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Witnesses at a House Energy Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade and Consumer Protection hearing in February said excessive and unjustified claims of "confidential business information" dampen EPA's efforts to regulate commonly used chemicals.

The guidance was the latest in a series of orders seeking to turn around Bush administration secrecy, although "altering the mind set" might make change more difficult than originally thought.

A new rule signed by EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson restores cuts in how much data communities can get about nearby industrial releases of toxic substances.

Global warming, toxic chemicals and threats to biodiversity were major themes of the best environmental journalism of 2005- 2006, according to judges in the fifth annual contest sponsored by the Society of Environmental Journalists.

 By CHERYL DORSCHNER

Attendees at SEJ's 16th Annual Conference in Burlington, Vt., Oct. 25-29, will have a chance to witness a basic, but littleexplored issue for most environment writers: food.

A number of other issues will be explored, of course. But in Vermont, SEJ conference attendees will be able to grapple with the environmental issues of food.

SEJers will address "Eating as an Environmental Act" in a panel discussion Friday, Oct. 27 from 11:15 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

 

 By MIKE DUNNE 
In one case, it was taking a recurring story one step further.

In two stories, a phone tip prompted the reporters. Another was a big story for a big anniversary – one that would affect every person on the planet.

Editor's note: The following is an excerpt from the interview with NPR's Howard Berkes.

Berkes points to a pile of colorful notebooks on the floor of McPhee's office at Princeton University.

 

 By HOWARD BERKES 
You might think writing comes easy to John McPhee.

He's been at it more than 40 years, after all, producing 27 books, writing for The New Yorker since 1964 and teaching writing at Princeton since 1975. And, oh yes, he has that Pulitzer Prize. All those years and words and accomplishments ought to add up to confidence – even hubris, perhaps – when turning a sea of complex detail, facts and characters into smoothly flowing narrative.

Proposed emission standards in a proposed control area around the US coastline would cut sulfur in fuel by 98 percent, particulate matter emissions by 85 percent, and nitrogen oxide emissions by 80 percent from the current global requirements.

Covering volunteer ID efforts provides both a way to bring the issue to the attention of your audience, and to personalize how the general public can help address the problem.