Publication Items

Polar Bear Scientist Cleared; Interior Dept. Still Under Openness Cloud [1]

Five years after wildlife biologist Charles Monnett's 2006 observations of dead polar bears, believed to have drowned because of disappearing Arctic ice, Interior started an investigation of Monnett's science. The findings — partially published September 28, 2012 — were confused and contained no findings of scientific misconduct.

SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Water & Oceans [3]
Science [4]
Government [5]
Environmental Politics [6]
Climate Change [7]
Wildlife [8]
Region:
Antarctica & Arctic [9]
Visibility:
Public [10]
- Read more about Polar Bear Scientist Cleared; Interior Dept. Still Under Openness Cloud [1]
Federal FOIA System Begins Evolving Via New Online Portal [11]

While it still has a long way to go to reach its potential, the new "FOIAonline" web portal benefits environmental reporters now. Submit and track FOIA requests online to the US Environmental Protection Agency, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and more.

SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Technology [12]
Government [5]
Visibility:
Public [10]
- Read more about Federal FOIA System Begins Evolving Via New Online Portal [11]
Can You Find Local Stories in FAA Wildlife Strike Database? [13]

Should passengers taking off from — or landing at — your local airport worry about bird strikes? You can find information leading to a few answers in the Federal Aviation Administration's online, searchable FAA Wildlife Strike Database.

SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Wildlife [8]
Transportation [14]
Disasters [15]
Visibility:
Public [10]
- Read more about Can You Find Local Stories in FAA Wildlife Strike Database? [13]
More Secret CRS Backgrounders Written at Public Expense [16]

The Congressional Research Service regularly produces objective and informative background material on matters of interest to environmental journalists. Because Congress refuses to release these reports to the public, the WatchDog links to leaked versions published by the Project on Government Secrecy of the Federation of American Scientists.

SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Government [5]
Climate Change [7]
Military [17]
Transportation [14]
Water & Oceans [3]
Visibility:
Public [10]
- Read more about More Secret CRS Backgrounders Written at Public Expense [16]
Obama Administration Gets Only So-So Openness Grades for 2012 [18]

For an administration that trumpeted its open-government agenda on its first day in office, the Obama administration has not lived up to all the heightened expectations. A new annual report card by OpenTheGovernment.org, a watchdog group devoted to freedom of information, spells out some of the details.

SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Government [5]
Visibility:
Public [10]
- Read more about Obama Administration Gets Only So-So Openness Grades for 2012 [18]
Beef Company Sues ABC for Defamation Over 'Pink Slime' [19]

Beef Products Inc. filed suit for defamation over stories about its 'finely textured beef' product, known to headline writers as 'pink slime.' Legal experts say the company will have a hard time winning the case, which harkens back to the famous hamburger libel case of the late 1990s, in which Oprah Winfrey won the right to dislike beef in public.

SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Food [20]
Agriculture [21]
Laws & Regulations [22]
Visibility:
Public [10]
- Read more about Beef Company Sues ABC for Defamation Over 'Pink Slime' [19]
Court Again Rejects Demands for Climate Scientist's E-Mails [23]

A Va. court ruled Sept. 17, 2012 that e-mails generated by climate scientist Michael Mann when he worked at the Univ. of Virginia were exempt from the state's FOIA. Mann has been the target of repeated attacks by climate change deniers due to his famous "hockey stick" graph of global temperature records and indicators.

SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Science [4]
Climate Change [7]
Region:
Mid-Atlantic (DC DE MD PA VA WV) [24]
Visibility:
Public [10]
- Read more about Court Again Rejects Demands for Climate Scientist's E-Mails [23]
TOOLBOX: EPA Environmental Impact Statement Database [25]

If you are hunting stories — or useful background for a story under way — you may find a useful tool in EPA's online, searchable Environmental Impact Statement database.

SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Technology [12]
Environmental Health [26]
Visibility:
Public [10]
- Read more about TOOLBOX: EPA Environmental Impact Statement Database [25]
Federal Judge Limits PETA Video Display at Kansas State Fair [27]

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals had planned to display a video showing animals being slaughtered and instances of abuse. The fair board said that PETA could only show the video within its booth and out of public view, so that people would have to make a deliberate decision to see it.

SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Agriculture [21]
Activism [28]
Region:
Great Plains (IA KS ND NE MO SD) [29]
Visibility:
Public [10]
- Read more about Federal Judge Limits PETA Video Display at Kansas State Fair [27]
Interior Department Slow To Supply Safety Test Data in Shell Arctic Drilling Case [30]

A retired University of Alaska professor, represented by Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, went to court for the testing data on which Interior's Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement approval was based, after the agency violated the FOIA by not responding within the required 20-day period.

SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Water & Oceans [3]
Energy & Fuel [31]
Region:
Antarctica & Arctic [9]
Visibility:
Public [10]
- Read more about Interior Department Slow To Supply Safety Test Data in Shell Arctic Drilling Case [30]

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