Publication Items

High-Risk Reporting Yields Results on Palm Oil Investigation [1]

The devastation caused by the Amazonian palm oil industry was at the heart of an investigation by Mongabay reporter Karla Mendes. But first she had to face hostile sources, intransigent regulators and a robbery attempt. Ultimately, the project not only won a reporting prize from the Society of Environmental Journalists but brought global awareness and government action. Her experience, in Inside Story Q&A.

SEJ Publication Types:
Inside Story [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Agriculture [3]
Chemicals [4]
Economy & Business [5]
Environmental Health [6]
Environmental Justice [7]
Environmental Politics [8]
Food [9]
Forests [10]
Government [11]
Health [12]
Journalism & Media [13]
Natural Resources [14]
People & Population [15]
Pollution [16]
Water & Oceans [17]
Region:
International [18]
South America [19]
Visibility:
Public [20]
- Read more about High-Risk Reporting Yields Results on Palm Oil Investigation [1]
Exposed for Pig Pollution, Nebraska Governor Slimes the Reporter [21]

When the governor of Nebraska personally attacked an investigative reporter who’d covered environmental problems in his family business, it drew a national spotlight and a quick response from free press supporters, including the Society of Environmental Journalists. WatchDog Opinion looks at what happened and observes that politicians’ name-calling of journalists has an unfortunate history — but must never be allowed to stop the truthtelling.

SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog [22]
Topics on the Beat:
Agriculture [3]
Environmental Politics [8]
Government [11]
Journalism & Media [13]
Policy [23]
Pollution [16]
Region:
National (U.S.) [24]
Great Plains (IA KS ND NE MO SD) [25]
Visibility:
Public [20]
- Read more about Exposed for Pig Pollution, Nebraska Governor Slimes the Reporter [21]
New Climate Vulnerability Index Made for Local, Regional Stories [26]

For environmental journalists looking to get granular on their coverage of climate risk, Reporter’s Toolbox recommends a new collaborative effort that integrates dozens of separate datasets to provide insights down to the census-tract level. Because it can also be cross-indexed by subjects like health and socioeconomics, it’s particularly useful for environmental justice reporting. Toolbox walks you through the new Climate Vulnerability Index.

SEJ Publication Types:
Reporters Toolbox [27]
Topics on the Beat:
Climate Change [28]
Environmental Justice [7]
Health [12]
Infrastructure [29]
Journalism & Media [13]
Region:
National (U.S.) [24]
Visibility:
Public [20]
- Read more about New Climate Vulnerability Index Made for Local, Regional Stories [26]
Author Brings Far-Reaching Insight to ‘The Three Ages of Water’ [30]

Leading water expert Peter Gleick’s new book on water’s past, present and future is an ambitious volume that offers a panoramic look at this essential resource — and hope for living in harmony with it in the future. BookShelf Editor Tom Henry calls “The Three Ages of Water” a rare book of breadth and depth, part history and part sustainable remedy. Read his review.

SEJ Publication Types:
BookShelf [31]
Topics on the Beat:
Climate Change [28]
Environmental Health [6]
Environmental Justice [7]
Food [9]
Health [12]
Natural Resources [14]
People & Population [15]
Planning & Growth [32]
Policy [23]
Science [33]
Water & Oceans [17]
Region:
National (U.S.) [24]
Great Lakes (IL IN MI MN OH WI) [34]
International [18]
Africa [35]
Asia [36]
Visibility:
Public [20]
- Read more about Author Brings Far-Reaching Insight to ‘The Three Ages of Water’ [30]
Do Home Buyers Have a Right to Flood Risk Disclosure? [37]

In the second of a two-parter for our 2024 Journalists’ Guide to Environment + Energy [38], the latest TipSheet considers how local environmental journalists can make news out of the state-by-state patchwork of flood risk disclosure laws amid rising climate extremes. A dozen-and-a-half story ideas and reporting resources on the topic. Plus, see part one [39] on climate and insurance.

SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [40]
Topics on the Beat:
Climate Change [28]
Consumer [41]
Disasters [42]
Government [11]
Infrastructure [29]
Journalism & Media [13]
Laws & Regulations [43]
Planning & Growth [32]
Policy [23]
Water & Oceans [17]
Region:
National (U.S.) [24]
Visibility:
Public [20]
- Read more about Do Home Buyers Have a Right to Flood Risk Disclosure? [37]
Electric Vehicles Will Be Burning Rubber in 2024 [44]

As global sales of electric vehicles surge, the positive impact on climate change emissions could be a critical benefit. But as our Backgrounder points out, it’s not as simple as that. There are challenges with politics, tax laws, mineral access, related pollution regulations and union jobs. Get an overview of the issue, in this latest entry in our expanding 2024 Journalists’ Guide to Environment + Energy.

SEJ Publication Types:
Backgrounders [45]
Topics on the Beat:
Climate Change [28]
Consumer [41]
Energy & Fuel [46]
Environmental Politics [8]
Government [11]
Journalism & Media [13]
Laws & Regulations [43]
Natural Resources [14]
Policy [23]
Pollution [16]
Science [33]
Technology [47]
Transportation [48]
Region:
National (U.S.) [24]
International [18]
Asia [36]
Europe [49]
Visibility:
Public [20]
- Read more about Electric Vehicles Will Be Burning Rubber in 2024 [44]
Prying Open the Statehouse Doors [50]

Reporting on environmental stories often leads to the state legislature, where key material can be frustratingly hard to access. Whether that’s because the state is deliberately hiding information, has poor systems for sharing it or isn’t even tracking it, there are ways to get what you need. Four seasoned environment reporters offer tips, tricks and commiseration.

SEJ Publication Types:
Features [51]
Topics on the Beat:
Air [52]
Economy & Business [5]
Energy & Fuel [46]
Government [11]
Infrastructure [29]
Journalism & Media [13]
Laws & Regulations [43]
Natural Resources [14]
Policy [23]
Water & Oceans [17]
Region:
National (U.S.) [24]
California [53]
Great Plains (IA KS ND NE MO SD) [25]
Northeast (CT MA ME NH NJ NY RI VT) [54]
Southwest (AZ NM OK TX) [55]
Visibility:
Public [20]
- Read more about Prying Open the Statehouse Doors [50]
Here’s Your Handy Doomsday Dataviz Dashboard [56]

If you’re harboring serious doubts about the climate future but want to be prepared to cover it, the latest Reporter’s Toolbox offers up a seasonably ghoulish list of a dozen and a half great visualization sources to help tell the story. And lest it leave you spooked, remember, as the saying goes, everything will be OK in the end. And if it's not OK, it's not the end.

SEJ Publication Types:
Reporters Toolbox [27]
Topics on the Beat:
Air [52]
Climate Change [28]
Disasters [42]
Environmental Health [6]
Health [12]
Journalism & Media [13]
Water & Oceans [17]
Region:
National (U.S.) [24]
International [18]
Visibility:
Public [20]
- Read more about Here’s Your Handy Doomsday Dataviz Dashboard [56]
Home Insurance Likely To Be a 2024 Climate Story Near You [39]

In the first of a two-parter for our 2024 Journalists’ Guide to Environment & Energy, TipSheet looks at what climate-driven disasters mean for the home insurance market. Storms, floods and fire rip through communities, yet a federal insurance program falls short, lawmakers shy away from real reform and insurers grow hesitant to cover the risks, while homeowners often attempt to rebuild in the same problematic locales. Plus, see part two [37] on extreme weather and insurance.

SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [40]
Topics on the Beat:
Climate Change [28]
Consumer [41]
Disasters [42]
Economy & Business [5]
Environmental Politics [8]
Government [11]
Journalism & Media [13]
Laws & Regulations [43]
People & Population [15]
Planning & Growth [32]
Policy [23]
Region:
National (U.S.) [24]
California [53]
Northeast (CT MA ME NH NJ NY RI VT) [54]
SE (AL AR FL GA KY LA MS NC PR SC TN) [57]
Visibility:
Public [20]
- Read more about Home Insurance Likely To Be a 2024 Climate Story Near You [39]
2024 Journalists’ Guide to Environment + Energy [38]

SEJournal looks ahead to key issues in the coming year with our eighth annual Journalists’ Guide to Environment + Energy. In the 2024 special report, we offer a series of forward-focused TipSheets and Backgrounders, plus an overview analysis and coverage from the Society of Environmental Journalists' year-ahead roundtable in Washington, D.C.

SEJ Publication Types:
SEJ News [58]
Visibility:
Public [20]
- Read more about 2024 Journalists’ Guide to Environment + Energy [38]

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