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Global Satellite Data IDs Tensions Between Food Production, Biodiversity [1]

A recent study of global cropland expansion highlights several trends that are ripe with environmental news stories. One finding: New farm fields have taken over an area the size of Texas and California combined since the start of the century, an expansion primarily affecting biodiversity-rich natural ecosystems, with Africa leading the cropland boom. Freelancer Gabriel Popkin explores the latest data and the reporting possibilities.

SEJ Publication Types: 
Features [2]
Topics on the Beat: 
Agriculture [3]
Biodiversity [4]
Climate Change [5]
Consumer [6]
Economy & Business [7]
Environmental Health [8]
Environmental Justice [9]
Environmental Politics [10]
Environmental Studies [11]
Food [12]
Forests [13]
Journalism & Media [14]
Natural Resources [15]
People & Population [16]
Planning & Growth [17]
Science [18]
Technology [19]
Region: 
National (U.S.) [20]
International [21]
Africa [22]
Asia [23]
Europe [24]
South America [25]
Visibility: 
Public [26]

How — And Why —To Avoid Jargon When Covering Climate [27]

Climate change reporting is sometimes peppered with jargon that confounds rather than clearly communicates. Audiences may miss not just one story’s message, but lose interest in the broader topic. Contributor Rebecca Hersher, a science reporter for National Public Radio, writes how the public’s connection with climate information increases when both journalists and scientists strive to replace elite terminology with simple and accurate language.

SEJ Publication Types: 
Features [2]
Topics on the Beat: 
Climate Change [5]
Consumer [6]
Environmental Studies [11]
Journalism & Media [14]
Science [18]
Region: 
National (U.S.) [20]
International [21]
Visibility: 
Public [26]

"Supreme Court Rejects Dakota Access NEPA Battle" [28]

"The Supreme Court today dealt a blow to a pipeline developer, deciding against hearing a dispute over environmental reviews for infrastructure projects."

Energy & Fuel [29]
Environmental Politics [10]
Environmental Studies [11]
Laws & Regulations [30]
Public [26]
National (U.S.) [20]
Source: E&E News [31], 02/23/2022

"Shell CCS Plant Emits More Greenhouse Gases Than It's Captured" [32]

"A new report provides some damning new math on one of the oil giant's much-hyped CCS projects."

"Oil companies love to tell the world about the super cool technologies that have that will allow us to keep burning fossil fuels without cooking the climate. But those technologies are largely bullshit.

Climate Change [5]
Economy & Business [7]
Energy & Fuel [29]
Environmental Politics [10]
Environmental Studies [11]
Journalism & Media [14]
Public [26]
Canada [33]
Source: Earther [34], 01/24/2022

Grantee Suits Up To Ask If Honeybees Harm Native Species [35]

When Colorado-based freelance journalist Jennifer Oldham suited up in protective gear to investigate if commercial honeybee hives on public lands impact native bee populations, as well as to meet with federal scientists and visit a bee study site, it was a Fund for Environmental Journalism grant that helped her do it. Oldham shares her experience and advice in the latest FEJ StoryLog.

SEJ Publication Types: 
FEJ StoryLog [36]
Topics on the Beat: 
Agriculture [3]
Environmental Health [8]
Environmental Studies [11]
Journalism & Media [14]
Natural Resources [15]
Science [18]
Wildlife [37]
Region: 
National (U.S.) [20]
Mountain West (CO ID MT NV UT WY) [38]
Visibility: 
Public [26]

Lead Pipes To Make News on the Environment Beat in 2022 [39]

A crisis of lead in drinking water affects thousands of U.S. communities, but 2022 will bring new focus to the problem as new Biden administration plans play out following passage of a $15 billion fund to replace lead service lines. TipSheet outlines the problem and the impact of a regulation carried over from the Trump era. Plus, seven reporting approaches to local and state-level stories.

SEJ Publication Types: 
TipSheet [40]
Topics on the Beat: 
Consumer [6]
Environmental Justice [9]
Environmental Politics [10]
Environmental Studies [11]
Government [41]
Health [42]
Infrastructure [43]
Journalism & Media [14]
Laws & Regulations [30]
Policy [44]
Pollution [45]
Water & Oceans [46]
Region: 
National (U.S.) [20]
Visibility: 
Public [26]

Sen. Warren Asks SEC To Investigate Compensation At Fossil Fuel Giants [47]

"Sen. Elizabeth Warren called on the country’s top securities regulator to examine the pay practices of large energy companies, citing a report in The Washington Post that revealed how some fossil fuel giants reward executives for meeting environmental goals even in years when their companies caused significant environmental harm."

Economy & Business [7]
Environmental Politics [10]
Environmental Studies [11]
Pollution [45]
Public [26]
National (U.S.) [20]
Source: Washington Post [48], 12/16/2021

Enviros Call For Stronger EPA Action On Falsified Chemical Assessments [49]

"Six environmental organizations on Tuesday called on the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to take more aggressive action in response to reports that an agency office manipulated assessments of chemical safety."

Activism [50]
Chemicals [51]
Environmental Health [8]
Environmental Justice [9]
Environmental Politics [10]
Environmental Studies [11]
Journalism & Media [14]
Laws & Regulations [30]
Science [18]
Public [26]
National (U.S.) [20]
Source: The Hill [52], 12/16/2021

FEMA Restores Climate Goal In Strategic Plan After Trump Dropped It [53]

"The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is once again considering climate change in its strategic planning after a plan released during the Trump administration did not include it."

Climate Change [5]
Disasters [54]
Environmental Studies [11]
Laws & Regulations [30]
Public [26]
National (U.S.) [20]
Source: The Hill [55], 12/10/2021

When Reporting on Toxic Hotspots, Go Deeper With Cancer Registries [56]

As awareness grows about how pollution can cause certain cancers, it’s smart to look beyond cancer risk and also explore available information about actual cancer cases. Reporter’s Toolbox explains how extensive data collected regularly in state-level cancer “registries” can take your coverage on the pollution-public health connection to another level. Plus, avoiding pitfalls in reporting possible clusters.

SEJ Publication Types: 
Reporters Toolbox [57]
Topics on the Beat: 
Air [58]
Chemicals [51]
Disasters [54]
Environmental Health [8]
Environmental Justice [9]
Environmental Politics [10]
Environmental Studies [11]
Government [41]
Health [42]
Journalism & Media [14]
People & Population [16]
Pollution [45]
Science [18]
Waste [59]
Water & Oceans [46]
Region: 
National (U.S.) [20]
Northeast (CT MA ME NH NJ NY RI VT) [60]
SE (AL AR FL GA KY LA MS NC PR SC TN) [61]
Visibility: 
Public [26]

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Links
[1] https://www.sej.org/publications/features/global-satellite-data-ids-tensions-between-food-production-biodiversity [2] https://www.sej.org/category/sej-publication-types/features [3] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/agriculture [4] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/biodiversity-1 [5] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/climate-change [6] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/consumer [7] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/business [8] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/environmental-health [9] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/environmental-justice [10] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/environmental-politics [11] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/environmentalists [12] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/food [13] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/forests [14] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/journalism/media [15] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/land [16] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/people-population [17] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/cities-towns [18] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/science [19] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/technology [20] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national [21] https://www.sej.org/category/region/international [22] https://www.sej.org/category/region/international/africa [23] https://www.sej.org/category/region/international/asia [24] https://www.sej.org/category/region/international/europe [25] https://www.sej.org/category/region/international/south-america [26] https://www.sej.org/taxonomy/term/81 [27] https://www.sej.org/publications/features/how-and-why-avoid-jargon-when-covering-climate [28] https://www.sej.org/headlines/supreme-court-rejects-dakota-access-nepa-battle [29] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/energy [30] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/laws [31] https://www.eenews.net/articles/supreme-court-rejects-dakota-access-nepa-battle/ [32] https://www.sej.org/headlines/shell-ccs-plant-emits-more-greenhouse-gases-its-captured [33] https://www.sej.org/category/region/international/canada [34] https://gizmodo.com/shell-ccs-carbon-capture-1848401554 [35] https://www.sej.org/publications/fej-storylog/grantee-suits-ask-if-honeybees-harm-native-species [36] https://www.sej.org/category/sej-publication-types/fej-storylog [37] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/wildlife [38] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national/mountain-west [39] https://www.sej.org/publications/tipsheet/lead-pipes-make-news-environment-beat-2022 [40] https://www.sej.org/category/sej-publication/tipsheet [41] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/government [42] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/health [43] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/infrastructure [44] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/policy [45] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/pollution [46] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/water [47] https://www.sej.org/headlines/sen-warren-asks-sec-investigate-compensation-fossil-fuel-giants [48] https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2021/12/15/elizabeth-warren-sec/ [49] https://www.sej.org/headlines/enviros-call-stronger-epa-action-falsified-chemical-assessments [50] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/activism [51] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/chemicals/toxics [52] https://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/585916-environmental-groups-call-on-epa-to-take-stronger-action-on-reports?rl=1 [53] https://www.sej.org/headlines/fema-restores-climate-goal-strategic-plan-after-trump-dropped-it [54] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/disaster [55] https://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/585080-fema-restores-climate-consideration-in-strategic-plan-after-trump?rl=1 [56] https://www.sej.org/publications/reporters-toolbox/when-reporting-toxic-hotspots-go-deeper-cancer-registries [57] https://www.sej.org/category/sej-publication-types/reporter%E2%80%99s-toolbox [58] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/air [59] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/waste [60] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national/northeast [61] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national/southeast [62] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/environmentalists?page=56 [63] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/environmentalists?page=53 [64] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/environmentalists?page=54 [65] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/environmentalists?page=55 [66] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/environmentalists?page=58 [67] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/environmentalists?page=59 [68] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/environmentalists?page=60 [69] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/environmentalists?page=61 [70] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/environmentalists?page=96