The power and water fiasco that followed a deep freeze in Texas was a predictable debacle and, thus, a warning signal to journalists covering disasters and climate-driven weather extremes. To help, the latest Reporter’s Toolbox provides a rundown of data sources about power grids, from local, regional and national entities, and recommends you start tracking the numbers and be prepared.
A straightforward but passionate new book explores efforts to save the big cat from extinction in “The Last Lions of Africa.” Our BookShelf review lauds the author for making clear the species’ complexity and the damage done by “sustainable” practices such as trophy hunting. And the loss ends not just with the lions. Read our review for the bigger picture.
This journalistic exploration of the Green River’s Desolation Canyon in Utah, Jun 12-18, 2021, will focus on inquiry, truth-telling and resonance in the realm of Western water resources, hosted by SEJ member Heather Hansman (pictured at left), author of "Downriver: Into the Future of Water in the West." Register by Apr 1 or earlier; space is limited.
The Society of Environmental Journalists sent a letter on February 19, 2021 to Interior Secretary-Designate Debra Haaland with a list of more than a dozen recommendations for letting the sun shine more fully in the Department of the Interior, including respecting the vital role that journalists play in our democracy. Read text of the letter [5].
"Scientists have cloned the first U.S. endangered species, a black-footed ferret duplicated from the genes of an animal that died over 30 years ago."
"Miami-Dade County appears to be home to yet another new invasive species — this one a mosquito that was last officially documented in the Florida Keys 75 years ago."
"A grassroots group in La Ronge, Sask., is hosting an online speaker series to raise awareness of the important of peat bogs. These wetland ecosystems, also known as muskeg, are being threatened with extraction",
"Bitter cold and icy conditions in Texas showed that wind farms are built for yesterday’s climate and often not winterized to withstand changing weather due to climate change."
"United States Special Presidential Envoy on Climate John Kerry and United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres are to “celebrate” the US’s return to the Paris Agreement, the US state department has announced."
"An ancient, well-preserved tree that was alive the last time the Earth's magnetic poles flipped has helped scientists pin down more precise timing of that event, which occurred about 42,000 years ago."
Links
[1] https://www.sej.org/publications/reporters-toolbox/grid-data-can-guide-reporting-power-disasters
[2] https://www.sej.org/publications/bookshelf/last-lions-africa-stories-frontline-battle-save-species
[3] https://www.sej.org/calendar/deadline-green-river-field-institute
[4] https://www.sej.org/sej-urges-interior-let-sun-shine-again
[5] https://www.sej.org/sites/default/files/sej-interior-haaland-letter-02192021.pdf
[6] https://www.sej.org/headlines/1st-clone-us-endangered-species-ferret-announced
[7] https://apnews.com/article/1st-cloned-endagered-species-ferret-23cde3908e496692648dc28d4b8121ee
[8] https://www.sej.org/headlines/new-invasive-mosquito-found-miami-dade-broward
[9] https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/environment/article249120030.html
[10] https://www.sej.org/headlines/indigenous-greens-oppose-saskatchewan-peat-moss-mining-project
[11] https://thenarwhal.ca/saskatchewan-peat-moss-mining-speakers/
[12] https://www.sej.org/headlines/wind-farms-aren-t-all-ready-icing-amid-changing-climate
[13] https://bnanews.bna.com/environment-and-energy/wind-farms-arent-all-ready-for-icing-amid-changing-climate
[14] https://www.sej.org/headlines/un-chief-climate-envoy-kerry-mark-us-return-paris-accord
[15] https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/2/18/un-chief-climate-envoy-kerry-to-mark-us-return-to-paris-accord
[16] https://www.sej.org/headlines/ancient-trees-show-when-earths-magnetic-field-last-flipped-out
[17] https://www.npr.org/2021/02/18/969063568/ancient-trees-show-when-the-earths-magnetic-field-last-flipped-out
[18] https://www.sej.org/search_results
[19] https://www.sej.org/search_results?page=1574
[20] https://www.sej.org/search_results?page=1571
[21] https://www.sej.org/search_results?page=1572
[22] https://www.sej.org/search_results?page=1573
[23] https://www.sej.org/search_results?page=1576
[24] https://www.sej.org/search_results?page=1577
[25] https://www.sej.org/search_results?page=1578
[26] https://www.sej.org/search_results?page=1579
[27] https://www.sej.org/search_results?page=5081