Publication Items

Bring Home Cyber Risks to Water Supply, in Wake of EPA Tightening [1]

With the federal government now requiring that states pay closer attention to cybersecurity risks in their regular audits of public drinking water systems, environmental journalists should be doing the same, suggests the latest TipSheet. Here’s how to gauge the cyber risk and to understand the current safe drinking water regulatory regime, plus story ideas and resources to bolster your local reporting.

SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Chemicals [3]
Consumer [4]
Government [5]
Health [6]
Infrastructure [7]
Journalism & Media [8]
Laws & Regulations [9]
Technology [10]
Water & Oceans [11]
Region:
National (U.S.) [12]
SE (AL AR FL GA KY LA MS NC PR SC TN) [13]
Visibility:
Public [14]
- Read more about Bring Home Cyber Risks to Water Supply, in Wake of EPA Tightening [1]
Why the 2023 Farm Bill Will Actually Be an Environmental Story — and a Huge One [15]

A massive farm bill soon to emerge for debate in Congress will have enormous implications for the environment beat, affecting natural resources, environmental health and climate, not to mention food production and public health. Backgrounder lays out some of the key issues expected to be taken up in the twice-a-decade measure and provides resources for ongoing coverage.

SEJ Publication Types:
Backgrounders [16]
Topics on the Beat:
Agriculture [17]
Climate Change [18]
Environmental Health [19]
Environmental Justice [20]
Environmental Politics [21]
Food [22]
Forests [23]
Government [5]
Health [6]
Laws & Regulations [9]
Natural Resources [24]
Policy [25]
Region:
National (U.S.) [12]
Visibility:
Public [14]
- Read more about Why the 2023 Farm Bill Will Actually Be an Environmental Story — and a Huge One [15]
Coming Your Way by Rail Today — A Hazmat Rogues’ Gallery [26]

Environmental reporters can prepare for possible rail accidents involving hazardous materials — like the one that hit East Palestine, Ohio — by having a keener understanding of what hazmat may be regularly carried through their communities. The latest Reporter’s Toolbox guides you to helpful lists of dangerous substances while offering a rundown of nearly a dozen-and-a-half of the worst offenders and their risks.

SEJ Publication Types:
Reporters Toolbox [27]
Topics on the Beat:
Air [28]
Chemicals [3]
Disasters [29]
Health [6]
Journalism & Media [8]
Transportation [30]
Region:
National (U.S.) [12]
Great Lakes (IL IN MI MN OH WI) [31]
Visibility:
Public [14]
- Read more about Coming Your Way by Rail Today — A Hazmat Rogues’ Gallery [26]
What Will It Take for Geothermal To Heat Up the Renewable Energy Sector? [32]

Geothermal has long been hyped as the next big thing in renewable energy, but its breakthrough moment hasn’t happened yet. Barriers to expansion include the elusiveness of sites offering the magic trio of heat, water and permeability and concern for unique ecosystems. Contributor Jessica McKenzie on geothermal energy’s possibilities and challenges and the government funding that may finally fire it up.

SEJ Publication Types:
Features [33]
Topics on the Beat:
Biodiversity [34]
Climate Change [18]
Economy & Business [35]
Energy & Fuel [36]
Government [5]
Natural Resources [24]
Science [37]
Technology [10]
Wildlife [38]
Region:
National (U.S.) [12]
California [39]
Mountain West (CO ID MT NV UT WY) [40]
Northwest (OR WA) [41]
Southwest (AZ NM OK TX) [42]
International [43]
Australia & Oceania [44]
Europe [45]
Middle East [46]
Visibility:
Public [14]
- Read more about What Will It Take for Geothermal To Heat Up the Renewable Energy Sector? [32]
Tracing Humanity’s Longtime Urge To Manage Moving Water [47]

When humans began to put down roots, we also started to forge what Giulio Boccaletti calls a “social contract” with water. In his new book, “Water: A Biography,” the London-based scientist explores that relationship through a long historical lens. BookShelf contributor Gary Wilson reviews the volume and finds that political ambitions and economic development are central to the story.

SEJ Publication Types:
BookShelf [48]
Topics on the Beat:
Agriculture [17]
Economy & Business [35]
Government [5]
Infrastructure [7]
Natural Resources [24]
Technology [10]
Water & Oceans [11]
Region:
National (U.S.) [12]
International [43]
Asia [49]
Europe [45]
Middle East [46]
Visibility:
Public [14]
- Read more about Tracing Humanity’s Longtime Urge To Manage Moving Water [47]
Finding the Secret Rail Hazmat Routes Near You [50]

Under federal rules, states can decide whether to divulge information about hazardous materials rolling along their railways — and mostly they don’t. Not knowing where and when hazmat trains are traveling or what’s on board creates anxiety and raises the risk for those who live near the tracks. TipSheet offers resources and step-by-step instructions for investigating railway hazmat threats to your community.

SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Chemicals [3]
Disasters [29]
Economy & Business [35]
Energy & Fuel [36]
Environmental Health [19]
Government [5]
Health [6]
Infrastructure [7]
Journalism & Media [8]
Laws & Regulations [9]
Policy [25]
Pollution [51]
Transportation [30]
Region:
National (U.S.) [12]
Great Lakes (IL IN MI MN OH WI) [31]
International [43]
Canada [52]
Visibility:
Public [14]
- Read more about Finding the Secret Rail Hazmat Routes Near You [50]
From Swine Waste, Student Journalist Extracts Prize-Winning Story [53]

Industrial hog farmers tout swine biogas as a clean, green energy source, but others point to its messy side. A young journalist who investigated the underreported stench of environmental racism associated with this technology learned valuable lessons along the way to producing a feature story that won her a Society of Environmental Journalists’ award for outstanding student reporting.

SEJ Publication Types:
EJ Academy [54]
Topics on the Beat:
Agriculture [17]
Air [28]
Chemicals [3]
Diversity [55]
Economy & Business [35]
Energy & Fuel [36]
Environmental Health [19]
Environmental Justice [20]
Environmental Politics [21]
Food [22]
Government [5]
Health [6]
Journalism & Media [8]
Laws & Regulations [9]
Pollution [51]
Science [37]
Technology [10]
Waste [56]
Water & Oceans [11]
Region:
National (U.S.) [12]
SE (AL AR FL GA KY LA MS NC PR SC TN) [13]
Visibility:
Public [14]
- Read more about From Swine Waste, Student Journalist Extracts Prize-Winning Story [53]
Will Thousands of Orphan Wells Be Safely Plugged? [57]

Abandoned oil and gas wells are found in significant numbers in some 27 states. Reporters who want to track their status can dig into several databases, but will need to support their data crunching with lots of shoe-leather and ground-truth reporting. Reporter’s Toolbox has insights into what the databases offer. Plus, a primer on API numbers.

SEJ Publication Types:
Reporters Toolbox [27]
Topics on the Beat:
Air [28]
Climate Change [18]
Economy & Business [35]
Energy & Fuel [36]
Environmental Health [19]
Environmental Politics [21]
Government [5]
Health [6]
Infrastructure [7]
Journalism & Media [8]
Laws & Regulations [9]
Natural Resources [24]
Policy [25]
Pollution [51]
Technology [10]
Water & Oceans [11]
Region:
National (U.S.) [12]
Mid-Atlantic (DC DE MD PA VA WV) [58]
Southwest (AZ NM OK TX) [42]
International [43]
Canada [52]
Visibility:
Public [14]
- Read more about Will Thousands of Orphan Wells Be Safely Plugged? [57]
Diving Deeper on the Wetlands Beat Yields Groundbreaking Coverage [59]

Two journalists covering water policy used a wide range of reporting techniques, from FOIA appeals to on-the-ground reporting, to get at the heart of how problems with wetlands and waterways in the United States are tied to climate change concerns. Inside Story spoke with Hannah Northey and Kevin Bogardus of E&E News about their award-winning beat reporting.

SEJ Publication Types:
Inside Story [60]
Topics on the Beat:
Biodiversity [34]
Climate Change [18]
Disasters [29]
Diversity [55]
Economy & Business [35]
Environmental Health [19]
Environmental Justice [20]
Environmental Politics [21]
Government [5]
Health [6]
Infrastructure [7]
Journalism & Media [8]
Laws & Regulations [9]
Policy [25]
Pollution [51]
Science [37]
Technology [10]
Water & Oceans [11]
Region:
National (U.S.) [12]
Great Lakes (IL IN MI MN OH WI) [31]
SE (AL AR FL GA KY LA MS NC PR SC TN) [13]
Visibility:
Public [14]
- Read more about Diving Deeper on the Wetlands Beat Yields Groundbreaking Coverage [59]
Building a Resilient SEJ in 2023 and Beyond [61]

Society of Environmental Journalists president Luke Runyon (pictured, left) looks forward to the upcoming SEJ conference in Boise and announces the SEJ Future Council — a new fundraising initiative aimed at providing financial support for the organization’s efforts to increase and improve environmental journalism.

SEJ Publication Types:
SEJ Presidents Report [62]
Topics on the Beat:
Journalism & Media [8]
Visibility:
Public [14]
- Read more about Building a Resilient SEJ in 2023 and Beyond [61]

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