The Society of Environmental Journalists objects to recent decisions at the New York Times that signal a waning commitment to leadership on environmental coverage. We find it spectacularly shortsighted for media companies to cut staff positions and space for environmental journalism at such a pivotal time for public understanding of serious environmental issues.
"At 5pm on Friday afternoon, The New York Times posted the following announcement: 'The Times is discontinuing the Green blog, which was created to track environmental and energy news and to foster lively discussion of developments in both areas. This change will allow us to direct production resources to other online projects. But we will forge ahead with our aggressive reporting on environmental and energy topics, including climate change, land use, threatened ecosystems, government policy, the fossil fuel industries, the growing renewables sector and consumer choices.'"
James Bruggers has worked for more than 30 years as a reporter in Montana, Alaska, Washington, California and Kentucky, covering coal, energy, air quality, water quality, and local and state government environmental agencies, as well as some general assignment. For about 20 years, James has been an active SEJ member, including serving as the SEJ president who helped spearhead SEJ's awards, endowment and Freedom of Information programs. He has not missed an Annual Conference since 1994. He is on staff at The (Louisville) Courier-Journal, Kentucky's largest news organization, and has written a daily blog, Watchdog Earth, since 2006.
"A team of state scientists has outlined serious concerns about the damage South Carolina will suffer from climate change – threats that include invading eels, dying salt marshes, flooded homes and increased diseases in the state’s wildlife."
"Environmental advocates and representatives from the oil-and-gas industry are flocking to the White House following the submission of a draft rule that would govern the controversial practice of hydraulic fracturing on public lands."
Exposes by the Guardian and Center for Public Integrity have unravelled parts of a dark network which launders the millions flowing from fossil-fuel interests like the Koch brothers to climate change denial and disinformation outlets. It was documents obtained by scientist Peter Gleick, whose undercover tactics brought criticism from some journalists, that helped bring the story to light.
"Anonymous billionaires donated $120m to more than 100 anti-climate groups working to discredit climate change science."
"A U.S. District Court in Denver handed down a precedent-setting decision on Wednesday, ruling that the Bureau of Land Management must reveal the names of companies or individuals nominating public land for oil and gas drilling."
Advertisement 
