Public

Texas Braces For More Rain. Death Toll Hits At Least 82 With Dozens Missing

"Rising death toll: At least 82 people have died and dozens are still missing after devastating floods hit central Texas. In Kerr County, the hardest-hit area, at least 40 adults and 28 children have been killed, officials say."

Source: CNN, 07/07/2025

Wildfire Smoke Is Showing Up Everywhere. It Can Be Fatal

Wildfire’s immensely destructive power is not just about what it burns. The smoke from more frequent fires, too, has real potential to harm human health, the new Backgrounder explains, releasing particulate matter, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, sulfur oxides and worse. Learn more about the hazards and historical perspective, along with what journalists should tell their communities can be done.

SEJ Publication Types: 
Visibility: 

Recreation in Polluted Water Can Be Threat to Human Health

A cool swim on a hot day is one of the quintessential pleasures of summer. That is, unless polluted water makes it — and any other aquatic contact — a high-risk activity. It’s an important environmental and public health story for journalists to tell. TipSheet helps review waterborne illnesses to watch for, regulations supposed to protect against them and local story ideas to pursue.

SEJ Publication Types: 
Visibility: 

Photo Essay: Tohono O’odham Families Carry On Sacred Saguaro Fruit Harvest

"The saguaro cactus is the iconic plant of the Arizona borderlands, and in June and early July, its thorn-covered small fruit ripens. For members of the Tohono O’odham Nation, whose ancestors have lived in this hot desert for thousands of years, harvest time for the “bahidaj” is sacred."

Source: AP, 07/03/2025

U.S. Sends Lots of Plastic Trash Overseas. Malaysia Just Said No Thanks.

"On Tuesday, Malaysia, which received more discarded plastic from rich nations than any other developing country last year, effectively banned all shipments of plastic waste from the United States."

Source: NYTimes, 07/03/2025

US Plans To Begin Breeding Billions Of Flies To Fight New World Screwworm

"The U.S. government is preparing to breed billions of flies and dump them out of airplanes over Mexico and southern Texas to fight a flesh-eating maggot. That sounds like the plot of a horror movie, but it is part of the government’s plans for protecting the U.S. from a bug that could devastate its beef industry, decimate wildlife and even kill household pets."

Source: AP, 07/03/2025

"Despite Protests, Elon Musk Secures Air Permit for xAI"

"xAI’s gas turbines get official approval from Memphis, Tennessee, even as civil rights groups prepare to sue over alleged Clean Air Act violations."

Source: WIRED, 07/03/2025

Pages

Subscribe to RSS - Public