"Radioactive Shadow Workers"
"The treatment of oil and gas field waste is a dirty industry’s dirtiest secret"
Source: Sierra, 04/01/2025
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US Could See Return Of Acid Rain Due To Trump’s Rollbacks, Says Scientist
"The US could be plunged back into an era of toxic acid rain, an environmental problem thought to have been solved decades ago, due to the Donald Trump administration’s rollback of pollution protections, the scientist who discovered the existence of acid rain in North America has warned."
Source: Guardian, 04/01/2025
"Trump Halts Historic Orphaned Well-Plugging Program"
"The billions of dollars approved by Congress to clean up abandoned oil and gas wells have been frozen as part of President Donald Trump’s sweeping cuts to government spending, creating concerns that the cleanup will be halted just as it’s getting started."
Source: High Country News, 04/01/2025
An Editor’s Eye View to Successful Pitching
The not-so-simple act of pitching story ideas is among the biggest challenges facing freelance environmental reporters. Is the pitch smartly targeted, thoroughly researched, well-crafted? Our new Freelance Files co-editor Marianne Messina spoke to four top-level editors at well-known outlets to get their perspectives on making a successful pitch. Learn why outlets need you, what they look for and how to avoid basic mistakes.
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U.S. Fuel Exports To Profit Industry, Slam Consumers
‘Energy dominance’ is a Trump catchphrase whose meaning may be vague — since the U.S. is already the world’s top producer of oil and natural gas. But one thing that does seem clear, per the new Backgrounder, is that a flood of new U.S. permits to export gas will likely mean higher energy prices for U.S. customers.
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Follow the Money … for Lobbying State Legislatures
With many states dominated by a few powerful industries — whether oil, mining or agriculture — the influence of campaign dollars can have an outsize effect on legislation, even to the point of corruption, notes the latest Reporter’s Toolbox. So while the U.S. Congress may be languishing, environmental journalists can dig up stories on lobbying at the state level using a powerful data source.
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"Blue Ridge Parkway: Will "Take Years" For Some Areas To Be Repaired"
"While repairs to storm-battered sections of the Blue Ridge Parkway are underway, it will "take years" to repair some of the damage, according to the National Park Service."
Source: National Parks Traveler, 03/31/2025
Some L.A. Homes Are Being Built To Resist Wildfires — And Some Aren't
"Homeowners in Los Angeles have started the long process of rebuilding after the destructive wildfires in January. Some are constructing homes that are much less likely to burn when the next wildfire hits." "Still, thousands of other homeowners in the urban center of Altadena are about to rebuild without wildfire-resistant materials, because they live outside a state-designated wildfire zone."
Source: NPR, 03/31/2025
Plastics Seeping Into Fields, Food And Human Bodies. Can They Be Stopped?
"In Uganda’s Mbale district, famous for its production of arabica coffee, a plague of plastic bags locally known as buveera is creeping beyond the city."
Source: AP, 03/31/2025
Trump Fires Green TVA Board Member Without Publicly Providing a Reason
"Michelle Moore was widely seen as the most progressive member of the body, which oversees the nation’s largest public power company."
Source: Inside Climate News, 03/31/2025
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