Voices of Environmental Justice

Voices of Environmental Justice is a quarterly column that focuses on the voices that environmental and climate journalists have long excluded from their stories. The column will feature interviews with community members, as well as practical tips and resources to help reporters better cover these communities. For questions and comments, or to suggest future columns, email Voices of Environmental Justice columnist Yessenia Funes at sejournaleditor@sej.org.

Topics on the Beat:

Environmental Justice

Journalism & Media

Public

Voices of Environmental Justice

October 23, 2024

Future of Justice40 Program Hangs in Balance

A Biden administration initiative that commits to allocating 40% of federal investments to disadvantaged communities plagued by overpollution is an environmental justice breakthrough, writes columnist Yessenia Funes. But it’s also a program with weaknesses, such as how it factors in race or keeps track of impacts. What is Justice40, what has it missed and what is its future?

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May 1, 2024

Climate Crisis Makes for Real Fashion Emergency

Fast fashion’s lack of sustainability has long been the subject of news media coverage. But now the realities of climate change mean that fashion reporting must be reimagined to include the lived environmental and human rights realities of workers making what we wear, writes contributor Yessenia Funes in the new Voices of Environmental Justice column. Ideas and resources for getting past simplistic fashion industry narratives.

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January 24, 2024

What’s Ahead on Climate Justice, Climate Crisis Beat

What environment stories will matter most in 2024 to communities of color and Indigenous communities? Columnist Yessenia Funes sheds light on concerns ranging from the environmental damage in Gaza and extreme weather across the United States to the fallout from the U.S. presidential election to the local impacts of the clean energy transition. Insights in the latest Voices of Environmental Justice.

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September 20, 2023

To Cover Climate Equity Well, Journalists Must Maintain Mental Health

When climate journalists — especially those confronting various forms of oppression in their own communities — witness environmental destruction and human suffering, the trauma can creep into our psyches. But sometimes our professional stance keeps us from seeing the harm to our mental health. In her new Voices of Environmental Justice column, Yessenia Funes looks at the question head-on, exploring resources and paths to better self-care.

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June 28, 2023

The Community We’ve Long Ignored

Veteran environmental justice reporter Yessenia Funes this week launches “Voices of Environmental Justice,” her new SEJournal column. Each quarterly commentary will focus on spotlighting the perspectives of affected communities that environmental and climate journalists often ignore. For her inaugural entry, with Pride month nearing its end, a look at how climate change and environmental pollution exacerbate the already elevated health risks of LGBTQIA+ people.

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