Publication Items

A Report Card on Transparency in the Biden Administration [1]

A coalition of open-government and journalism groups is pressing the Justice Department for a clear statement of federal policy favoring openness. The new WatchDog opinion column explains why such a move is needed, and now, not just to signal a change from the Trump-era approach, but also for smoother functioning of the all-important Freedom of Information Act.

SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Environmental Politics [3]
Government [4]
Journalism & Media [5]
Laws & Regulations [6]
Policy [7]
Region:
National (U.S.) [8]
Visibility:
Public [9]
- Read more about A Report Card on Transparency in the Biden Administration [1]
Houston Plays Host to First On-Site SEJ Conference Since 2019 [10]

Environmental journalists from around the country and beyond will gather in Houston later this month for the Society of Environmental Journalists’ 31st annual conference. Widely known as the energy capital of the world, this highly diverse city is an ideal place to drill down on the causes and consequences of climate change and other environmental issues of the day.

SEJ Publication Types:
SEJ News [11]
Topics on the Beat:
Activism [12]
Air [13]
Biodiversity [14]
Chemicals [15]
Climate Change [16]
Disasters [17]
Diversity [18]
Economy & Business [19]
Energy & Fuel [20]
Environmental Health [21]
Environmental Justice [22]
Environmental Politics [3]
Fish & Fisheries [23]
Food [24]
Forests [25]
Government [4]
Health [26]
Infrastructure [27]
Journalism & Media [5]
Laws & Regulations [6]
People & Population [28]
Planning & Growth [29]
Policy [7]
Pollution [30]
Religion, Faith and Spirituality [31]
Science [32]
Technology [33]
Transportation [34]
Waste [35]
Water & Oceans [36]
Wildlife [37]
Region:
National (U.S.) [8]
Southwest (AZ NM OK TX) [38]
International [39]
Mexico [40]
Central America & the Caribbean [41]
Europe [42]
South America [43]
Visibility:
Public [9]
- Read more about Houston Plays Host to First On-Site SEJ Conference Since 2019 [10]
Are Higher Energy Prices Really Biden’s Fault? [44]

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine raises questions about the world energy supply and related environmental consequences (such as pressure to lease U.S. lands for drilling). TipSheet explores the politics — and the reality — of U.S. energy policy in the wake of Ukraine and in the run-up to November’s midterm elections, and asks the question: Do federal policies on pricing really matter?

SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [45]
Topics on the Beat:
Energy & Fuel [20]
Environmental Politics [3]
Government [4]
Journalism & Media [5]
Natural Resources [46]
Policy [7]
Region:
National (U.S.) [8]
International [39]
Visibility:
Public [9]
- Read more about Are Higher Energy Prices Really Biden’s Fault? [44]
Aussie Author’s Angry Look at ‘Crimes Against Nature’ [47]

A historical look at how profit and capitalism have ravaged the natural world is the subject of our new BookShelf review. Contributor Melody Kemp offers her take on award-winning Australian journalist Jeff Sparrow’s forthcoming volume, which explores the damage wrought by cars, roads and PR spin, as well as solutions suggested by models of Indigenous land management.

SEJ Publication Types:
BookShelf [48]
Topics on the Beat:
Activism [12]
Climate Change [16]
Economy & Business [19]
Environmental Politics [3]
Infrastructure [27]
Natural Resources [46]
People & Population [28]
Policy [7]
Pollution [30]
Transportation [34]
Region:
International [39]
Australia & Oceania [49]
Visibility:
Public [9]
- Read more about Aussie Author’s Angry Look at ‘Crimes Against Nature’ [47]
Climate Crisis May Quickly Confront U.S., World With National Security Threats [50]

The climate-security nexus has drawn attention from the Biden administration, but less so elsewhere, even as security experts worry about climate change as a threat multiplier that can exacerbate other causes of conflict. Our new Backgrounder explores these concerns, with a look at how the issue has played out in recent U.S. politics. Plus, seven global regions where climate change may worsen ongoing conflict.

SEJ Publication Types:
Backgrounders [51]
Topics on the Beat:
Climate Change [16]
Disasters [17]
Environmental Health [21]
Environmental Politics [3]
Food [24]
Government [4]
Military [52]
Natural Resources [46]
People & Population [28]
Policy [7]
Water & Oceans [36]
Region:
National (U.S.) [8]
International [39]
Mexico [40]
Africa [53]
Antarctica & Arctic [54]
Asia [55]
Central America & the Caribbean [41]
Middle East [56]
South America [43]
Visibility:
Public [9]
- Read more about Climate Crisis May Quickly Confront U.S., World With National Security Threats [50]
Making A Hard Rain Less Hard To Cover [57]

As extreme precipitation, intensified by climate change, becomes a more frequent story for environmental journalists, recent coverage points to important holes in the rain data bucket. But the latest Reporter’s Toolbox identifies some useful government and commercial data resources that track and predict rainfall and offers suggestions on using the data they provide.

SEJ Publication Types:
Reporters Toolbox [58]
Topics on the Beat:
Climate Change [16]
Disasters [17]
Infrastructure [27]
Journalism & Media [5]
Water & Oceans [36]
Region:
National (U.S.) [8]
Visibility:
Public [9]
- Read more about Making A Hard Rain Less Hard To Cover [57]
Walking With the ‘Guardians of the Forest’ — Lessons From Coverage of Amazonian Fires [59]

Three teams of video journalists descended on the Brazilian Amazon amid some of its worst-ever fires to capture efforts of Indigenous rainforest “guardians” to protect it from destruction. They returned with award-winning reporting, but also a deeper understanding of the region and its people, and of how to bring the climate change story closer to home. They share their experiences, in the new EJ InSight.

SEJ Publication Types:
EJ InSight [60]
Topics on the Beat:
Activism [12]
Agriculture [61]
Biodiversity [14]
Climate Change [16]
Environmental Health [21]
Environmental Justice [22]
Environmental Politics [3]
Forests [25]
Journalism & Media [5]
Natural Resources [46]
People & Population [28]
Region:
International [39]
South America [43]
Visibility:
Public [9]
- Read more about Walking With the ‘Guardians of the Forest’ — Lessons From Coverage of Amazonian Fires [59]
New Army Climate Strategy Provokes Questions, Stories on Local and Regional Impact [62]

Military bases typically have big impacts on surrounding communities, including on resource use and the environment. Now, a new U.S. Army climate strategy makes clear the military understands climate change will affect the bases themselves, with numerous ripple effects. The latest TipSheet outlines how reporters can find local stories on these new realities at bases around the country, including near you.

SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [45]
Topics on the Beat:
Climate Change [16]
Disasters [17]
Environmental Politics [3]
Government [4]
Journalism & Media [5]
Military [52]
Planning & Growth [29]
Policy [7]
Region:
National (U.S.) [8]
Visibility:
Public [9]
- Read more about New Army Climate Strategy Provokes Questions, Stories on Local and Regional Impact [62]
EPA's Unfinished Agenda [63]

Transparency and scientific integrity are good for public health and the environment, not to mention PR and politics. Yet WatchDog Opinion argues they’ve not been fully embraced by the Biden EPA. There are reasons for hope, however, in the form of a cataloging of violations and in an EPA-specific policy. Why it all matters for how environmental journalists do their jobs.

SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Environmental Politics [3]
Government [4]
Journalism & Media [5]
Policy [7]
Science [32]
Region:
National (U.S.) [8]
Visibility:
Public [9]
- Read more about EPA's Unfinished Agenda [63]
EPA TSCA Database Back on the Street [64]

A key federal database on toxic chemicals, kneecapped under the Trump administration, is now back. The latest Reporter’s Toolbox reports that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency last week resurfaced the ChemView service, and explains the background law that fuels its data, while offering tips on how to make smart use of the database as it expands in coming years.

SEJ Publication Types:
Reporters Toolbox [58]
Topics on the Beat:
Chemicals [15]
Environmental Health [21]
Environmental Politics [3]
Government [4]
Health [26]
Journalism & Media [5]
Laws & Regulations [6]
Pollution [30]
Region:
National (U.S.) [8]
Visibility:
Public [9]
- Read more about EPA TSCA Database Back on the Street [64]

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