Publication Items

Taming the Freight Beast [1]

The U.S. freight system delivers significant environmental impacts nationwide, especially in states that host major rail-and-road hubs and seaports. Meanwhile, new federal laws and policies are making it harder to curtail pollution generated by freight trucks, trains and warehouses. Journalist John Lippert looks at how the public, private and nonprofit sectors are rising to this challenge.

SEJ Publication Types:
Features [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Activism [3]
Air [4]
Climate Change [5]
Consumer [6]
Economy & Business [7]
Energy & Fuel [8]
Environmental Health [9]
Environmental Justice [10]
Environmental Politics [11]
Government [12]
Health [13]
Infrastructure [14]
Journalism & Media [15]
Laws & Regulations [16]
Policy [17]
Pollution [18]
Technology [19]
Transportation [20]
Region:
National (U.S.) [21]
California [22]
Great Lakes (IL IN MI MN OH WI) [23]
Visibility:
Public [24]
- Read more about Taming the Freight Beast [1]
Great Lakes Steelmaking at a Crossroads [25]

The Great Lakes region is a top steel producer, but its coal-fired steel mills are also a major source of planet-warming emissions and health-harming pollution. Climate advocates, community members and workers have been pushing to clean up these facilities for decades. Now, foreign funding offers new hope for revitalizing and decarbonizing the region’s steel industry. Canary Media’s Maria Gallucci explains.

SEJ Publication Types:
Features [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Activism [3]
Air [4]
Climate Change [5]
Economy & Business [7]
Energy & Fuel [8]
Environmental Politics [11]
Government [12]
Health [13]
Natural Resources [26]
Pollution [18]
Technology [19]
Water & Oceans [27]
Region:
National (U.S.) [21]
Great Lakes (IL IN MI MN OH WI) [23]
SE (AL AR FL GA KY LA MS NC PR SC TN) [28]
International [29]
Asia [30]
Visibility:
Public [24]
- Read more about Great Lakes Steelmaking at a Crossroads [25]
#SEJ2026 Live — Coverage of Conference Tours [31]

SEJournal is providing full coverage of all eight of the day-long tours from the annual Society of Environmental Journalists’ conference, April 15-18, in Chicago. In Part 2, contributors Meg Duff [32], Nathaniel Eisen [33], Nhung Nguyen [34] and Marlowe Starling [35] provide detailed reports from tours focused on the transitioning steel industry, microgrids, climate-friendly crop practices and evolving Midwestern agricultural systems.

Also check out the first round of tour coverage and read all the great work [31] from our team of early-career freelance journalists, part of SEJournal’s live #SEJ2026 Live conference reporting.

SEJ Publication Types:
SEJ News [36]
Topics on the Beat:
Activism [3]
Agriculture [37]
Air [4]
Biodiversity [38]
Chemicals [39]
Climate Change [5]
Consumer [6]
Economy & Business [7]
Energy & Fuel [8]
Environmental Health [9]
Environmental Justice [10]
Environmental Politics [11]
Environmental Studies [40]
Food [41]
Forests [42]
Government [12]
Health [13]
Infrastructure [14]
Journalism & Media [15]
Laws & Regulations [16]
Natural Resources [26]
People & Population [43]
Planning & Growth [44]
Policy [17]
Pollution [18]
Science [45]
Technology [19]
Transportation [20]
Waste [46]
Water & Oceans [27]
Wildlife [47]
Region:
National (U.S.) [21]
Great Lakes (IL IN MI MN OH WI) [23]
Visibility:
Public [24]
- Read more about #SEJ2026 Live — Coverage of Conference Tours [31]
War and Pizza — #SEJ2026 in Chicago [48]

Nearly as rejuvenating as attending the Society of Environmental Journalists’ annual gathering is perusing the après-conference spoof by contributing quipster David Helvarg. While it seemed he was mostly there unabashedly preselling his forthcoming book, he somehow found time to send up SEJ’s earnest sessions, lambast its blown-up tours and rib its beat dinners. Read his Chicago roast.

SEJ Publication Types:
SEJ News [36]
Topics on the Beat:
Agriculture [37]
Air [4]
Chemicals [39]
Climate Change [5]
Economy & Business [7]
Energy & Fuel [8]
Environmental Health [9]
Environmental Justice [10]
Environmental Politics [11]
Fish & Fisheries [49]
Government [12]
Health [13]
Journalism & Media [15]
Natural Resources [26]
Policy [17]
Pollution [18]
Science [45]
Waste [46]
Water & Oceans [27]
Region:
National (U.S.) [21]
Great Lakes (IL IN MI MN OH WI) [23]
Visibility:
Public [24]
- Read more about War and Pizza — #SEJ2026 in Chicago [48]
‘Poisoned for Gold’ Project Pricks Nation’s Conscience [50]

Two Ghanian video journalists traveled their country to document how contamination from illegal gold mining was harming the health of workers and nearby communities. Their resulting reporting not only won acclaim from their peers but also ignited a debate that resulted in the closing of polluting mining operations. Read more about their award-winning project and its impact in Inside Story Q&A.

SEJ Publication Types:
Inside Story [51]
Topics on the Beat:
Chemicals [39]
Disasters [52]
Economy & Business [7]
Environmental Health [9]
Environmental Justice [10]
Health [13]
Journalism & Media [15]
Natural Resources [26]
People & Population [43]
Pollution [18]
Waste [46]
Water & Oceans [27]
Region:
International [29]
Africa [53]
Visibility:
Public [24]
- Read more about ‘Poisoned for Gold’ Project Pricks Nation’s Conscience [50]
Environmental Journalists in a Perilous Era — A Survival Guide [54]

Political upheaval. Economic uncertainty. Security fears. Today’s environmental journalism landscape is strewn with hazards. But whether you’re a freelancer or a staffer, you don’t have to face them alone. In fact, the best strategies for coping with on-the-job risks and riding out these tumultuous times involve community and collaboration. Contributors Madeline Ostrander and Michael Bradbury share insights and advice.

SEJ Publication Types:
Features [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Disasters [52]
Economy & Business [7]
Government [12]
Journalism & Media [15]
Region:
National (U.S.) [21]
Visibility:
Public [24]
- Read more about Environmental Journalists in a Perilous Era — A Survival Guide [54]
Renewable Job Training Makes the Grade at Community Colleges [55]

Jobs are relatively plentiful in green energy fields, whether in solar, wind, geothermal, energy efficiency, storage or hydro. To get at the trend, environmental journalists can check in with area community colleges, many of which offer technical training — and local stories. TipSheet has a closer look at the phenomenon, with a dozen story ideas and reporting resources for your coverage.

SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [56]
Topics on the Beat:
Consumer [6]
Economy & Business [7]
Energy & Fuel [8]
Infrastructure [14]
Journalism & Media [15]
Natural Resources [26]
Planning & Growth [44]
Policy [17]
Technology [19]
Region:
National (U.S.) [21]
Visibility:
Public [24]
- Read more about Renewable Job Training Makes the Grade at Community Colleges [55]
EPA Enforcement Falls to Record Low Under Trump 2.0 [57]

The enforcement of environmental laws suffered a dramatic collapse during the Trump administration’s first year, several studies have found. Even the most serious violations, typically referred to the Department of Justice, are left unpursued because of DOJ staffing declines. The latest Backgrounder has the details, a look at the administration’s rationale for the decline and the implications for the environment and public health.

SEJ Publication Types:
Backgrounders [58]
Topics on the Beat:
Air [4]
Chemicals [39]
Climate Change [5]
Economy & Business [7]
Environmental Health [9]
Environmental Politics [11]
Environmental Studies [40]
Government [12]
Health [13]
Journalism & Media [15]
Laws & Regulations [16]
Policy [17]
Pollution [18]
Waste [46]
Water & Oceans [27]
Region:
National (U.S.) [21]
Visibility:
Public [24]
- Read more about EPA Enforcement Falls to Record Low Under Trump 2.0 [57]
Database Details Planetary Asset — Canada’s Forests [59]

They’re a carbon sink, a playground and a major market, but also a source of smoke pollution and pest infestation. Millions of acres of Canadian forest are a big North American story, and the latest Reporter’s Toolbox points you to a central data source that can help quantify, analyze and visualize the numbers and see the proverbial forest for the trees.

SEJ Publication Types:
Reporters Toolbox [60]
Topics on the Beat:
Agriculture [37]
Air [4]
Climate Change [5]
Economy & Business [7]
Energy & Fuel [8]
Environmental Health [9]
Environmental Politics [11]
Forests [42]
Natural Resources [26]
Policy [17]
Pollution [18]
Region:
National (U.S.) [21]
International [29]
Canada [61]
Visibility:
Public [24]
- Read more about Database Details Planetary Asset — Canada’s Forests [59]
Solutions Stories a Compass for Readers [62]

Get more Voices of Environmental Justice in 2026, as we increase column frequency to bimonthly. And for her first contribution of the year, writer Yessenia Funes calls on climate reporters to offer audiences a sense of hope by leaning into solutions narratives, hard-hitting and data-driven stories that hold the powerful accountable. Expert advice on how to make solutions journalism work.

SEJ Publication Types:
Voices of Environmental Justice [63]
Topics on the Beat:
Climate Change [5]
Disasters [52]
Economy & Business [7]
Environmental Studies [40]
Health [13]
Journalism & Media [15]
Region:
National (U.S.) [21]
California [22]
International [29]
Visibility:
Public [24]
- Read more about Solutions Stories a Compass for Readers [62]

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