Environmental Studies

Spring Is Coming. How Silent Will It Be?

Bird populations remain in steep decline, mostly due to human activity. But as the latest TipSheet reports, reporting on the disappearance of our avian residents can lead journalists to some bread-and-butter environmental stories: whether about local ecosystems, climate change, chemicals, land disturbance and more. Read on for more, including nearly a dozen-and-a-half story ideas and reporting resources.

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"EPA to Stop Considering Lives Saved When Setting Rules on Air Pollution"

"In a reversal, the agency plans to calculate only the cost to industry when setting pollution limits, and not the monetary value of saving human lives, documents show."

Source: NYTimes, 01/13/2026

"Conservation Groups Say USFWS Cuts Will Put Wildlife At Risk"

"The House passed a final spending bill on January 8 with deep cuts to the Department of the Interior. While the bill holds steady the budget for the National Park Service, it cuts the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s listing budget by 44 percent, bringing it to 2004 levels. The legislation will now head to the Senate where it is expected to pass."

Source: National Parks Traveler, 01/12/2026

"The Icebreaker Reaches the Thwaites Glacier, and the Science Begins"

"After a 12-day crossing, and a hard slog through sea ice, the field work on this Antarctic expedition is ready to start."

"After a 12-day journey across the southern seas, the nearly 40 scientists aboard the icebreaker Araon on Wednesday reached Antarctica’s fastest-melting glacier, the Thwaites. An ambitious campaign to study the ice by air, under sea and with boots on the frozen surface is now underway.

Source: NYTimes, 01/08/2026

"Environmental Health Perspectives Joins The ACS Publications Portfolio"

"The Publications Division of the American Chemical Society (ACS) is proud to announce that Environmental Health Perspectives (EHP) has joined the ACS Publications portfolio. EHP is a globally respected journal with a legacy as a premier source for research findings at the intersection of the environment and human health."

Source: ACS, 01/08/2026

"SPEED Act Passes in House Despite Changes That Threaten Clean Power"

"The Standardizing Permitting and Expediting Economic Development Act, or SPEED Act, overcame opposition from environmentalists and many Democrats who oppose the bill’s sweeping changes to a bedrock environmental law."

Source: Inside Climate News, 12/19/2025

‘No Significant Impact’: The Secret NPS Review Of Trump’s Ballroom Plans

"The National Park Service gave President Donald Trump the go-ahead to tear down the White House’s East Wing earlier this year after a streamlined environmental review concluded the negative effects of the president’s planned ballroom wouldn’t be too significant and despite the final design remaining a work in progress, new court filings show."

Source: E&E News, 12/18/2025

Denying Trump Climate Report, Study Shows US Sea-Level Rise Is Accelerating

"The rate of sea-level rise along U.S. coastlines has more than doubled over the past 125 years, according to a new analysis that examined data from scores of tide gauges from around the country."

Source: Washington Post, 12/18/2025

Trump Admin Plans to Break Up Premier Weather and Climate Research Center

"The Trump administration said it will be dismantling the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Colorado, one of the world’s leading Earth science research institutions."

Source: NYTimes, 12/18/2025

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