Publication Items

Gas Prices Still Fuel Local Environmental Stories [1]

The spike in prices at the pump in recent months, thanks largely to the U.S.’s war with Iran, offers energy and environment reporters numerous local reporting angles, writes the latest TipSheet. A quick perspective and backstory, then more than a dozen story ideas to pursue, smart questions to ask and useful reporting resources to tap.

SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Consumer [3]
Energy & Fuel [4]
Environmental Politics [5]
Journalism & Media [6]
Natural Resources [7]
Policy [8]
Transportation [9]
Region:
National (U.S.) [10]
Visibility:
Public [11]
- Read more about Gas Prices Still Fuel Local Environmental Stories [1]
Great Lakes Steelmaking at a Crossroads [12]

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 [13]
Topics on the Beat:
Activism [14]
Air [15]
Climate Change [16]
Economy & Business [17]
Energy & Fuel [4]
Environmental Politics [5]
Government [18]
Health [19]
Natural Resources [7]
Pollution [20]
Technology [21]
Water & Oceans [22]
Region:
National (U.S.) [10]
Great Lakes (IL IN MI MN OH WI) [23]
SE (AL AR FL GA KY LA MS NC PR SC TN) [24]
International [25]
Asia [26]
Visibility:
Public [11]
- Read more about Great Lakes Steelmaking at a Crossroads [12]
Catch-22 on the Baltic — Twilight of Poland’s Coastal Fisherman [27]

Small-scale fisheries on the wane in an obscure region of the world, and a unique ethnic group trapped between being a tourist attraction and surviving a failing industry. Read how award-winning Polish journalist Tadeusz Michrowski turned this small, unsexy story into something bigger, a complex and nuanced portrait of a community of individuals in transition.

SEJ Publication Types:
Inside Story [28]
Topics on the Beat:
Environmental Politics [5]
Fish & Fisheries [29]
Journalism & Media [6]
Natural Resources [7]
People & Population [30]
Water & Oceans [22]
Region:
International [25]
Europe [31]
Visibility:
Public [11]
- Read more about Catch-22 on the Baltic — Twilight of Poland’s Coastal Fisherman [27]
Kelp — The Understory, Underwater [32]

Massive kelp groves, little-noticed despite their proximity to populated coastlines or their importance to ecosystems and to us humans, face numerous pressures and a drastic decline. In “Forest of the Sea,” author David Helvarg dives into the subject, literally, to help reveal this unique undersea world. BookShelf contributing editor Jennifer Weeks has a review.

SEJ Publication Types:
BookShelf [33]
Topics on the Beat:
Biodiversity [34]
Climate Change [16]
Environmental Health [35]
Fish & Fisheries [29]
Natural Resources [7]
Pollution [20]
Water & Oceans [22]
Region:
National (U.S.) [10]
International [25]
Visibility:
Public [11]
- Read more about Kelp — The Understory, Underwater [32]
National Seashores Are a Secret Summer Treasure [36]

While less heralded than its national park system, the United States abounds in waterfront treasures that are part of the national seashore and lakeshore program. The latest TipSheet takes you on a guided tour of more than a dozen, from barrier islands and dunes to tidepools and turtles. Plus, a half-dozen reporting ideas for your own region.

SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Government [18]
Journalism & Media [6]
Laws & Regulations [37]
Natural Resources [7]
Water & Oceans [22]
Region:
California [38]
Great Lakes (IL IN MI MN OH WI) [23]
Mid-Atlantic (DC DE MD PA VA WV) [39]
Northeast (CT MA ME NH NJ NY RI VT) [40]
SE (AL AR FL GA KY LA MS NC PR SC TN) [24]
Southwest (AZ NM OK TX) [41]
International [25]
Canada [42]
Visibility:
Public [11]
- Read more about National Seashores Are a Secret Summer Treasure [36]
#SEJ2026 Live — Coverage of Conference Tours [43]

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 [44], Nathaniel Eisen [45], Nhung Nguyen [46] and Marlowe Starling [47] 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 [43] from our team of early-career freelance journalists, part of SEJournal’s live #SEJ2026 Live conference reporting.

SEJ Publication Types:
SEJ News [48]
Topics on the Beat:
Activism [14]
Agriculture [49]
Air [15]
Biodiversity [34]
Chemicals [50]
Climate Change [16]
Consumer [3]
Economy & Business [17]
Energy & Fuel [4]
Environmental Health [35]
Environmental Justice [51]
Environmental Politics [5]
Environmental Studies [52]
Food [53]
Forests [54]
Government [18]
Health [19]
Infrastructure [55]
Journalism & Media [6]
Laws & Regulations [37]
Natural Resources [7]
People & Population [30]
Planning & Growth [56]
Policy [8]
Pollution [20]
Science [57]
Technology [21]
Transportation [9]
Waste [58]
Water & Oceans [22]
Wildlife [59]
Region:
National (U.S.) [10]
Great Lakes (IL IN MI MN OH WI) [23]
Visibility:
Public [11]
- Read more about #SEJ2026 Live — Coverage of Conference Tours [43]
War and Pizza — #SEJ2026 in Chicago [60]

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 [48]
Topics on the Beat:
Agriculture [49]
Air [15]
Chemicals [50]
Climate Change [16]
Economy & Business [17]
Energy & Fuel [4]
Environmental Health [35]
Environmental Justice [51]
Environmental Politics [5]
Fish & Fisheries [29]
Government [18]
Health [19]
Journalism & Media [6]
Natural Resources [7]
Policy [8]
Pollution [20]
Science [57]
Waste [58]
Water & Oceans [22]
Region:
National (U.S.) [10]
Great Lakes (IL IN MI MN OH WI) [23]
Visibility:
Public [11]
- Read more about War and Pizza — #SEJ2026 in Chicago [60]
Why the Silencing of Protest Matters [61]

As the Trump administration and its allies seek to stifle free speech and paint protest as domestic terrorism, Voices columnist Yessenia Funes argues that environmental journalists must heed the impact on the environmental movement we cover. Start with what happened in Standing Rock, which swept back into the news this spring. Funes explains the connection, and where we may be headed.

SEJ Publication Types:
Voices of Environmental Justice [62]
Topics on the Beat:
Activism [14]
Climate Change [16]
Energy & Fuel [4]
Environmental Health [35]
Environmental Justice [51]
Environmental Politics [5]
Government [18]
Journalism & Media [6]
Natural Resources [7]
People & Population [30]
Policy [8]
Pollution [20]
Religion, Faith and Spirituality [63]
Water & Oceans [22]
Region:
National (U.S.) [10]
Great Lakes (IL IN MI MN OH WI) [23]
Great Plains (IA KS ND NE MO SD) [64]
SE (AL AR FL GA KY LA MS NC PR SC TN) [24]
Visibility:
Public [11]
- Read more about Why the Silencing of Protest Matters [61]
National Trails System — You Can Get There From Here [65]

A walk in the woods can get you more than a good time — it can get you a good story. TipSheet explores the National Trails System and other trail systems around the United States, which provide scenic and historic high points for your reporting, along with traveler interviews and insights. A dozen story ideas and reporting resources for exploring your area’s natural wonders.

SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Forests [54]
Government [18]
Journalism & Media [6]
Natural Resources [7]
Water & Oceans [22]
Region:
National (U.S.) [10]
Visibility:
Public [11]
- Read more about National Trails System — You Can Get There From Here [65]
Gas Prices Are Environment — and Human — Story [66]

As the Iran war effectively turns the Strait of Hormuz into a bottleneck for much of the world’s oil and natural gas, the price of gasoline in the United States has spiked, creating inflationary worries. So it’s a good time for journalists to remind their audiences of the overall environmental impacts of fossil fuels. TipSheet has more, including 10-plus story ideas and reporting resources.

SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Consumer [3]
Energy & Fuel [4]
Environmental Health [35]
Journalism & Media [6]
Military [67]
Natural Resources [7]
Transportation [9]
Region:
National (U.S.) [10]
International [25]
Middle East [68]
Visibility:
Public [11]
- Read more about Gas Prices Are Environment — and Human — Story [66]

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