Publication Items

Incinerators Offer Local Journalists Some Burning Issues [1]

Incinerators — there may be fewer of them these days, but it’s likely there’s still one near you and it’s probably polluting the air. How a cheap method to make garbage go away now has become a problem of its own, one that often sparks debates over environmental justice. This week’s Tipsheet has a quick rundown on incinerator regulation, outlines key problem areas and offers resources for reporting your own local incinerator story.

SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Activism [3]
Air [4]
Energy & Fuel [5]
Environmental Politics [6]
Health [7]
Journalism & Media [8]
Laws & Regulations [9]
People & Population [10]
Pollution [11]
Waste [12]
Region:
National (U.S.) [13]
Great Lakes (IL IN MI MN OH WI) [14]
Great Plains (IA KS ND NE MO SD) [15]
Mid-Atlantic (DC DE MD PA VA WV) [16]
Visibility:
Public [17]
- Read more about Incinerators Offer Local Journalists Some Burning Issues [1]
Dam Removal May Provide Environmental News Near You [18]

Local dams are threatened with floods brought by Hurricane Florence. But already, many of these dams were being removed after decades of building them up, as part of a growing effort to limit harm to the environment and hazards to local communities. This week’s TipSheet explains the trend, highlights some examples and points the way to databases and other resources to find and report on dams in your area.

SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Energy & Fuel [5]
Fish & Fisheries [19]
Natural Resources [20]
Planning & Growth [21]
Water & Oceans [22]
Region:
National (U.S.) [13]
Great Lakes (IL IN MI MN OH WI) [14]
Mid-Atlantic (DC DE MD PA VA WV) [16]
Northwest (OR WA) [23]
Visibility:
Public [17]
- Read more about Dam Removal May Provide Environmental News Near You [18]
Private Companies Pump Cash from Troubled Municipal Drinking Water Systems [24]

Millions of Americans are served by private rather than public water systems. And while that may be helpful in the case of the tens of thousands of smaller systems that lack key resources, it also raises controversial questions about privatization, as well as about what’s best to insure drinking water safety in a post-Flint era. The latest Backgrounder explains this complex issue, considers the most critical issues and offers resources to report the story in your area.

SEJ Publication Types:
Backgrounders [25]
Topics on the Beat:
Activism [3]
Consumer [26]
Disasters [27]
Economy & Business [28]
Environmental Politics [6]
Government [29]
Health [7]
Laws & Regulations [9]
Planning & Growth [21]
Water & Oceans [22]
Region:
National (U.S.) [13]
Great Lakes (IL IN MI MN OH WI) [14]
Great Plains (IA KS ND NE MO SD) [15]
Mid-Atlantic (DC DE MD PA VA WV) [16]
Northeast (CT MA ME NH NJ NY RI VT) [30]
Visibility:
Public [17]
- Read more about Private Companies Pump Cash from Troubled Municipal Drinking Water Systems [24]
Long View Finds a Wealth of Great Journalism, Innovation [31]

Journalism has hit many a speed bump in recent years. But one veteran observer finds that over the long haul, environmental reporters have produced much exceptional work. In the latest EJ Academy, Editor Bob Wyss looks at how trends like the growth of collaboration, startup innovation, and the explosion of visual and data journalism have boosted the professional in the last decade. Here are seven major findings from his research.

SEJ Publication Types:
EJ Academy [32]
Topics on the Beat:
Climate Change [33]
Journalism & Media [8]
Region:
National (U.S.) [13]
International [34]
Visibility:
Public [17]
- Read more about Long View Finds a Wealth of Great Journalism, Innovation [31]
Florence Hints at More Flood-induced Animal Waste Spills Across U.S. [35]

Hog waste washing into the environment in the wake of flooding is not just a worry in the Carolinas after Hurricane Florence. Potential pollution from animal feed operations is a widespread risk around the United States — and climate change-induced extreme weather means that risk is rising. The latest TipSheet has resources and ideas for covering the story in your area.

SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Agriculture [36]
Air [4]
Climate Change [33]
Disasters [27]
Economy & Business [28]
Health [7]
Journalism & Media [8]
Laws & Regulations [9]
People & Population [10]
Pollution [11]
Waste [12]
Water & Oceans [22]
Region:
National (U.S.) [13]
Great Plains (IA KS ND NE MO SD) [15]
SE (AL AR FL GA KY LA MS NC PR SC TN) [37]
Visibility:
Public [17]
- Read more about Florence Hints at More Flood-induced Animal Waste Spills Across U.S. [35]
SEJ Joins Free Press Campaigns; Plus Trump Administration Censorship and Improved Tap Water Database [38]

From #enemyofnone to #DefendPressFreedom, the Society of Environmental Journalists has joined numerous other journalism groups in campaigns to support news media. That, plus the latest WatchDog looks at a new report on widespread public support for a free press, a study on the extent of science censorship in the Trump Administration, and an improved database for tracking drinking water stories.

SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [39]
Topics on the Beat:
Activism [3]
Government [29]
Journalism & Media [8]
Science [40]
Region:
National (U.S.) [13]
Visibility:
Public [17]
- Read more about SEJ Joins Free Press Campaigns; Plus Trump Administration Censorship and Improved Tap Water Database [38]
Farm Bill May Stir Up Local Hornets’ Nest on Pesticides [41]

Local pesticide bans that go beyond federal restrictions may be a growing trend, but it’s one that has brought on a backlash by GOP politicians and farmers. The conflict may soon be resolved — or not — by Congress, as it closes in on a new U.S. Farm Bill. Meanwhile, this week’s TipSheet helps explain the dispute and provides resources and signs to watch.

SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Activism [3]
Agriculture [36]
Chemicals [42]
Economy & Business [28]
Environmental Health [43]
Environmental Politics [6]
Food [44]
Government [29]
Health [7]
Journalism & Media [8]
Laws & Regulations [9]
Policy [45]
Region:
National (U.S.) [13]
Visibility:
Public [17]
- Read more about Farm Bill May Stir Up Local Hornets’ Nest on Pesticides [41]
Prize-winner Looks for ‘Stories that Surprise’ [46]

An unexpected story, a never-before-seen photo — those are ingredients for the kinds of environment and climate story ideas that won one environment reporter top honors in large market beat reporting in SEJ’s annual awards last year. A conversation with Craig Welch of National Geographic for our latest Inside Story Q&A.

SEJ Publication Types:
Inside Story [47]
Topics on the Beat:
Biodiversity [48]
Climate Change [33]
Journalism & Media [8]
Science [40]
Water & Oceans [22]
Wildlife [49]
Region:
National (U.S.) [13]
International [34]
Visibility:
Public [17]
- Read more about Prize-winner Looks for ‘Stories that Surprise’ [46]
Coal Ash Ruling Will Generate Piles of State-level News [50]

Now that a top court has tossed out parts of coal ash disposal rules, also in question is a planned loosening under the Trump EPA. That means potential state-level stories on how this coal combustion byproduct may threaten environmental health and water supplies. This week’s TipSheet runs down the issue and suggests resources and questions to ask.

SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Consumer [26]
Disasters [27]
Energy & Fuel [5]
Environmental Health [43]
Journalism & Media [8]
Laws & Regulations [9]
Pollution [11]
Water & Oceans [22]
Region:
National (U.S.) [13]
Great Lakes (IL IN MI MN OH WI) [14]
Mid-Atlantic (DC DE MD PA VA WV) [16]
Mountain West (CO ID MT NV UT WY) [51]
SE (AL AR FL GA KY LA MS NC PR SC TN) [37]
Southwest (AZ NM OK TX) [52]
Visibility:
Public [17]
- Read more about Coal Ash Ruling Will Generate Piles of State-level News [50]
Ditching Plastic Straws — A Strawman for the Real Problem of Marine Litter? [53]

Plastic straws might have quickly become this summer’s bogeyman, with bans by Starbucks, hotel chains, resorts and some big cities. But as this week’s TipSheet points out, straws are only a part of the massive marine litter problem facing the world’s oceans. Here’s how to put recent straw bans into broader perspective.

SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Activism [3]
Consumer [26]
Environmental Health [43]
Fish & Fisheries [19]
Food [44]
Journalism & Media [8]
Pollution [11]
Water & Oceans [22]
Wildlife [49]
Region:
National (U.S.) [13]
Alaska and Hawaii [54]
California [55]
Mid-Atlantic (DC DE MD PA VA WV) [16]
Northeast (CT MA ME NH NJ NY RI VT) [30]
SE (AL AR FL GA KY LA MS NC PR SC TN) [37]
Southwest (AZ NM OK TX) [52]
International [34]
Canada [56]
Mexico [57]
Asia [58]
Australia & Oceania [59]
Central America & the Caribbean [60]
South America [61]
Visibility:
Public [17]
- Read more about Ditching Plastic Straws — A Strawman for the Real Problem of Marine Litter? [53]

Pages