"The world’s most climate-threatened countries won an historic first at climate talks here Sunday — securing a fund that would pay them for the damage wrought by global warming. But the victory came at a price."
The Department of Justice’s new regulations around reporter’s privilege — the protection of journalistic sources and notes — is a noteworthy advance. But the WatchDog Opinion column calls for more: a federal shield law that is less vulnerable to weakening by subsequent administrations. A take on the new regs, the state of current law and prospects for congressional action.
Obama-era regulation of the toxic waste product coal ash, which was watered down in the face of resistance from coal and electric utilities and further weakened by the Trump administration, has meant many coal-fired power plants simply ignore disposal requirements. That’s per a new report that the latest TipSheet writes can offer journalists useful ways to report an overlooked environmental story in their area.
Rachel Nuwer is an award-winning freelance journalist who regularly writes about conservation, ecology and wildlife trade, and is the author of "Poached: Inside the Dark World of Wildlife Trafficking."
"The gas line was punctured by shrapnel. Plastic sheets now hang where the windows were. A single electric heat lamp is all there is to keep the home from freezing."
"West Virginia regulators accuse American Electric Power of driving up costs with skimpy use of its coal plants. Others say the high costs of those aging plants are a growing burden to citizens in one of the nation's poorest states."
"The Biden administration on Friday morning announced $13 billion in funds to modernize the U.S. power grid using allocations from the bipartisan infrastructure law."
"A vent at an underground natural gas storage well in Western Pennsylvania has been spewing massive amounts of planet-warming methane into the atmosphere for more than 11 days and attempts to plug the leak have thus far failed."
The Asian American Journalists Association (AAJA) offers up to $20,000 in scholarships and grants to journalism students every year. The money can go towards paying a number of things, including tuition and fees, internship costs and living expenses. These opportunities have different deadlines, applications and criteria.
"Although scientists keep insisting that the planet needs to move away from its dependence on oil, gas and coal to effectively combat climate change, hydrocarbon development projects continue to emerge. Several countries, cities and NGOs are calling for a non-proliferation treaty on fossil fuels."
Links
[1] https://www.sej.org/headlines/how-vulnerable-countries-finally-got-fund-climate-damage
[2] https://www.eenews.net/articles/how-vulnerable-countries-finally-got-a-fund-for-climate-damage/
[3] https://www.sej.org/publications/watchdog/reporters-privilege-justice-department-takes-step-forward
[4] https://www.sej.org/publications/tipsheet/coal-ash-overlooked-toxic-story-wont-go-away
[5] https://www.sej.org/help-sej-support-journalists-like-rachel-nuwer
[6] https://www.sej.org/headlines/how-russia-weaponizing-ukrainian-winter
[7] https://www.npr.org/2022/11/20/1137698269/russia-weaponizes-winter-ukraine-war
[8] https://www.sej.org/headlines/soaring-west-virginia-electricity-prices-trigger-standoff-over-coal-power
[9] https://insideclimatenews.org/news/20112022/soaring-west-virginia-electricity-prices-trigger-standoff-over-the-states-devotion-to-coal-power/
[10] https://www.sej.org/headlines/white-house-announces-13-billion-grid-resilience-funds
[11] https://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/3740865-white-house-announces-13-billion-in-grid-resilience-funds/
[12] https://www.sej.org/headlines/leak-pennsylvania-gas-storage-well-spewing-methane
[13] https://apnews.com/article/astronomy-science-pittsburgh-pennsylvania-climate-and-environment-f91cf3b1008813659a4d9bba0242ad08
[14] https://www.sej.org/calendar/aaja-scholarship-internship-internship-grant-and-fellowship-opportunities
[15] https://www.sej.org/headlines/multinationals-opening-new-gas-sites-despite-climate-change-warnings
[16] https://www.france24.com/en/france/20221120-fossil-fuel-projects-on-rise-despite-warnings-from-scientists
[17] https://www.sej.org/search_results
[18] https://www.sej.org/search_results?page=983
[19] https://www.sej.org/search_results?page=980
[20] https://www.sej.org/search_results?page=981
[21] https://www.sej.org/search_results?page=982
[22] https://www.sej.org/search_results?page=985
[23] https://www.sej.org/search_results?page=986
[24] https://www.sej.org/search_results?page=987
[25] https://www.sej.org/search_results?page=988
[26] https://www.sej.org/search_results?page=5004