A leaked "internal draft, not for release" discussion paper contains thoughts on a possible shift toward more conservation — and moving away from BLM's historic pattern of generally emphasizing extraction of natural resources and de-emphasizing conservation of those resources.
Topics of interest to your audience could include agriculture, construction, sewage plant discharges, urban stormwater runoff, industrial sources, concentrated animal feeding operations, hydraulic fracturing used in natural gas extraction, power plant cooling water use, and pesticide infiltration.
Local and national planning committees have begun gathering conference ideas for review. Plans include dozens of panels, field trips, newsmaker briefings, Freelance Pitchfest, world-class speakers, 2010 Awards for Excellence in Health Care Journalism luncheon and more. To suggest sessions or speakers for the conference, you can fill out a conference suggestion form.
"Last night, Michael Bromwich, the new director of the Interior Department's Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation, and Enforcement (formerly known as the Minerals Management Service), circulated an email to staffers outlining new ethics policies for employees who deal with offshore drilling, an attempt to reform his run amuck division's rep for being too cozy with oil and gas interests."
"The world's most high-profile climate change sceptic is to declare that global warming is 'undoubtedly one of the chief concerns facing the world today' and 'a challenge humanity must confront', in an apparent U-turn that will give a huge boost to the embattled environmental lobby."
"Tourists on a North Carolina vacation destination island were preparing to board the ferries and head for the mainland early Wednesday and more evacuations could be on the way as powerful Hurricane Earl threatened to sideswipe the East Coast."
"Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) conceded her primary race Tuesday night after she failed to close the gap on attorney Joe Miller in the ongoing vote-counting process." That means Murkowski will be replaced as ranking Republican member of the Senate Energy Committee.
"The Department of Interior issued a new draft policy on scientific integrity on Tuesday, a long overdue addition to the agency's manual outlining the rules and regulations for employees when it comes to ensuring that their decisions are based on sound science."
"California lawmakers have rejected a bill seeking to ban plastic shopping bags, after a contentious debate over whether the state was going too far in trying to regulate personal choice."
"They say the ballot initiative to suspend the state's climate change law would hurt low-income communities already suffering the most from pollution."
Links
[1] https://www.sej.org/publications/government/blm-paper-national-monuments-other-conservation-units-unveiled
[2] https://www.sej.org/publications/government/epa-targets-future-water-cleanups-you-can-cover-problems-now
[3] https://www.sej.org/calendar/health-journalism-2011
[4] https://www.sej.org/headlines/sorry-drilling-regulators-no-more-oil-orgies
[5] http://motherjones.com/blue-marble/2010/08/minerals-managment-service-interior-ethics-rules
[6] https://www.sej.org/headlines/major-climate-skeptic-bjorn-lomborg-switches-sides-pitches-book
[7] http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2010/aug/30/bjorn-lomborg-climate-change-u-turn
[8] https://www.sej.org/headlines/nc-vacation-island-be-cleared-earl-nears
[9] http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gVWjsPEiqe1tEu2mhBIRaxxGi8owD9HV2K5O0
[10] https://www.sej.org/headlines/alaska-sen-murkowski-concedes-primary
[11] http://voices.washingtonpost.com/thefix/senate/sen-murkowski-picks-up-208-vot.html?hpid=topnews
[12] https://www.sej.org/headlines/whats-missing-interiors-new-scientific-integrity-policy
[13] http://motherjones.com/blue-marble/2010/08/interior-department-scientific-integrity-policy
[14] https://www.sej.org/headlines/california-rejects-ban-plastic-shopping-bags
[15] http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iGv0Qz-cEG7jS90iwvoOQ4BfDUTwD9HUVCB80
[16] https://www.sej.org/headlines/la-mayor-latino-activists-take-oil-companies-over-prop-23
[17] http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-climate-change-prop23-20100901,0,6943320.story
[18] https://www.sej.org/search_results
[19] https://www.sej.org/search_results?page=4385
[20] https://www.sej.org/search_results?page=4382
[21] https://www.sej.org/search_results?page=4383
[22] https://www.sej.org/search_results?page=4384
[23] https://www.sej.org/search_results?page=4387
[24] https://www.sej.org/search_results?page=4388
[25] https://www.sej.org/search_results?page=4389
[26] https://www.sej.org/search_results?page=4390
[27] https://www.sej.org/search_results?page=4888