Publication Items

Philly Steaks Out New Ground [1]

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 [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Agriculture [3]
Climate Change [4]
Disasters [5]
Economy & Business [6]
Energy & Fuel [7]
Environmental Politics [8]
Food [9]
Government [10]
Health [11]
Infrastructure [12]
Journalism & Media [13]
Natural Resources [14]
Nuclear Power & Radiation [15]
Policy [16]
Pollution [17]
Technology [18]
Transportation [19]
Waste [20]
Water & Oceans [21]
Wildlife [22]
Region:
National (U.S.) [23]
Mid-Atlantic (DC DE MD PA VA WV) [24]
Visibility:
Public [25]
- Read more about Philly Steaks Out New Ground [1]
Courage and Caring — Documentary Celebrates Environmental Icon Stewart Udall [26]

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 [27]
Topics on the Beat:
Air [28]
Biodiversity [29]
Climate Change [4]
Energy & Fuel [7]
Environmental Health [30]
Environmental Justice [31]
Environmental Politics [8]
Environmental Studies [32]
Forests [33]
Government [10]
Infrastructure [12]
Journalism & Media [13]
Laws & Regulations [34]
Natural Resources [14]
Nuclear Power & Radiation [15]
Policy [16]
Pollution [17]
Religion, Faith and Spirituality [35]
Transportation [19]
Water & Oceans [21]
Wildlife [22]
Region:
National (U.S.) [23]
California [36]
Mountain West (CO ID MT NV UT WY) [37]
Northwest (OR WA) [38]
Southwest (AZ NM OK TX) [39]
International [40]
Central America & the Caribbean [41]
Visibility:
Public [25]
- Read more about Courage and Caring — Documentary Celebrates Environmental Icon Stewart Udall [26]
Solar Power, the Community Way [42]

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 [43]
Topics on the Beat:
Climate Change [4]
Consumer [44]
Energy & Fuel [7]
Environmental Politics [8]
Infrastructure [12]
Journalism & Media [13]
Laws & Regulations [34]
Policy [16]
Region:
National (U.S.) [23]
Visibility:
Public [25]
- Read more about Solar Power, the Community Way [42]
#SEJ2024 LIVE: On-the-Ground Coverage from Reporters in Our Inaugural Student Newsroom [45]

As part of a new initiative for the Society of Environmental Journalists' 2024 annual conference [46] 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 [47] | Environmental Consequences of War [48] | Climate Migration Reporting [49] | Rural Reporting [50] | Sustainable Food Systems [51] | Whistleblower Stories [52] | Just Transition for Oil Towns [53] | Watersheds [54] | More [45]

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 [55] | Revolutionary Raptors [56] | Climate Challenges on Delaware Bayshore [57] | Gap Over Future of Delaware Water Gap [58] | Delaware's ‘Holy Trinity’ [59]

Also see SEJ.org’s multimedia coverage [60], including audio recordings of most conference sessions and videos of the plenary sessions. And view other #SEJ2024 resources, like Instagram highlights [61] and coverage stories [62].

SEJ Publication Types:
SEJ News [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Journalism & Media [13]
Region:
National (U.S.) [23]
Visibility:
Public [25]
- Read more about #SEJ2024 LIVE: On-the-Ground Coverage from Reporters in Our Inaugural Student Newsroom [45]
LNG To Fuel Conflict, Profit, Warming in Coming Years [63]

A partisan debate has flared over liquified natural gas, as industry, environmentalists and politicians wrangle over LNG’s role in climate change and the energy transition, heating and electricity prices, and international and domestic U.S. politics. Backgrounder lays out LNG’s history, starting with the fracking boom and bringing it up to speed with the war in Ukraine and upcoming presidential elections.

SEJ Publication Types:
Backgrounders [64]
Topics on the Beat:
Activism [65]
Chemicals [66]
Climate Change [4]
Energy & Fuel [7]
Environmental Politics [8]
Government [10]
Laws & Regulations [34]
Natural Resources [14]
Policy [16]
Pollution [17]
Technology [18]
Transportation [19]
Water & Oceans [21]
Region:
National (U.S.) [23]
Alaska and Hawaii [67]
Mid-Atlantic (DC DE MD PA VA WV) [24]
SE (AL AR FL GA KY LA MS NC PR SC TN) [68]
International [40]
Canada [69]
Mexico [70]
Asia [71]
Europe [72]
Middle East [73]
Visibility:
Public [25]
- Read more about LNG To Fuel Conflict, Profit, Warming in Coming Years [63]
Award-Winning Beat Reporting Highlights Legacy of Environmental Racism [74]

Top-flight regional reporting (and data analysis) that explored inequities between Black and white communities around Baltimore, Maryland, yielded journalist Scott Dance a wide range of stories — and a first-place prize in the most recent awards from the Society of Environmental Journalists. Dance, now on the climate desk for The Washington Post shares insights from the beat in the new Inside Story.

SEJ Publication Types:
Inside Story [75]
Topics on the Beat:
Agriculture [3]
Climate Change [4]
Environmental Justice [31]
Fish & Fisheries [76]
Health [11]
Journalism & Media [13]
People & Population [77]
Planning & Growth [78]
Policy [16]
Pollution [17]
Water & Oceans [21]
Region:
National (U.S.) [23]
Mid-Atlantic (DC DE MD PA VA WV) [24]
Visibility:
Public [25]
- Read more about Award-Winning Beat Reporting Highlights Legacy of Environmental Racism [74]
Finding Your Way Through the Forest of Forest Data [79]

Forests are full of environmental stories, from timber sales and wildlife habitat to climate change and hunting. And for reporters in search of resources to report them, the U.S. Forest Service offers an immense array of datasets to match the hundreds of millions of acres of land under its domain. The latest Reporter’s Toolbox gets you started on using the vast Forest Service data collection.

SEJ Publication Types:
Reporters Toolbox [80]
Topics on the Beat:
Agriculture [3]
Climate Change [4]
Environmental Health [30]
Forests [33]
Government [10]
Journalism & Media [13]
Natural Resources [14]
Policy [16]
Wildlife [22]
Region:
National (U.S.) [23]
Visibility:
Public [25]
- Read more about Finding Your Way Through the Forest of Forest Data [79]
Photographing Vernal Pools, ‘Another Universe’ in Your Backyard [81]

Vernal pools — small, ephemeral forest wetlands — may appear humble, but these complex, keystone ecosystems have an outsized ecological role. So when photographer Tristan Spinski set out to deconstruct them by season, species and life-cycle stage, he captured extraordinary moments above and below the water’s surface. Spinski shared his journey with EJ InSight editor Andrew Cullen, along with some nature photography strategies even for those without impressive gear. Plus, view his images [82].

SEJ Publication Types:
EJ InSight [83]
Topics on the Beat:
Biodiversity [29]
Forests [33]
Water & Oceans [21]
Wildlife [22]
Region:
National (U.S.) [23]
Northeast (CT MA ME NH NJ NY RI VT) [84]
Visibility:
Public [25]
- Read more about Photographing Vernal Pools, ‘Another Universe’ in Your Backyard [81]
Wildfire Preparedness Is a Story Worth Telling — Before ‘Fire Season’ [85]

Wildfires in the Texas Panhandle are a good reminder that wildfire season now stretches across much of the year, so environmental journalists would do well to look for ways to localize their reporting on wildfire preparedness. The latest TipSheet offers 10 story ideas and half a dozen reporting resources to tell the story of your community’s wildfire risk.

SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [43]
Topics on the Beat:
Disasters [5]
Journalism & Media [13]
Planning & Growth [78]
Region:
National (U.S.) [23]
Southwest (AZ NM OK TX) [39]
Visibility:
Public [25]
- Read more about Wildfire Preparedness Is a Story Worth Telling — Before ‘Fire Season’ [85]
Will AI Make It Easier To Limit Press Freedom? [86]

Artificial intelligence is at the confluence of forces — concentrated media ownership, the dominance of social media platforms — that are harming press freedoms and the work of journalists. But the WatchDog Opinion column warns AI may quickly further problems of disinformation and censorship. Here’s why, along with some hopeful responses from the journalism profession.

SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog [87]
Topics on the Beat:
Journalism & Media [13]
Policy [16]
Technology [18]
Region:
National (U.S.) [23]
International [40]
Visibility:
Public [25]
- Read more about Will AI Make It Easier To Limit Press Freedom? [86]

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