Publication Items

Fire Sleuths Can Spark Story Ideas With Wildland Urban Interface Data Maps [1]

Communities surrounded by forest can be a beautiful place to live … or a wildfire trap. Environmental journalists can readily map and identify these so-called wildland urban interfaces through a federal government resource, writes the latest Reporter’s Toolbox. More on this data mapping tool and how to use it to track your area’s risk, explore historical trends and layer other data.

SEJ Publication Types:
Reporters Toolbox [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Disasters [3]
Environmental Studies [4]
Forests [5]
Government [6]
Journalism & Media [7]
People & Population [8]
Planning & Growth [9]
Region:
National (U.S.) [10]
Alaska and Hawaii [11]
California [12]
Visibility:
Public [13]
- Read more about Fire Sleuths Can Spark Story Ideas With Wildland Urban Interface Data Maps [1]
ANWR Well Is Deep and Dark — But Is It Dry? [14]

Journalists love a secret. And WatchDog Opinion delves into a whopper on the environment beat — the hidden data surrounding a singular test well drilled in one of the most contested ecosystems in the United States. Now that the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge has been reopened for oil leasing by the Trump administration, do the findings even matter? More on the saga.

SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog [15]
Topics on the Beat:
Energy & Fuel [16]
Environmental Health [17]
Environmental Politics [18]
Government [6]
Laws & Regulations [19]
Natural Resources [20]
Policy [21]
Region:
National (U.S.) [10]
Alaska and Hawaii [11]
Visibility:
Public [13]
- Read more about ANWR Well Is Deep and Dark — But Is It Dry? [14]
Top Environment and Energy Topics To Watch in 2026 [22]

Explore our 10th annual Journalists’ Guide to Environment + Energy, as we scour the beat to identify 15 top stories to put on your radar for 2026. Our updated format for the special report provides a quick read and a broad scope — with insights on climate change and environmental justice, bird and insect declines, data centers and deep sea mining, deregulation and PFAS and much more. Get started here [22].

SEJ Publication Types:
SEJ News [23]
Topics on the Beat:
Activism [24]
Agriculture [25]
Air [26]
Biodiversity [27]
Chemicals [28]
Climate Change [29]
Disasters [3]
Economy & Business [30]
Energy & Fuel [16]
Environmental Health [17]
Environmental Justice [31]
Environmental Politics [18]
Environmental Studies [4]
Fish & Fisheries [32]
Forests [5]
Government [6]
Health [33]
Infrastructure [34]
Journalism & Media [7]
Laws & Regulations [19]
Military [35]
Natural Resources [20]
Policy [21]
Pollution [36]
Science [37]
Technology [38]
Waste [39]
Water & Oceans [40]
Wildlife [41]
Region:
National (U.S.) [10]
Alaska and Hawaii [11]
California [12]
Great Lakes (IL IN MI MN OH WI) [42]
Great Plains (IA KS ND NE MO SD) [43]
Mid-Atlantic (DC DE MD PA VA WV) [44]
Mountain West (CO ID MT NV UT WY) [45]
Northeast (CT MA ME NH NJ NY RI VT) [46]
Northwest (OR WA) [47]
SE (AL AR FL GA KY LA MS NC PR SC TN) [48]
Southwest (AZ NM OK TX) [49]
International [50]
Visibility:
Public [13]
- Read more about Top Environment and Energy Topics To Watch in 2026 [22]
‘People Will Die’ — Stories Behind Trump Budget Bill [51]

The Trump administration’s “One Big Beautiful Bill” is anything but, especially in its unraveling of efforts to weave environmental and climate justice into American society, argues the new Voices of Environmental Justice. In her latest column, writer Yessenia Funes calls on journalists to report its ramifications not just for the planet but for the most vulnerable people living on it. Here are key stories to start with.

SEJ Publication Types:
Voices of Environmental Justice [52]
Topics on the Beat:
Activism [24]
Air [26]
Chemicals [28]
Climate Change [29]
Energy & Fuel [16]
Environmental Health [17]
Environmental Justice [31]
Environmental Politics [18]
Government [6]
Health [33]
Infrastructure [34]
Journalism & Media [7]
Laws & Regulations [19]
People & Population [8]
Policy [21]
Pollution [36]
Waste [39]
Water & Oceans [40]
Region:
National (U.S.) [10]
Alaska and Hawaii [11]
SE (AL AR FL GA KY LA MS NC PR SC TN) [48]
Visibility:
Public [13]
- Read more about ‘People Will Die’ — Stories Behind Trump Budget Bill [51]
Coastal Flooding Challenges Cities Around the U.S. [53]

The United States has nearly 100,000 miles of coastline and much of it is at risk of flooding. But what that inundation looks like varies widely from place to place. From storm surges to land subsidence, the latest Backgrounder details the different types of flooding and the threats they pose to coastal communities, especially sea level cities.

SEJ Publication Types:
Backgrounders [54]
Topics on the Beat:
Climate Change [29]
Disasters [3]
Infrastructure [34]
Journalism & Media [7]
Water & Oceans [40]
Region:
National (U.S.) [10]
Alaska and Hawaii [11]
California [12]
Great Lakes (IL IN MI MN OH WI) [42]
Mid-Atlantic (DC DE MD PA VA WV) [44]
Northeast (CT MA ME NH NJ NY RI VT) [46]
Northwest (OR WA) [47]
SE (AL AR FL GA KY LA MS NC PR SC TN) [48]
Southwest (AZ NM OK TX) [49]
Visibility:
Public [13]
- Read more about Coastal Flooding Challenges Cities Around the U.S. [53]
Covering Wildfire — Expert Advice on Emerging Issues, Recurring Risks [55]

With wildfires becoming more extreme in every way, reporters covering them face new challenges along with familiar hazards. A pair of experienced wildfire journalists and others on the front lines offer advice on dealing with access restrictions, on-the-ground dangers, toxic exposure risks and traumatized survivors — as climate change speeds up the news cycle and misinformation muddies the reporting landscape.

SEJ Publication Types:
Features [56]
Topics on the Beat:
Climate Change [29]
Disasters [3]
Forests [5]
Government [6]
Health [33]
Infrastructure [34]
Journalism & Media [7]
Laws & Regulations [19]
People & Population [8]
Region:
National (U.S.) [10]
Alaska and Hawaii [11]
California [12]
Mountain West (CO ID MT NV UT WY) [45]
Northwest (OR WA) [47]
Southwest (AZ NM OK TX) [49]
Visibility:
Public [13]
- Read more about Covering Wildfire — Expert Advice on Emerging Issues, Recurring Risks [55]
Unique Award-Winner Highlights Risks to Whales From Fight Over Fish [57]

Whales and fishers chasing the same catch can lead to serious impacts on marine mammals, including illegal shootings. To tell the story, journalist Nick Rahaim took an unusual tack — reporting while working as a deckhand on a fishing vessel. His award-winning account won praise for its balance, sourcing and insight. Rahaim talks about his approach in our Inside Story Q&A.

SEJ Publication Types:
Inside Story [58]
Topics on the Beat:
Economy & Business [30]
Fish & Fisheries [32]
Journalism & Media [7]
Natural Resources [20]
Science [37]
Water & Oceans [40]
Wildlife [41]
Region:
National (U.S.) [10]
Alaska and Hawaii [11]
Visibility:
Public [13]
- Read more about Unique Award-Winner Highlights Risks to Whales From Fight Over Fish [57]
LNG To Fuel Conflict, Profit, Warming in Coming Years [59]

A partisan debate has flared over liquified natural gas, as industry, environmentalists and politicians wrangle over LNG’s role in climate change and the energy transition, heating and electricity prices, and international and domestic U.S. politics. Backgrounder lays out LNG’s history, starting with the fracking boom and bringing it up to speed with the war in Ukraine and upcoming presidential elections.

SEJ Publication Types:
Backgrounders [54]
Topics on the Beat:
Activism [24]
Chemicals [28]
Climate Change [29]
Energy & Fuel [16]
Environmental Politics [18]
Government [6]
Laws & Regulations [19]
Natural Resources [20]
Policy [21]
Pollution [36]
Technology [38]
Transportation [60]
Water & Oceans [40]
Region:
National (U.S.) [10]
Alaska and Hawaii [11]
Mid-Atlantic (DC DE MD PA VA WV) [44]
SE (AL AR FL GA KY LA MS NC PR SC TN) [48]
International [50]
Canada [61]
Mexico [62]
Asia [63]
Europe [64]
Middle East [65]
Visibility:
Public [13]
- Read more about LNG To Fuel Conflict, Profit, Warming in Coming Years [59]
What’s Ahead on Climate Justice, Climate Crisis Beat [66]

What environment stories will matter most in 2024 to communities of color and Indigenous communities? Columnist Yessenia Funes sheds light on concerns ranging from the environmental damage in Gaza and extreme weather across the United States to the fallout from the U.S. presidential election to the local impacts of the clean energy transition. Insights in the latest Voices of Environmental Justice.

SEJ Publication Types:
Voices of Environmental Justice [52]
Topics on the Beat:
Activism [24]
Climate Change [29]
Disasters [3]
Diversity [67]
Economy & Business [30]
Energy & Fuel [16]
Environmental Justice [31]
Environmental Politics [18]
Government [6]
Health [33]
Infrastructure [34]
Journalism & Media [7]
Military [35]
People & Population [8]
Planning & Growth [9]
Policy [21]
Pollution [36]
Water & Oceans [40]
Region:
National (U.S.) [10]
Alaska and Hawaii [11]
Northeast (CT MA ME NH NJ NY RI VT) [46]
SE (AL AR FL GA KY LA MS NC PR SC TN) [48]
International [50]
Middle East [65]
Visibility:
Public [13]
- Read more about What’s Ahead on Climate Justice, Climate Crisis Beat [66]
Clearing the Smoke — Collaboration Exposes Impacts of Wildfire Pollution-Reporting Rules [68]

Climate change is fueling the frequency and severity of wildfires, but a little-known Clean Air Act rule lets environmental agencies downplay the impacts of wildfire smoke. A collaborative investigation into this loophole connected dots that even the experts didn’t know about. Journalists Dillon Bergin and Molly Peterson explain their reporting process and offer advice for following your own local leads.

SEJ Publication Types:
Features [56]
Topics on the Beat:
Air [26]
Climate Change [29]
Disasters [3]
Environmental Health [17]
Government [6]
Health [33]
Journalism & Media [7]
Laws & Regulations [19]
Pollution [36]
Region:
National (U.S.) [10]
Alaska and Hawaii [11]
California [12]
Great Lakes (IL IN MI MN OH WI) [42]
Great Plains (IA KS ND NE MO SD) [43]
Mid-Atlantic (DC DE MD PA VA WV) [44]
Mountain West (CO ID MT NV UT WY) [45]
Northeast (CT MA ME NH NJ NY RI VT) [46]
Northwest (OR WA) [47]
SE (AL AR FL GA KY LA MS NC PR SC TN) [48]
Southwest (AZ NM OK TX) [49]
Visibility:
Public [13]
- Read more about Clearing the Smoke — Collaboration Exposes Impacts of Wildfire Pollution-Reporting Rules [68]

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