Publication Items

What Francis' Latest Climate Text Means for Upcoming UN Summit [1]

Pope Francis’ planned history-making trip to the latest global climate conference has been thwarted by illness. But his passionate advocacy for the environment still will be felt through his hot-off-the-press apostolic exhortation about the climate crisis. National Catholic Reporter’s environment correspondent Brian Roewe unpacks the pope’s new eco-document and explains how it relates to international climate diplomacy at and beyond Dubai.

SEJ Publication Types:
Features [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Activism [3]
Climate Change [4]
Environmental Justice [5]
Environmental Politics [6]
Government [7]
Natural Resources [8]
Policy [9]
Religion, Faith and Spirituality [10]
Science [11]
Technology [12]
Region:
International [13]
Europe [14]
Middle East [15]
Visibility:
Public [16]
- Read more about What Francis' Latest Climate Text Means for Upcoming UN Summit [1]
Between the Lines — Author Explores Experience of Living Through Climate Change [17]

To make climate change less abstract and more direct, writer Madeline Ostrander traveled the country to speak to those living with its impacts in the places they call home. In a BookShelf “Between the Lines” Q&A, Ostrander discusses her resulting book, “At Home on an Unruly Planet: Finding Refuge on a Changed Earth,” and addresses the lenses she used, the characters she portrayed and the surprises she encountered.

SEJ Publication Types:
BookShelf [18]
Topics on the Beat:
Activism [3]
Climate Change [4]
Disasters [19]
Economy & Business [20]
Environmental Justice [5]
Environmental Politics [6]
Forests [21]
Health [22]
Journalism & Media [23]
People & Population [24]
Policy [9]
Religion, Faith and Spirituality [10]
Science [11]
Wildlife [25]
Region:
National (U.S.) [26]
Alaska and Hawaii [27]
California [28]
SE (AL AR FL GA KY LA MS NC PR SC TN) [29]
International [13]
Canada [30]
Visibility:
Public [16]
- Read more about Between the Lines — Author Explores Experience of Living Through Climate Change [17]
Dredging for Data on Wetlands Permits [31]

In the second of two parts on how to report locally on wetlands permitting, the latest Reporter’s Toolbox helps you muck around an Army Corps of Engineers “permit finder” database that’s accurate and particularly good for zooming in on map-based geographic data. Plus, see the part one TipSheet [32] on how reemerging wetlands controversy brings the issue to your area.

SEJ Publication Types:
Reporters Toolbox [33]
Topics on the Beat:
Journalism & Media [23]
Natural Resources [8]
Water & Oceans [34]
Region:
National (U.S.) [26]
Visibility:
Public [16]
- Read more about Dredging for Data on Wetlands Permits [31]
Reemerging Wetlands Controversy Brings Local Angles [32]

Wetlands provide a wide array of ecological and societal benefits. But in the United States, they also represent a morass of conflicting views going back decades on how best to regulate them. Now a recent Supreme Court ruling and proposed federal rules are the source of new discord. The latest TipSheet explores how best to cover the wetlands controversy for your community.

SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [35]
Topics on the Beat:
Agriculture [36]
Biodiversity [37]
Economy & Business [20]
Environmental Health [38]
Environmental Politics [6]
Fish & Fisheries [39]
Laws & Regulations [40]
Natural Resources [8]
Water & Oceans [34]
Region:
National (U.S.) [26]
Visibility:
Public [16]
- Read more about Reemerging Wetlands Controversy Brings Local Angles [32]
Gathering Offers Sobering Look Ahead at 2024, But With Glimmers of Hope [41]

Top environmental journalists and others at the Society of Environmental Journalists annual “Journalists’ Guide to Environment and Energy” program foresee some challenging realities to cover in 2024, most notably with the ongoing impacts of climate change. Bright signs emerged as well. Read our take, watch the event video [42] and visit our full “2024 Journalists’ Guide to Environment + Energy [43]” special report.

SEJ Publication Types:
SEJ News [44]
Topics on the Beat:
Air [45]
Biodiversity [37]
Chemicals [46]
Climate Change [4]
Disasters [19]
Environmental Health [38]
Environmental Justice [5]
Environmental Politics [6]
Fish & Fisheries [39]
Forests [21]
Health [22]
Journalism & Media [23]
Natural Resources [8]
People & Population [24]
Policy [9]
Pollution [47]
Water & Oceans [34]
Region:
National (U.S.) [26]
Alaska and Hawaii [27]
SE (AL AR FL GA KY LA MS NC PR SC TN) [29]
Southwest (AZ NM OK TX) [48]
International [13]
South America [49]
Visibility:
Public [16]
- Read more about Gathering Offers Sobering Look Ahead at 2024, But With Glimmers of Hope [41]
Floods, Fires, Dysfunction — Another Year Ahead of Faltering Steps on Environment, Energy [50]

In our annual look-ahead on the environment and energy beat in 2024, we see a bumpy ride on global climate change talks coupled with more climate-driven disasters, even amid the evolving energy transition. And we see possible risks to ocean life from deep sea mining and continuing risks to human life from pollution of air, water and land. Insights in our overview [50] and our full “2024 Journalists’ Guide to Environment & Energy [43]” special report.

SEJ Publication Types:
Special Reports [51]
Topics on the Beat:
Air [45]
Biodiversity [37]
Chemicals [46]
Climate Change [4]
Disasters [19]
Economy & Business [20]
Energy & Fuel [52]
Environmental Health [38]
Environmental Justice [5]
Environmental Politics [6]
Forests [21]
Government [7]
Health [22]
Infrastructure [53]
Laws & Regulations [40]
Natural Resources [8]
Policy [9]
Pollution [47]
Transportation [54]
Waste [55]
Water & Oceans [34]
Region:
National (U.S.) [26]
International [13]
Visibility:
Public [16]
- Read more about Floods, Fires, Dysfunction — Another Year Ahead of Faltering Steps on Environment, Energy [50]
Data Portal Takes Measure of Water Quality [56]

A sprawling governmental data portal provides millions of water quality records that with a little groundtruthing environmental journalists can use to tell stories that range from problems with pathogens in failing treatment plants to beach closures and fish consumption advisories. The latest Toolbox points the way to the Water Quality Exchange, while offering caveats, questions to ask and storytelling tips.

SEJ Publication Types:
Reporters Toolbox [33]
Visibility:
Public [16]
- Read more about Data Portal Takes Measure of Water Quality [56]
Why Environmental Reporters Need To ‘Get’ the Budget Process [57]

When Congress debates funding — or cutting — government programs that deal with environmental and energy issues, journalists on those beats should pay attention. A special Backgrounder, part of our 2024 Journalists’ Guide to Environment and Energy, walks you through the (not so boring) budget process — rules, timelines, dealmaking — to help find the angles on what could be a major story of the coming year. Plus, a primer on budget primers.

SEJ Publication Types:
Backgrounders [58]
Topics on the Beat:
Environmental Politics [6]
Government [7]
Laws & Regulations [40]
Policy [9]
Region:
National (U.S.) [26]
Visibility:
Public [16]
- Read more about Why Environmental Reporters Need To ‘Get’ the Budget Process [57]
Covering Food Systems — The Next Climate Action Battleground [59]

Freelance food systems reporter Thin Lei Win believes that if the world doesn’t change the way it produces, processes, transports, consumes and discards food, climate change will worsen and hunger levels will spike. But she also worries that powerful interests want to keep the status quo and cites parallels with the tobacco and fossil fuel industries. More in Freelance Files, including places for freelancers to pitch climate-food stories.

SEJ Publication Types:
Freelance Files [60]
Topics on the Beat:
Agriculture [36]
Climate Change [4]
Consumer [61]
Economy & Business [20]
Energy & Fuel [52]
Food [62]
Journalism & Media [23]
People & Population [24]
Policy [9]
Pollution [47]
Region:
National (U.S.) [26]
International [13]
Visibility:
Public [16]
- Read more about Covering Food Systems — The Next Climate Action Battleground [59]
Reporting on Environmental Solutions and Equity — at a Watershed Scale [63]

Reporting on interconnected ecosystems lends itself to better environmental stories, and so tracing how water moves across landscapes, communities, industries and regulatory schemes can help the public connect the dots. That’s how Annie Ropeik, who helps run the Mississippi River Basin Ag & Water Desk, sees the watershed beat. She shares expert views and offers insights for environment journalists to use in their reporting.

SEJ Publication Types:
Features [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Activism [3]
Agriculture [36]
Climate Change [4]
Diversity [64]
Economy & Business [20]
Environmental Health [38]
Environmental Justice [5]
Environmental Politics [6]
Environmental Studies [65]
Government [7]
Health [22]
Infrastructure [53]
Journalism & Media [23]
Laws & Regulations [40]
Natural Resources [8]
Planning & Growth [66]
Policy [9]
Pollution [47]
Water & Oceans [34]
Region:
National (U.S.) [26]
Great Lakes (IL IN MI MN OH WI) [67]
Great Plains (IA KS ND NE MO SD) [68]
Mountain West (CO ID MT NV UT WY) [69]
Northwest (OR WA) [70]
SE (AL AR FL GA KY LA MS NC PR SC TN) [29]
International [13]
Canada [30]
Visibility:
Public [16]
- Read more about Reporting on Environmental Solutions and Equity — at a Watershed Scale [63]

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