SEJ's Fund for Environmental Journalism Awards $46,516 in New Rapid Response Grants

December 1, 2020 — The Society of Environmental Journalists' Fund for Environmental Journalism has awarded an additional $46,516 for 13 new story projects selected via its Rapid Response story project grants on climate change, conservation and environmental health in North America. This round brings the total amount of Rapid Response Grants to a total of $164,876 for 46 projects.

To date, SEJ's Rapid Response Grants have:

• Funded Journalists: 72 professional journalists, photographers and editors will receive stipends of up to $2,000 each.
• Increased Representation: More than 60% of the funds have been awarded to story projects focused on under-represented communities or diverse perspectives on environmental issues.
• Supported Local Stories: More than two-thirds of the story projects focus on a local or regional issue, ranging from Mississippi's floodplains to Gambia's coasts.

See the grantees for 2020 Round 1 and Round 2.

The recipients of the Fund for Environmental Journalism Rapid Response grants (Round 3) are:

 

Oscar Perry Abello (left), Jared Brey (center) and Chad Small (right) for "Beyond a Green New Deal; Scale Up These Solutions," a series examining small-scale programs already in place that follow "Green New Deal" principles of sustainability while creating jobs.

FEJ-funded project:

• "Biden Executive Orders Pledge Carbon Reductions. Some Cities Have a Head Start," Next City, February 19, 2021, by Jared Brey.
• "How Vermont’s Energy Efficiency Utility Is Helping Businesses Sweat the Small Stuff," Next City, February 23, 2021, by Chad Small.
• "'Green Infrastructure' for Clean Water Shows Its Worth in Washington, D.C.," Next City, September 2, 2021, by Oscar Perry Abello.
• "Can Urban Food Incubators Accelerate Adoption of Plant-Based Diets?" Next City, September 24, 2021, by Jared Brey.
• "How Chicago's Poop Becomes Amazing Fertilizer," Next City, October 1, 2021, by Chad Small.
• "Jump-Starting the Green New Deal" (e-book)

 

Deborah Bloom (left) and Chuck Thompson (right), with Charles Coxe, Eli Francovich and Steven Hawley, for "Dams, Salmon, Power: Is It Time To Breach the Snake River Dams?" The most pressing environmental issue facing residents of the Columbia River Basin is whether or not to breach four dams on the lower Snake River, which have decimated salmon, directly contributed to declining killer whale populations and ravaged an entire ecosystem. Though a coalition of U.S. government agencies concluded in a 2020 EIS that keeping the dams intact is the best course of action, changing economic and political realities have breathed new life into a broadly supported effort to breach the dams and restore a historic watershed. (Columbia Insight)

FEJ-funded project:

• "No Surrender: Coalition To Sue Feds Over Snake River Dams ... Again," October 29, 2020, by Chuck Thompson.
• "Video: This 13-Year-Old Environmentalist Will Amaze You," November 12, 2020, by Deborah Bloom.
• "Breach On! Idaho Rep. Simpson Calls for Removal of Snake River Dams," February 8, 2021, by Chuck Thompson.
• "'The Stars Are Aligned': Rep. Mike Simpson Breaks Down Plan To Breach Snake River Dams," February 25, 2021, by Charles Coxe.
• "Electric Cars and Dams: An Uncomfortable Connection," March 11, 2021, by Charles Coxe.
• "Opinion: Qanon Finds Its Way to the Snake River," April 8, 2021, by Chuck Thompson.
• "Hydro-Fade: Pac NW Power Production Is in Dramatic Flux," June 17, 2021, by Steven Hawley.
• "As Salmon Cook in Rivers, Pressure on Biden Mounts," July 29, 2021, by Eli Francovich.

Related Columbia Insight coverage:

• "Q&A With Architect of Proposal To Breach Lower Snake River Dams: 'I'm Conservative, and I Also Value Conservation'," February 25, 2021, by Charles Coxe.

 

Frank Carini, Joanna Detz, Tim Faulkner and Grace Kelly (clockwise, from top left) for "Shifting Sands: Rhode Island's Shrinking Coastline." The series will embody the politics and data of climate change in the first-hand observations and lived experiences of those deeply familiar with Rhode Island’s storied shoreline. The multi-part series will paint the most up-to-date picture for those with an inkling of what is happening to their little piece of paradise, from surfers and businesses to fishermen and homeowners, with substantiation from local scientists focused on specific areas of expertise.

FEJ-funded project:

• "Shifting Sands: The Reshaping of Rhode Island’s Iconic Coastline": This 33-story ecoRI News series ran May 3, 2021-September 27, 2021. The individual stories are listed below.
• "Six Prominent Women Guide Response to R.I.'s Coastal Changes," May 3, 2021.
• "Nuisance Flooding More Than a Hassle for Touristy Watch Hill," May 3, 2021.
• "Left Undeveloped for Eight Decades, Napatree Point Rolls With the Tides," May 3, 2021.
• "Mother Nature, Humans Do Battle Along R.I.'s Battered Coast," May 3, 2021.
• "South Kingstown Has Long History With Encroaching Waters," May 10, 2021.
• "South County Confronts Long-Standing Coastal Challenges," May 10, 2021.
• "Matunuck Village One Big Storm Away From Substantial Destruction," May 10, 2021.
• "Rising Seas, Coastal Development Endanger Indigenous Culture," May 17, 2021.
• "No Trespassing: Coastal Land Taken From Indigenous People Walled Off With Signs, Fences and Chains," May 17, 2021.
• "Climate Change, Private Interests Erode Public Access to Shore," May 24, 2021.
• "Drive for Beach Parking Fees Hampers Equitable Access to Shore," May 24, 2021.
• "Friends Rally To Revive Coastal Pond Besieged by Pollution," May 31, 2021.
• "South County Coastline Fades Away As Carbon Emissions Pile Up," May 31, 2021.
• "Narragansett's Vital Beach Life Feels Push of Climate Change," June 7, 2021.
• "Stormwater Runoff Takes Bite Out of R.I.’s Vulnerable Coastline," June 14, 2021.
• "Salt Water Intrudes on Household Wells and Septic Systems," June 14, 2021.
• "Group of Friends Track Block Island’s Crumbling Shoreline," June 21, 2021.
• "Common Good Preached To Help Protect Vulnerable Waterfront Neighborhood in Portsmouth," June 28, 2021.
• "East Providence Erosion Project Brings Shoreline to Life," July 5, 2021.
• "Lifelong Warren Resident Captures Palmer River’s Wildness," July 12, 2021.
• "As High Tides Swell, Warren Officials Urge Redevelopment," July 12, 2021.
• "Push Made To Make Public Street a Coastal Right of Way Again," July 19, 2021.
• "Ocean State Confronts Environmental Justice Along Its Coast," July 19, 2021.
• "R.I. Beach Health Responds to Better Stormwater Management," July 19, 2021.
• "Plastic Embeds Itself Along Ocean State’s Renowned Coastline," July 26, 2021.
• "Rhode Island’s Warming Marine Waters Force Iconic Species Out, Disrupt Catch Limits and Change Ecosystem Services," August 2, 2021.
• "Fishermen’s Tales Illustrate R.I.’s Changing Seaside Landscape," August 2, 2021.
• "Coastal Megaprojects Past and Present Show Mitigation Challenges of Climate Crisis," August 9, 2021.
• "Worst-Case Scenario: Big Storm Could Unleash Problems on Port of Providence Area," August 9, 2021.
• "Providence’s Knowledge District Slow To Grasp Reality of Rising Waters," August 9, 2021.
• "Rhode Island's Largest Wastewater Treatment Facility Keenly Aware of Climate Crisis," August 16, 2021.
• "Ocean State's Chief Resiliency Officer Has a Climate Plan," August 16, 2021.
• "Priceless Space Where Land Meets Sea Is Slowly Drowning," August 21, 2021.
• "Aquaculture Farmers and Recreational Users Tussle for Space Along Rhode Island’s Crowded Coastline," August 21, 2021.
• "Pound for Pound, Rose Island Narragansett Bay's Toughest Place," August 29, 2021.
• "Beachgoers Confused by What Constitutes Healthy Shoreline," September 5, 2021.
• "When the Sea Comes to Claim the Past: Climate Change and Coastal Archaeology," September 12, 2021.
• "Narragansett Bay Mapping Project Details Big Picture of Region’s Health and Equity," September 20, 2021.
• "For Many on Coast, Climate Crisis Means Rising Insurance Rates," September 27, 2021.

 

Angela Chen for "The Slow Poisoning of the Salton Sea," a multi-part digital and television broadcast focusing on the glamorous history and adventurous lore of the Salton Sea while exploring why the largest lake in California has deteriorated into a looming ecological disaster.

FEJ-funded project:

• "Troubled Waters: The Salton Sea Project, Part 1 – Paradise Lost," KESQ News Channel 3 (Thousand Palms, Calif.), May 5, 2021.
• "Troubled Waters: The Salton Sea Project Part 2 – Toxic Exposure," KESQ News Channel 3 (Thousand Palms, Calif.), May 12, 2021.
• "Troubled Waters: The Salton Sea Project Part 3 – A Lake Languished," KESQ News Channel 3 (Thousand Palms, Calif.), May 19, 2021.
• "Troubled Waters: The Salton Sea Project Part 4 – Salton Sea Plea," KESQ News Channel 3 (Thousand Palms, Calif.), May 27, 2021.
• "Troubled Waters: Extended Interview with the Imperial Irrigation District," KESQ News Channel 3 (Thousand Palms, Calif.), May 26, 2021.
• "Troubled Waters: Extended Interview with Congressman Raul Ruiz," KESQ News Channel 3 (Thousand Palms, Calif.), May 26, 2021.
• "Troubled Waters: Extended Interview with Assemblymember Eduardo Garcia," KESQ News Channel 3 (Thousand Palms, Calif.), May 26, 2021.
• More on The Salton Sea Project.
• "News Channel 3 Awarded Regional Edward R. Murrow Award for Salton Sea Series,"  KESQ News Channel 3, May 13, 2022.

 

Audrey Gray for "The Radical Case for Growing Huge Swaths of Bamboo in North America." As the world steadily blows its carbon budget, some scientists and environmentalists believe that fast-growing, carbon-thirsty groves of bamboo could provide a substantial, just-in-time sink. This multimedia story takes readers on a cross-country trip to meet the quirky, committed cultivators attempting to make bamboo farming a viable industry in the United States and a ready-to-go carbon sequestration play at a moment when every play counts.

FEJ-funded project:

• "The Radical Case for Growing Huge Swaths of Bamboo in North America," Inside Climate News, January 11, 2021.

 

Diana Kruzman for "From Thirsty Fields to Far-Off Tables: How Foreign Purchases of U.S. Farmland Drain the West’s Scarce Water." In multiple states in the Colorado Basin, foreign companies have purchased U.S. farmland to grow water-intensive crops that are then shipped back to their countries of origin, taking advantage of lax regulation to essentially export this scarce resource. This project will report on how foreign purchases of agricultural land have affected water resources in the Western U.S, as well as local and national legislative and grassroots efforts to outlaw land purchases by foreign companies, as the Colorado River faces existential threats from climate change and enters its 21st year of severe drought.

FEJ-funded project:

• "U.S. Southwest, Already Parched, Sees 'Virtual Water' Drain Abroad," Undark, May 31, 2021.

 

Cheryl Nelson for "The Impacts of Climate Change on Coastal New England Whales." Climate change is affecting fin, humpback and right whales in the waters off the coast of New England. The rapid warming of Earth is causing a loss of habitat to these whales, diminishing their prey species, affecting whale migration and even their ability to reproduce. This is crucial — especially for the right whale species — because there are only about 400 right whales left in the world.

FEJ-funded project:

• "Part 1: The Impacts of Climate Change on Coastal New England Whales," November 26, 2021.
• "Part 2: The Impacts of Climate Change on Coastal New England Whales," November 26, 2021.

 

Sharon Oosthoek for "Climate Change Comes to Superior." The deepest and coldest of the Great Lakes, Superior was once thought immune to algae blooms. Today, it is one of the fastest warming lakes in the world and has seen a series of escalating toxic blooms in the past decade. Canadian freelance journalist Sharon Oosthoek, working with Detroit Public Television's Great Lakes Now, takes a deep dive into why this is happening now, what is at stake and what, if anything, can be done to mitigate the effects.

FEJ-funded project:

• "Lake Superior Winter: Researchers Belatedly Turn Their Eyes to the Impact of Warming Winters," Great Lakes Now, March 10, 2021.
• "Lake Superior Summer: Blue-Green Algal Blooms Come to a Lake Once Believed Immune," Great Lakes Now, August 24, 2021.
• "Birds, Blooms and Being Back," Great Lakes Now,  (Facebook Watch Party), August 31, 2021.
• "Superior Blooms," Great Lakes Now, September 16, 2021 (TV segment).
• "Episode 1028 Lesson Plans: Algal Blooms on Lake Superior," Great Lakes Now educational materials, February 20, 2022.
• This project won multiple awards in the Society of Professional Journalists – Detroit Chapter’s 2022 Excellence in Journalism awards competition.

 

Tom Perkins for "Measuring the True Level of PFAS in Michigan’s Drinking Water." This project will test water samples using a total fluorine analysis method and compare findings to regulators’ tests using the EPA 537.1 method. The difference in the results will likely show that regulators are undercounting the amount of PFAS in drinking water.

FEJ-funded project:

• "Revealed: US Water Likely Contains More 'Forever Chemicals' Than EPA Tests Show," The Guardian, July 6, 2022.

 

Leila Philip for "Beaverland: The Story of How a Weird Rodent Made America," an immersive ecological and historical investigation of the beaver that traces the critical ways it has shaped everything from American imperialism and wealth to the current debates surrounding the environmental crisis, the rural-urban divide and some of our most elemental ideas of what it means to be American.

SEJ-funded project:

• "Beaverland: How One Weird Rodent Made America," Twelve Books, December 2022.

 

Britany Robinson for "The Small Town Activists Fighting Natural Gas for Over a Decade." Coos Bay, Oregon is home to the site of a proposed $10 billion natural gas terminal and pipeline project. If completed, Jordan Cove Energy Project would be the largest carbon emitter in the state. This piece will examine how activists have fought the project for over a decade and the toll that effort has taken on the town.

FEJ-funded project:

• "A Small Town’s 15-Year Fight Against Natural Gas," Fenix, January 11, 2021. (Note: You don't have to subscribe to read this story. Simply create an account to receive free credit for one article.)

 

Lucy Sherriff for "The Unlikely Saviors of the American West." California, Oregon, Colorado...the list of states waging a yearly war on wildfires is endless, eating up billions of dollars and countless human lives, as Western fire management practices have failed. For centuries, however, indigenous communities have used beavers in land management practices, while an increasing number of scientists are promoting the beaver as a wildlife mitigator. This is the story of how the beaver could save the American West from wildfire.

FEJ-funded project:

• "Beaver Believers: Native Americans Promote Resurgence of 'Nature's Engineers'," The Guardian, February 23, 2021.
• "Bringing Beavers Back to the Beaver State," Underscore, April 20, 2021.
• "Beavers Are Firefighters Who Work for Free," Sierra Magazine, May 4, 2021.

 

Jimmy Thomson for "How Much Salmon Do the Bears Need?" Ecotourism is thriving on British Columbia’s central coast, home to grizzly bears and iconic spirit bears. But what is the effect of all that attention on the bears themselves? The pandemic has provided a unique natural experiment to help researchers figure that out.

FEJ-funded project:

• "Salt Spring Island's Duelling Crises," Capital Daily, August 3, 2021.

 

Ian Urbina for "The Outlaw Ocean Project: The Smell of Money," a story focusing on the tiny nation of Gambia, which like many of its West African neighbors, has embraced the lucrative production of fishmeal, used around the world in the inland farming of fish. But this industry, widely hailed by conservationists as the best hope for slowing ocean depletion, is polluting Gambian waters, decimating its fish stocks and threatening the lives of its own citizens.

FEJ-funded project:

• "Fish Farming Is Feeding the Globe. What's the Cost for Locals?" The New Yorker, March 1, 2021 (print version).
• "The Smell of Money," The Outlaw Ocean Project, with links to the story in multiple outlets and languages, as well as audio of the story.
• "How Fish-Meal Production Is Destroying Gambia’s Waters" (mini-documentary)

 

 

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For the last 10 years, SEJ's Fund for Environmental Journalism has helped foundation partners and individual donors support journalism projects that are editorially independent and independently juried. Support for the Rapid Response grants comes from The Hewlett Foundation, The Bullitt Foundation, Walton Family Foundation and other foundation and individual donors to the Fund for Environmental Journalism.