Fantastic resources from environmental experts
#28 It's Earth Month. Here are some resources I have at my fingertips-that you have too.
As a journalist who is known for some environmental reporting, people often ask me where I get my news.
If there is one news outlet I trust, daily, especially when it comes to the environment, it is The Weather Channel. All of the on-air reporters are scientists. They report—from the ground-in Kansas, Nebraska, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, Louisiana, Texas, Oklahoma, etc. Communities and places I care about. Other outlets do good big picture reporting, but day in and day out, directly, TWC has been consistent in places that the mainstream media consistently poo-poos.
But, mostly: I get as much information as I can from people who have first hand experience and know a heckuvalot more about things than I do. And I get as much of that info in the real world as possible.
That access isn’t always easy for folks. So today I am sharing what I have access to with you—because so much of it has been made digital.
In the world of environmental journalism, the event of the year is the Society of Environmental Journalists conference, held last week in Philadelphia. Experts from across the U.S. and around the world came together to share their expertise and to learn together about different issues pertaining to the environment. From carbon capture to wetlands, renewables to agriculture, oceans to FOIA to disinformation, and so, so much more, all were examined and discussed. Read the full agenda here.
SEJ has an abundance of videos, audio recordings, and other media covering the event. You can check most of them out on the SEJ website here, including U.S. EPA Administrator Michael Regan’s keynote and Q&A. (Regan, it seems, is the consummate diplomat, evoking in the present the old Southern ethos of the folksy, good ol’ boy in the white linen suit. His talk is rich on charm, butter, and sugar, and not surprisingly light on protein... but I digress.)
I was on the panel titled Unpacking Rural Reporting: How Can Environmental Journalists More Fairly Represent Rural Communities? At the moment our audio recording isn’t up yet, but that might change by the time you read this, so check the SEJ website under April 5, concurrent sessions, and give a listen if you are interested. The earthquake that was felt from Vermont to Philly shook while I was in the session, and while I did not feel anything, my colleagues in other sessions did.
Thank you to everyone who checked in with me that day. Very much appreciated.
On deck this month I am heading to Cleveland for part two of the Truth, Reckoning, and Right Relationship with the Environment at the Museum of Contemporary Art. If you are interested, you can listen to the excellent environmental truths shared at part one last year at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
Organized by the Community Environmental Legal Defense Fund (CELDF), the voices that spoke that day paint a holistic picture of the Great Lakes Region’s contemporary interactions with the environment that I have ever witnessed in media form. If you’re interested, you can watch the speakers from part one here.
For a young, earnest voice from the agriculture industry, I highly recommend listening to Reed Singer’s testimony.
There are so many good speakers on a wide array of topics related to the environment. Peruse all the videos here. They are the voices of real people, to whom the mic is often not passed. I encourage my colleagues–and all of us–to listen to these voices in real life, too.
These are all phenomenal resources if you are interested in learning more. I encourage you to find the topics you’re interested in via either the SEJ conference media or the CELDF videos. You will find robust information, new perspectives, and perhaps even some more truth than what will be spewed on Earth Day.
+++
Shifting gears a bit, later this month I am co-hosting a workshop with Brian Edwards from Tribal Business News: Mastering the Media: Strategies for Tribes & Tribal Enterprises. If you or someone you know is part of a Tribal group that could benefit from media support, please share with them.
And, my new book Truth & Reconciliation in Practice: Look to Maine for an example of a reckoning that can bring meaningful change is available now in pocket paperback. Order from Amazon or directly by sending me an email valerie[@]valerievandepanne[.]com. A portion of all sales will be given to Wabanaki REACH.
If you’re looking for a 4/20 gift for the aging stoner (or their kids), A Weed Grows in Boston: There’s a secret next door is also available now on Kindle and in pocket paperback. Phillip Smith wrote a lovely review of the book at the Drug War Chronicle. Order from Amazon or directly by sending me an email valerie[@]valerievandepanne[.]com.
Thank you. More TK.
###
Thank you to everyone who has subscribed to this substack and purchased (and reviewed!) my little book A Weed Grows in Boston, or tipped via PayPal, or CashApp, or in other ways shown support! Your support is what is keeping me going. Thank you.