From a simple autumn leaf can come a legion of local environmental stories, if you sift through the pile thoughtfully. The latest TipSheet ponders the possibilities, from who in your municipality actually gathers them and how they’re used as mulch and (possibly contaminated) compost, where you don’t want them to collect and what people used to do with them that these days is a no-no.
Just under two months from the start of the annual global forum for managing climate change — the United Nations’ conference of parties beginning Nov. 10 in Belém, Brazil — our Backgrounder analysis laments the vanishingly small chance that nations will agree on managing steadily rising greenhouse gas emissions. A look at the obstacles, plus COP30 reporting challenges, from hotel expenses to diplomatic spin.
When reporters from Inside Climate News and The Texas Tribune teamed up on a multipart series about Texas environmental regulators, they found state agencies sidestepping science, the law and accountability. The beneficiaries? The oil and gas industry. Their prizewinning reporting was praised for its data analysis, and public records and field reporting. Read an Inside Story Q&A with Martha Pskowski of Inside Climate News.
In this in-person, interactive roundtable event in NYC, co-organized by Mongabay, the Committee to Protect Journalists and the Society of Environmental Journalists, Mongabay's award-winning reporter (and SEJ board member) Karla Mendes will be in conversation with the Committee to Protect Journalists on how to bridge local-to-global coverage on the road to COP30. 3:30 - 5 p.m. EDT.
"A recent study has revealed that the majority of shark meat available to American shoppers is mislabeled, with much of it coming from endangered species."
"Big Tech’s AI frenzy is pressing up electricity demand around the country. The power grid is stuck in natural gas-fuelled inertia, slow to bring new clean energy projects online and leaving consumers on the hook."
"Rising temperatures have caused as many as 4.6 million extra dengue cases each year, and will cause many more by 2050, a new study finds."
"A growing population, leaking pipes and changing climate threaten the state’s water supply. Texas lawmakers hope a $20 billion investment will help."
"In the most remote parts of Alaska, staying in touch can involve a bit more effort than sending a text. Cell service is spotty, highways are nonexistent, and the postal service remains a vital lifeline, delivering supplies and mail by plane. But for anyone who wants to broadcast a different kind of message — a reminder to pick up milk, for example, or birthday wishes — there’s always the Muktuk Telegram."
"USDA’s staffing cuts, scuttled conservation programs, and misdirected crop insurance are hitting farmers hard."
Links
[1] https://www.sej.org/publications/tipsheet/fallen-leaves-not-just-chore-story
[2] https://www.sej.org/publications/backgrounders/cop30-why-it-won-t-save-planet
[3] https://www.sej.org/publications/inside-story/teaming-tap-texas-regulatory-capture
[4] https://www.sej.org/calendar/reporting-amazon-safety-mental-health-and-climate-accountability
[5] https://www.sej.org/headlines/much-us-shark-meat-comes-endangered-species-study-finds
[6] https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/sep/12/shark-meat-endangered-species-study
[7] https://www.sej.org/headlines/riding-high-data-centers-grid-cannot-kick-its-gas-habit
[8] https://insideclimatenews.org/news/14092025/data-center-ai-demand-natural-gas-power/
[9] https://www.sej.org/headlines/global-warming-fueling-dengue-fever-outbreaks
[10] https://insideclimatenews.org/news/12092025/global-warming-dengue-fever-outbreaks/
[11] https://www.sej.org/headlines/running-out-texas-water-crisis-and-path-forward
[12] https://www.texastribune.org/2025/09/11/texas-water-supply-crisis/
[13] https://www.sej.org/headlines/how-tribal-radio-stations-are-preparing-future-without-cpb
[14] https://www.niemanlab.org/2025/08/how-tribal-radio-stations-are-preparing-for-a-future-without-the-corporation-for-public-broadcasting/
[15] https://www.sej.org/headlines/extreme-weather-increases-flooding-farms-federal-support-evaporates
[16] https://civileats.com/2025/09/10/as-extreme-weather-increases-flooding-on-farms-federal-support-for-climate-resilience-evaporates/
[17] https://www.sej.org/search_results
[18] https://www.sej.org/search_results?page=131
[19] https://www.sej.org/search_results?page=128
[20] https://www.sej.org/search_results?page=129
[21] https://www.sej.org/search_results?page=130
[22] https://www.sej.org/search_results?page=133
[23] https://www.sej.org/search_results?page=134
[24] https://www.sej.org/search_results?page=135
[25] https://www.sej.org/search_results?page=136
[26] https://www.sej.org/search_results?page=4945