"CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Federal investigators began to descend on DuPont Co.'s Belle chemical plant Monday after a worker who was sprayed in the face by the poison gas phosgene died and U.S. Sen. Robert C. Byrd warned of 'a severe breakdown in even the most basic safety protocols.'"
"Kansas' largest electric company has agreed to upgrade pollution controls at its biggest power plant under a legal settlement announced Monday by the utility and federal officials."
"[New Jersey] State and federal environmental officials said Monday night that they will take a more active role in the DuPont cleanup in Pompton Lakes, while urging residents to install mitigation systems in their homes as soon as possible."
"Scientists for the first time have found evidence that flame retardants -- ubiquitous in homes and in the environment - may be reducing human fertility. California women exposed to high levels of the compounds take substantially longer to get pregnant than women with low levels."
"Some residents blame a nearby toxic waste dump for health problems. U.S. says the study shows the Obama administration's commitment to environmental justice."
"A day after delivering a State of the Union address aimed at showing recession-weary Americans he understands their struggles, President Barack Obama intends to award $8 billion in stimulus funds to develop high-speed rail corridors and sell the program as a jobs creator."
By BILL DAWSON
The Beat usually examines recent coverage of environmental issues. This time around, though, The Beat looks at the environmental beat itself — specifically, at a couple of recent developments related to the training of journalists to cover environmental issues.
The first event was the October announcement that Columbia University was suspending for review its two-year, dual-degree graduate program leading to one master's degree in journalism and another in environmental science.
The digital age of environmental journalism has brought with it an ugly underbelly characterized by increasingly bitter personal exchanges and accusations and a sucking-up of countless hours of productive reporting time and effort. How reporters handle these distractions may shape how well the American public understands, or doesn't understand, the climate challenge they and future generations will face.
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