workshops: Climate Disinformation [70] | Environmental Consequences of War [71] | Climate Migration Reporting [72] | Rural Reporting [73] | Sustainable Food Systems [74] | Whistleblower Stories [75] | Just Transition for Oil Towns [76] | Watersheds [77] | More [68]

Plus, hundreds of attendees crisscrossed the region on a series of day-long tours, with our student reporters going along for the ride. On-the-scene reporting and images from our student newsroom:

SEJ Tours: From Farmbelt to Pinelands [78] | Revolutionary Raptors [79] | Climate Challenges on Delaware Bayshore [80] | Gap Over Future of Delaware Water Gap [81] | Delaware's ‘Holy Trinity’ [82]

Also see SEJ.org’s multimedia coverage [83], including audio recordings of most conference sessions and videos of the plenary sessions. And view other #SEJ2024 resources, like Instagram highlights [84] and coverage stories [85].

SEJ Publication Types:
SEJ News [53]
Topics on the Beat:
Journalism & Media [6]
Region:
National (U.S.) [25]
Visibility:
Public [10]
- Read more about #SEJ2024 LIVE: On-the-Ground Coverage from Reporters in Our Inaugural Student Newsroom [68]

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