Get a behind-the-scenes look at the most surprising findings from a new survey of environmental journalists. It showed a range of challenges in covering local climate change stories. And see what the group behind the survey hopes to do to help reporters and editors address these obstacles.
Decades after the nation’s capital began its historic cleanup, sanitary sewage still occasionally swamps the Potomac River. Are sewage systems also dumping human waste and other pollutants into waterways near you? This week’s TipSheet has the background on the problem of combined sewage overflow, as well as resources for finding out what’s happening near you.
Independent coverage of Western Lands, the Gulf of Mexico, Peruvian Amazon and Puerto Rico will expand over the coming year through projects of SEJ’s Fund for Environmental Journalism (FEJ). The Society of Environmental Journalists has disbursed a new round of project grants to individuals and news organizations, made possible by individual gifts and foundation grants to SEJ.
"Two environmental groups filed suit Thursday to force the Environmental Protection Agency to disclose its correspondence with the Heartland Institute, a conservative think tank that has led a years-long campaign to discredit climate science."
"The federal government censored, withheld or said it couldn’t find records sought by citizens, journalists and others more often last year than at any point in the past decade, according to an Associated Press analysis of new data."
"The Pocatello teenager who experienced vomiting, headaches and couldn’t sleep for a month after triggering an M-44 “cyanide bomb” one year ago this week has physically recovered."
Newsroom cutbacks are among the many obstacles that environmental reporters face in reporting local climate change stories, per a new survey of members of the Society of Environmental Journalists. The study was conducted with the SEJ by the Climate Matters project at George Mason University to help identify ways to provide reporters with better tools and professional develop training. Get the full results.
March 11-17 is Sunshine Week — a time for journalists, public and government to focus on open government. SEJ is asking EPA's press office to ensure basic responses to journalists' information requests. This and more is available here.
Coal ash can contaminate surface and ground water with toxic heavy metals. But as this week’s TipSheet reports, Trump deregulation aims to loosen EPA rules on its disposal. That may mean a big local pollution story. If journalists can find the data, that is. The latest on the new rules, plus resources for coverage.
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