Publication Items

Annual AAAS Meeting Offers Many Environmental Stories [1]

This year's meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, Feb 16-20 in Vancouver, BC, offers dozens of sessions on environmental topics — climate change, mineral resource dependency, water, critique of science journalism, disaster recovery, science integrity in government agencies, and more.
SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Science [3]
Region:
Canada [4]
Visibility:
Public [5]
- Read more about Annual AAAS Meeting Offers Many Environmental Stories [1]
New US Strategy for Coping with Climate Change Open for Comment [6]

NOAA, the USFWS, and the NY State Dept. of Environmental Conservation (representing all state and wildlife agencies) released on Jan. 19, 2012, a draft of the first national strategy for responding to climate change effects on plants, fish and wildlife. The public comment period is open until March 5, 2012, and public meetings and a webinar will occur until Feb. 22, 2012.
SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Planning & Growth [7]
People & Population [8]
Climate Change [9]
Visibility:
Public [5]
- Read more about New US Strategy for Coping with Climate Change Open for Comment [6]
New USDA Plant Hardiness Map Reflects Changing US Climate [10]

Finally, after numerous delays amid allegations of political interference by people who don't want to see documented evidence of climate shifts, the wait is over. The new detailed interactive map is based on data from 1976-2005, and is the first official revision since the 1990 update.
SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Planning & Growth [7]
Climate Change [9]
Agriculture [11]
Visibility:
Public [5]
- Read more about New USDA Plant Hardiness Map Reflects Changing US Climate [10]
NGOS Fill Federal Void on Plant Hardiness Zone Changes [12]

The American Horticultural Society and the National Arbor Day Foundation offer generalized hardiness maps as a starting point, until the US Department of Agriculture gets around to unveiling its own update.
SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Climate Change [9]
Agriculture [11]
Planning & Growth [7]
Visibility:
Public [5]
- Read more about NGOS Fill Federal Void on Plant Hardiness Zone Changes [12]
Talks Delay Rules for Power Plant, Refinery GHG Limits [13]

One day, EPA may propose rules for regulating greenhouse gas emissions from power plants and petroleum refineries. But the process continues to drag out, with the consent of the state and local governments and environmental advocacy groups that have been litigating for about five years to make the agency take action.
SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Pollution [14]
Energy & Fuel [15]
Climate Change [9]
Visibility:
Public [5]
- Read more about Talks Delay Rules for Power Plant, Refinery GHG Limits [13]
Some Secret CRS Reports You May Want To Read [16]

Here, courtesy of the Federation of American Scientists, are some recent Congressional Research Service backgrounders that may be useful to environment/energy reporters, on chemical facility security, nuclear power plant design and seismic safety considerations, and proposed Keystone XL pipeline legal issues.
SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [17]
Topics on the Beat:
Nuclear Power & Radiation [18]
Government [19]
Energy & Fuel [15]
Chemicals [20]
Visibility:
Public [5]
- Read more about Some Secret CRS Reports You May Want To Read [16]
Obama Vows Disclosure of Toxic Fracking Secrets on Federal Land [21]

Most current fracking operations happen on non-federal lands. But on federal lands, things are different — Obama intends to require disclosure of fluids as a condition of new leases for fracking on federal lands. If it takes place, this could push the ingredient lists further into the open.
SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [17]
Topics on the Beat:
Water & Oceans [22]
Pollution [14]
Health [23]
Environmental Politics [24]
Energy & Fuel [15]
Chemicals [20]
Region:
Southwest (AZ NM OK TX) [25]
SE (AL AR FL GA KY LA MS NC PR SC TN) [26]
Mountain West (CO ID MT NV UT WY) [27]
Mid-Atlantic (DC DE MD PA VA WV) [28]
Visibility:
Public [5]
- Read more about Obama Vows Disclosure of Toxic Fracking Secrets on Federal Land [21]
E-Mail: White House Ordered Scientists To Lowball BP Spill Rate Estimate [29]

The e-mail pressuring agency scientists was written by USGS Director Marcia McNutt, and was never meant to be made public. Against strong agency resistance, Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility forced disclosure of the e-mail with a Freedom-of-Information-Act lawsuit.
SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [17]
Topics on the Beat:
Water & Oceans [22]
Government [19]
Environmental Politics [24]
Energy & Fuel [15]
Disasters [30]
Visibility:
Public [5]
- Read more about E-Mail: White House Ordered Scientists To Lowball BP Spill Rate Estimate [29]
Lejeune Secrecy May Have Caused Dead Marines [31]

CDC's Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry has been investigating a Navy cover-up of cancer-causing drinking water at its Lejeune, NC, base. Now, Project on Government Oversight has released a January 5, 2012, letter from Marine Major General J.A. Kessler asking ATSDR to redact its report in the name of "force protection."
SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [17]
Topics on the Beat:
Pollution [14]
People & Population [8]
Military [32]
Environmental Politics [24]
Disasters [30]
Chemicals [20]
Region:
SE (AL AR FL GA KY LA MS NC PR SC TN) [26]
Visibility:
Public [5]
- Read more about Lejeune Secrecy May Have Caused Dead Marines [31]
World’s Growing Demand for Food Has Devastating Environmental Impacts [33]

SEJ Publication Types:
Features [34]
Visibility:
Public [5]
- Read more about World’s Growing Demand for Food Has Devastating Environmental Impacts [33]

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