Publication Items

Energy on the Ballot [1]

As the public and news media alike tally the outcomes of this week’s U.S. midterm elections, it is the costs of energy — to the economy and the environment, today and into the future — that will continue to grow to dominate global discourse. A Backgrounder Analysis looks at how environmental journalists must seek the fuller story of this vast energy beat.

SEJ Publication Types:
Backgrounders [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Climate Change [3]
Consumer [4]
Economy & Business [5]
Energy & Fuel [6]
Environmental Politics [7]
Government [8]
Journalism & Media [9]
Nuclear Power & Radiation [10]
Policy [11]
Science [12]
Technology [13]
Region:
National (U.S.) [14]
Visibility:
Public [15]
- Read more about Energy on the Ballot [1]
Reporting From the Blue — An Ocean of Opportunities [16]

As a veteran of reporting on the marine environment, David Helvarg is encouraged by recent improvements in the quality of ocean journalism, but sees a pressing need for more hands on deck. Offering inspiration from his own career, he notes that the world’s rapidly changing oceans hold an abundance of stories and urges others to dive in and explore them.

SEJ Publication Types:
Features [17]
Topics on the Beat:
Activism [18]
Biodiversity [19]
Climate Change [3]
Disasters [20]
Environmental Health [21]
Fish & Fisheries [22]
Government [8]
Journalism & Media [9]
Natural Resources [23]
Science [12]
Technology [13]
Water & Oceans [24]
Wildlife [25]
Region:
National (U.S.) [14]
SE (AL AR FL GA KY LA MS NC PR SC TN) [26]
Southwest (AZ NM OK TX) [27]
International [28]
Canada [29]
Antarctica & Arctic [30]
Asia [31]
Australia & Oceania [32]
Central America & the Caribbean [33]
Middle East [34]
Visibility:
Public [15]
- Read more about Reporting From the Blue — An Ocean of Opportunities [16]
Decarbonizing Energy Systems With Clean Firm Power [35]

Solar and wind power are critical for combating climate change, but some energy experts warn they won’t be enough. Their vision for an emissions-free grid depends on technologies ranging from long-duration batteries to nuclear reactors. Journalist Nicolás Rivero on clean firm power’s potential, the challenges ahead and how Big Tech is driving the pursuit of always-on zero-carbon electricity.

SEJ Publication Types:
Features [17]
Topics on the Beat:
Climate Change [3]
Economy & Business [5]
Energy & Fuel [6]
Government [8]
Infrastructure [36]
Nuclear Power & Radiation [10]
Policy [11]
Pollution [37]
Science [12]
Technology [13]
Region:
National (U.S.) [14]
Great Lakes (IL IN MI MN OH WI) [38]
Great Plains (IA KS ND NE MO SD) [39]
Mid-Atlantic (DC DE MD PA VA WV) [40]
Visibility:
Public [15]
- Read more about Decarbonizing Energy Systems With Clean Firm Power [35]
Taming the Freight Beast [41]

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 [17]
Topics on the Beat:
Activism [18]
Air [42]
Climate Change [3]
Consumer [4]
Economy & Business [5]
Energy & Fuel [6]
Environmental Health [21]
Environmental Justice [43]
Environmental Politics [7]
Government [8]
Health [44]
Infrastructure [36]
Journalism & Media [9]
Laws & Regulations [45]
Policy [11]
Pollution [37]
Technology [13]
Transportation [46]
Region:
National (U.S.) [14]
California [47]
Great Lakes (IL IN MI MN OH WI) [38]
Visibility:
Public [15]
- Read more about Taming the Freight Beast [41]
Databases on Data Centers, Brockovich and Beyond [48]

An explosion of new artificial intelligence data centers means potential trouble, as they hoover up power and water, and spew global warming gases. It’s a story with national and global ramifications, certainly. But it’s also one that can be reported locally. Reporter’s Toolbox offers up some handy databases for environmental journalists to find data center stories in their communities.

SEJ Publication Types:
Reporters Toolbox [49]
Topics on the Beat:
Activism [18]
Climate Change [3]
Energy & Fuel [6]
Infrastructure [36]
Journalism & Media [9]
Planning & Growth [50]
Technology [13]
Water & Oceans [24]
Region:
National (U.S.) [14]
Visibility:
Public [15]
- Read more about Databases on Data Centers, Brockovich and Beyond [48]
Great Lakes Steelmaking at a Crossroads [51]

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 [17]
Topics on the Beat:
Activism [18]
Air [42]
Climate Change [3]
Economy & Business [5]
Energy & Fuel [6]
Environmental Politics [7]
Government [8]
Health [44]
Natural Resources [23]
Pollution [37]
Technology [13]
Water & Oceans [24]
Region:
National (U.S.) [14]
Great Lakes (IL IN MI MN OH WI) [38]
SE (AL AR FL GA KY LA MS NC PR SC TN) [26]
International [28]
Asia [31]
Visibility:
Public [15]
- Read more about Great Lakes Steelmaking at a Crossroads [51]
What Is the Half-Life of a Nuclear Revival? Part 2 [52]

Is the United States in the midst of a “nuclear renaissance”? This two-part Backgrounder explores the question, with a look at next-gen reactor design, the (lack of) independence of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and what to do with nuclear waste. Plus, see Part 1 [53] on the government role in developing nuclear power and an earlier effort at industry rebirth.

SEJ Publication Types:
Backgrounders [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Disasters [20]
Energy & Fuel [6]
Environmental Politics [7]
Laws & Regulations [45]
Nuclear Power & Radiation [10]
Policy [11]
Technology [13]
Region:
National (U.S.) [14]
International [28]
Visibility:
Public [15]
- Read more about What Is the Half-Life of a Nuclear Revival? Part 2 [52]
What Is the Half-Life of a Nuclear Revival? Part 1 [53]

Is the United States in the midst of a “nuclear renaissance”? This two-part Issue Backgrounder explores that question, beginning in Part 1 with a look at the government’s part in developing nuclear power, including through subsidies, as well as why the new reactors built earlier in the 2000s didn’t really make the case for the industry’s rebirth.

SEJ Publication Types:
Backgrounders [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Disasters [20]
Energy & Fuel [6]
Environmental Politics [7]
Laws & Regulations [45]
Nuclear Power & Radiation [10]
Policy [11]
Technology [13]
Region:
National (U.S.) [14]
International [28]
Visibility:
Public [15]
- Read more about What Is the Half-Life of a Nuclear Revival? Part 1 [53]
#SEJ2026 Live — Coverage of Conference Tours [54]

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 [55], Nathaniel Eisen [56], Nhung Nguyen [57] and Marlowe Starling [58] 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 [54] from our team of early-career freelance journalists, part of SEJournal’s live #SEJ2026 Live conference reporting.

SEJ Publication Types:
SEJ News [59]
Topics on the Beat:
Activism [18]
Agriculture [60]
Air [42]
Biodiversity [19]
Chemicals [61]
Climate Change [3]
Consumer [4]
Economy & Business [5]
Energy & Fuel [6]
Environmental Health [21]
Environmental Justice [43]
Environmental Politics [7]
Environmental Studies [62]
Food [63]
Forests [64]
Government [8]
Health [44]
Infrastructure [36]
Journalism & Media [9]
Laws & Regulations [45]
Natural Resources [23]
People & Population [65]
Planning & Growth [50]
Policy [11]
Pollution [37]
Science [12]
Technology [13]
Transportation [46]
Waste [66]
Water & Oceans [24]
Wildlife [25]
Region:
National (U.S.) [14]
Great Lakes (IL IN MI MN OH WI) [38]
Visibility:
Public [15]
- Read more about #SEJ2026 Live — Coverage of Conference Tours [54]
NASA Earthdata Offers a New Look at What Satellites See Down Here [67]

The capacity to visualize Earth’s ecosystems in detail is an invaluable aid to reporting on the environment. That’s now being bolstered with an ongoing upgrade to NASA’s Earthdata program, fueled by its ranks of satellites. Reporter’s Toolbox says the refurbishment offers treasures for journalists ranging from oceans, groundwater and land surfaces to the biosphere and atmosphere.

SEJ Publication Types:
Reporters Toolbox [49]
Topics on the Beat:
Biodiversity [19]
Climate Change [3]
Environmental Health [21]
Journalism & Media [9]
Natural Resources [23]
Science [12]
Technology [13]
Water & Oceans [24]
Region:
National (U.S.) [14]
International [28]
Visibility:
Public [15]
- Read more about NASA Earthdata Offers a New Look at What Satellites See Down Here [67]

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