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Telling the Stories of the Silent Sentinels

To many, plants are a merely green backdrop, indistinguishable and inconsequential. But, freelancer Karen Mockler says that such “plant blindness” belies an urgent need for our notice. More than a third of the world’s trees and thousands of other plant species face extinction. Their plight — and their many blessings — offer perceptive journalists a wealth of reporting and storytelling opportunities. Mockler on why to write about plants.

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April 23, 2025 to April 26, 2025

#SEJ2025 Annual Conference, Arizona

Join us for SEJ's 34th annual conference, hosted at Arizona State University! The ongoing devastation of wildfires in Los Angeles is a stark reminder of the urgency of this moment for environmental journalism. As extreme weather and natural disasters grow in frequency and magnitude, a shift in the political climate adds another layer of complexity to covering these issues. Now more than ever, our collective mission to uncover and share critical and empirical truths about science, energy, policy, health impacts and equity is vital.

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Trump Wants To Upend Calif. Water Policy. Officials Say It Could Do Harm

"In one of the first acts of his second term, President Trump is seeking to put his stamp on California water policy by directing the federal government to put “people over fish” and send more water from Northern California to the Central Valley’s farms and Southern California cities."

Source: LA Times, 01/24/2025

"With EPA Support, The Corps Is Moving Forward With The Yazoo Pumps"

"The U.S Army Corps of Engineers announced last Friday it’s moving forward with an altered version of the Yazoo Pumps, a flood relief project that the agency has touted for decades. The project now also has the backing of the Environmental Protection Agency, whose veto killed a previous iteration in 2008 because of the pumps’ potential to harm 67,000 acres of valuable wetland habitat."

Source: Mississippi Today, 01/24/2025

"Trump Resurrects ‘God Squad’ To Bend The ESA"

"The committee that decides the fate of endangered species is rarely summoned. But the president’s “energy emergency” could change that."

"The Trump administration is putting its faith in an empowered “God Squad” that might help energy projects maneuver around Endangered Species Act obstacles.

In verse meant to be far-reaching, President Donald Trump’s new executive order designating an “energy emergency” strengthens what the landmark environmental law formally calls the “Endangered Species Act Committee.”

Source: E&E News, 01/24/2025

Health Researchers Alarmed As Trump Pauses Travel, Communications

"Health officials and experts said this week they are reeling after the new Trump administration on Tuesday abruptly halted external communication at the Department of Health and Human Services and its agencies, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institutes of Health."

Source: Washington Post, 01/24/2025

"Elon Musk’s DOGE Sued Minutes After Trump Inauguration"

"A lawsuit claiming billionaire Elon Musk’s “Department of Government Efficiency” violates federal transparency rules was filed within minutes of President Donald Trump’s inauguration Monday, kicking off a legal battle over a key aspect of the incoming administration’s agenda."

Source: Washington Post, 01/24/2025

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