It turns out voters really don’t like data centers, judging from the shellacking the massive artificial intelligence-centered energy and water consumers took in the recent U.S. elections. The latest TipSheet takes a look at where data centers stumbled and how they may fare in locales near you, with questions to ask and resources to report your stories.
As the public and news media alike tally the outcomes of this week’s U.S. midterm elections, it is the costs of energy — to the economy and the environment, today and into the future — that will continue to grow to dominate global discourse. A Backgrounder Analysis looks at how environmental journalists must seek the fuller story of this vast energy beat.
As a critical Election Day approaches, WatchDog Opinion considers how journalism might benefit from a shift in congressional power — whether through control over appropriations, oversight and confirmations, or through passage of press freedom bills. But much remains unknown, and other things are unlikely to change, like the presidential animus toward the press. A look at some of the possibilities.
When Reporter’s Toolbox scours a new dataset for your environment and energy reporting use, it asks a key question: Where does the data come from? This time, the answer serves more as a warning. The latest column looks at a previously stellar data source — the CDC — and finds it lacking. Here’s what you need to know.
There’s a long history of hunting and fishing in the federal refuge and hatchery system. But the Trump administration has now thrown the doors wide, opening millions of acres in hundreds of locales across much of the country. TipSheet examines what’s missing in this dramatic policy shift, and offers insights and resources for reporting on the impact on the nearest refuge to you.
The Interior Department keeps an extensive database of thousands of permits it issues to use federal lands for grazing livestock. And as the latest Reporter’s Toolbox notes, that data can readily be used as an investigative tool to look for one thing the government would rather the public not see — a penchant for permit partiality.
Communities impacted by environmental justice issues often view the media with wariness deeply rooted in history. But some journalists and EJ advocates are working together to forge a better relationship. While recognizing the challenges, they offer encouragement with a set of guiding principles for reporters who want to gain the trust of communities and tell accurate, respectful and impactful environmental stories.
Occupational exposure to toxic chemicals can serve as an early warning system for broader public risks, just one reason the extensive data gathered by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration is a valuable tool for environmental journalists — even if much of the resulting reporting focuses on agency failings. Reporter’s Toolbox on OSHA datasets.
The Farm Bill — omnibus legislation that affects the food supply of millions of Americans, as well as their air, water and soil — is bogged down in hyperpartisan division. But as Backgrounder outlines, environmental journalists would be wise to track how Congress ultimately uses it to address matters like land and water conservation, rural water supply and pollution, pesticides and more.
