Can consumption in the classroom become a reporting exercise for budding journalists? Our quarterly EJ Academy column explores how collegiate educators can handle sustainability questions. Should students be discouraged from using plastic water bottles? And should faculty use electronic handouts and texts instead of paper copies? Top instructors weigh in.
"Of all the conservative efforts to persuade the Trump administration to weaken the nation’s environmental rules, the dishwasher lobby might be the most peculiar."
It’s poisoning fresh waters across the United States, as well as elsewhere in the Americas, Europe, Asia and Africa. Blue-green algae is on the rise, lingering later and later into the year. Our new Issue Backgrounder explains the contributing factors behind the potent toxin’s scourge, its societal and public health ramifications, and the many angles and resources to tell the story.
"Dozens of cities in liberal-leaning states such as California, Washington, and Massachusetts are studying proposals to ban or limit the use of natural gas in commercial and residential buildings. The movement opens a new front in the fight against climate change that could affect everything from heating systems in skyscrapers to stoves in suburban homes."
"Some appliance manufacturers are pushing back against an energy efficiency testing proposal from the Department of Energy (DOE) designed to benefit the industry."
"Thousands of people who lived in homes in the mid-2000s made with toxic Chinese drywall, including many in Hampton Roads, may finally get some closure. Taishan Gypsum Co., the Chinese-maker of the drywall that sickened those living inside its walls, has agreed to settle the lengthy legal case for $248 million."
"A New York bill passed this summer would require labeling on menstrual products that lists the ingredients so women can avoid potential toxic exposure."
"Insurers are quietly reducing their exposure to fire-prone regions across the Western United States, putting new pressure on homeowners and raising concerns that climate change could eventually make insurance unaffordable in some areas."
Mosquito control isn’t just about health and hassles. It’s also about potential harm to the environment. The latest TipSheet explains the ways municipal governments and private pest firms try to get rid of mosquitoes, and why those methods may be worthy of journalistic scrutiny. How to find local angles, plus, story ideas and reporting resources.
"President Trump does not understand why plastic straws have become the boogeyman of some businesses and Democratic-led cities that have sought to ban their use entirely."
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