SEJ2006

Hook, Line and Singer

2006-11-03T09:32:00-07:00

By A. Adam Glenn

One of the more serendipitous aspects of the network lunch gatherings on Friday, Oct. 27, was the impromptu appearance by Peter Singer at the discussion on "Animal Rights: Where Creatures, Ecosystems, and Societies Collide." Singer, a professor of bioethics at Princeton and at the University of Melbourne, is perhaps the leading thinker in the field of animal rights, so having him at the table was a little like a group of high school science students having a sitdown with Steven Hawking.

Singer had been a panelist on the "Eating as an Environmental Act" session a short while before, during which he mentioned animal rights-related issues relevant to factory farming. That's the subject of his new book, "The Way We Eat." He also talked about an upcoming ballot measure in Arizona that would for the first time ban veal crates, as well as limit the use of restrictive crates for pregnant sows ((PDF of legislative analysis; plus a page on the measure from the Humane Society).

Afterwards I invited Singer to join us at the network lunch, and he agreed. A dozen of us squeezed around the table for a great hour-long talk with him about a wide range of animal rights-related issues, including the ways in which journalists are missing (and getting) the animal rights component of larger environmental stories, and the different ways in which the public responds to stories on factory farm animals versus stories on more human-like higher primates.

Singer also left us with at least one suggestion on how to track developments on the issue: the web site, Dawn Watch, which has has news alerts on animal rights stories on a daily basis.

Hudson River Tour

2006-11-02T18:51:30-07:00

By Matt Hund

Wow, what an amazing tour! This is the tour of "America's First River" I'm speaking of, in which we saw the GE plant responsible for PCB pollution of the Hudson, a large portion of the river (including locks 7 and 8) and Saratoga battlefield. It was so great to hear all of the different sides of this issue.

First up was GE representatives at the water treatment facility on the Hudson. Very good presentation of a plan to fix the river that has apparently been in the works for 25 years or so.

Then across the river to the hydro plant to listen to scientists from the DEC, et. al., discuss the river and local implications.

Next, we headed to Saratoga battlefield...

where a plethora of speakers offered points of view from the NOAA's environmental resuscitation approach to a woman whose home was taken away to turn into a dump site for PCB's.

I personally took the opportunity to speak with a gentleman representing the Sierra Club who was very knowledgeable on local politics and the whole PCB issue.

Oh, and don't forget the entire bus ride full of speakers including a very interesting law discussion, and a speech by two people who covered the PCB issue for newspapers in the past.

Very good tour; hopefully representative of what can be expected of SEJ conferences!

Jim Bruggers, Conference Blogger Extraordinaire

2006-11-01T09:35:14-07:00

As I was doing my post-conference roundup of coverage, I checked back with SEJ board member James Bruggers' Watchdog Earth blog. WOW! So far, I count 14 posts he did from the conference! I'm impressed.

Jim definitely represents one of the most encouraging things I saw at the SEJ conference -- talented, longtime journalists from print or broadcast media who really "get" blogging and other aspects of online, social, participatory, or conversational media. They aren't all actively participating as much as Jim is, but I rarely heard a journalist express the view that blogs and other new forms of media are a threat or inherently sinister. That's major progress.

Click the "continue reading" link below to see a list of Jim's SEJ2006 blog posts.

But first: Here's an open question to you, Jim Bruggers: How did you manage to post so frequently and so well from the conference? Literally, how did you handle this process? I'd love to see your answer in the comments below.

And now, Jim's posts...

Oct. 30: Travel as reality show
Oct. 28: Kentuckians at SEJ
Oct 28: Fuel cells to the rescue?
Oct. 28: Election questions
Oct. 28: Media and Climate Change
Oct. 27: Corporate green
Oct. 27: Cow pie in the sky idea? Maybe not
Oct. 26: Zebra mussels
Oct. 26: Rain Gardens
Oct. 26: Horsing around
Oct. 26: The dessert man
Oct. 26: Former epa official to pro industry group
Oct. 25: The Green State's green economy
Oct. 25: A guilt trip?

More SEJ2006 Coverage

2006-11-01T09:27:08-07:00

Well, I got slammed with a major cold as soon as I got home from Burlington. So I'm gradually catching up with my backlog. First of all, there's been a lot of interesting coverage of SEJ2006 in blogs and elsewhere. Here's a roundup of what I've found so far -- there will be more later, of course.

I'm tagging all this stuff as "SEJ2006" in the social bookmarking service del.icio.us, by the way. If you're a del.icio.us user, you might consider using that same tag to denote any SEJ2006 coverage or reflections you create or find.

Anyway, here's the roundup so far: Climate Science Watch:

Oct. 31: Global warming and the media at the Society of Environmental Journalists conference

more coverage...

Competitive Enterprise Institute:

Oct. 31: And Now a Word From Our Critics
Oct. 27: Panel on Journalists and Global Warming at SEJ 2006 (via Google Video)

Green Goddess Gazette:

Oct. 30: Shushing Speech on Nature?

DeSmogBlog:

Oct. 29: SEJ2006: Speaking Out Against Censorship
Oct. 28: Podcasts from the Society of Environmental Journalists Conference
Oct. 26: Cornering Ford at SEJ2006

Green Media Toolshed:

Oct. 31: Do you need a feed reader?
Oct. 28: Live from SEJ - Tips on how reporters are writing their stories

Knight Science Journalism Tracker:

Oct. 26: Baltimore: Meet the Tracker; Burlington: Tracker creator and backup Tracker

Shelburne Farms Party Time!

2006-11-01T01:25:00-07:00

By Madison Hall

Shelburne Farms Rocks!! The party was terrific, and gave me a chance to meet in a fully social setting many of the people I'd only seen during the conference or read their work. What an amazingly talented crew! This was 500% better than the party in Austin, Texas in 2005.

The Die Hards partied & danced until they kicked us out & locked the doors. Many of us wound up afterwards at Tuckaways (Home Away From Home) and found there was more fun to be had! Add into the equation that the clocks were set back one hour at midnight, and many of us were up until 3am+ (Pizza Time! - they DO deliver to your room at the Sheraton - I know.)

Here, then, are misc. pics that I thought captured the (many) moments & moods of the night. My thanks to all the people who willingly posed for me again and again. You Rule!

Amy Gahran - Intrepid Reporter & Uber Blog Meister (Left)

Danielle Casavant - MSU Knight Center - "Show Me The Money" (Left)

More photos...

Dina Capiello (In Charge) & Madison Hall (Future Antarctic Adventurer) (Left)

Jim Detjen , Hannah Northey, Adam Glenn, Investigative After Hours Work...(Left)

? & Kristin Espeland - Wyoming Public Radio's Smooth Talker "Here's the Traffic Report from Laramie....."(Left)

Ron Steffans & Dan Sullivan Take in the Action (Left)

Dancing the night away at Shelburne Farms (Work It!)

Still Dancing Redux at Shelburne Farms (Sexy!)

?, Dina Capiello & Paul Thacker - The Plot Thickens...(Left)

Jim Detjen, Michael Casey, Hannah Northey - The After Hours Investigation Continues....

They Work Hard For the Money - Shelburne Farms Most Excellent Wait Staff Crew - They waited it out until they locked us out!

PHOTOGRAPHIC CREDITS: All photographs taken by Madison Hall at Shelburne Farms, Vermont

My Humps, My Humps, The Lovely Camel's Humps

2006-10-31T20:50:00-07:00

Along with fellow SEJers, I spent a cold, snowy Thursday at Camel's Hump learning about the continuing problem of acid rain in northeastern forests, or acid snow as the case may be. I had no idea this was an ongoing problem, and several people expressed the same sentiment.

Although I completely wimped out on hiking up the mountain (blame it on my frozen toes and the fact that I'm from Texas), in between times spent warming my toes on the bus I learned that sulfuric acid has become less of a problem, but nitric acid is now a big concern.

And so I had to ask, why do we not have acid rain in Houston, where we have oodles of pollution and lots of forest? The answer...

The answer: limestone soils. If a region has basic soils, it counteracts the acidity of the rain, buffering a gainst the acids.

Respected University of VT professor emeritus Hubert Vogelmann (image to left) spoke about his research, and the state of acid rain... they explained that in Vermont the air pollution comes mainly from other states.

Aquatic Biologist Jim Kellogg with Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation gathered up aquatic critters (benthic macroinvertebrates to be precise) from the creek as the snowflakes fell softly around us. We found some stonefly larvae and a caddisfly case, both indicators of a healthy aquatic ecosystem. However acid rain apparenly does not affect these species as much, which are sensitive to other disturbance. I asked Jim if I could eat the snow, which is after all what it all comes down to. He said as long as it's not yellow (he did not really say the yellow part, I made it up) :). So I did, I took a huge chunk and shoved it into my mouth. Then he says, well it may have high mercury.

I said, would you get mad if I pegged you with a snowball? And I did.

PS If you don't "get" the title you must not like hiphop. :)

Pre-Awards Ceremony Meet & Greet Photos

2006-10-31T02:38:00-07:00

By Madison Hall

Opening night was wonderful, even before the Awards Ceremony began, with new and familiar faces meeting & greeting. Here are some photos I managed to capture of the people & festivities. (My thanks for recent name info [Peter T.- Birds do cry...], and my continued apologies in advance for not knowing all names & faces! Forward the info to me & I will correct any mistakes!)

Madison Hall & Governor James Douglas (Left)

Jim Detjen, Ben Cohen, Madison Hall, Hannah Northey (Left)

More photos....

NWF Compadre ?, Aileo Weinmann & Kristin Johnson (Left)

Jim Detjen & Good Company (Left)

Madison Hall & Perry Beeman (Left)

Knight Center Grad Students & Staff, Michigan State U (Left) (L-R)( Katie, Amal, Andrew, Danielle, Jessica, Matt, Alicia)

Katy Coleman, Perry Beeman, Danielle C. (Left)

SEJ Board Members & UVM Mix It Up!

(L-R) Perry Beeman, UVM's Cheryl Dorschner, UVM President Daniel Mark Fogel, Carolyn Whetzel, Mark Schleifstein (Left)

Lake Champlain & Champ Sightings

2006-10-31T01:10:00-07:00

By Madison Hall

Champ Sightings Unconfirmed...That was the conclusion I was forced to come to after personally keeping a sharp eye out for the elusive but famous denizen (Left) of Lake Champlain. The Truth Is Out There.....

The Lake Champlain: Ecosystem at Risk event was highly interesting and great fun, which is the best combination in my opinion. Tom Henry of The Toledo Blade and Candace Page of The Burlington Free Press kept the tour moving briskly along.

Although the weather was windy, threatening rain and raw, spirits were cheery and a "hale fellow well-met" mood was the order of the day.

Read on for more details and pics of our adventure on the high seas of Lake Champlain........

We started out viewing various methods for slowing down and retaining storm water runoff. Solutions included viewing a suburban home which had been lucky enough to receive an $8,000 "Water Garden," (Left) which appeared on the surface as a simple garden with indigenous plants, while new piping diverted rain water under the garden, where it was allowed to eventually drain underground, instead of flowing quickly into storm drains on streets

This was followed up with quick visits to larger and larger pond-like drainage facilities which had a small wetland appearance, but included sophisticated piping, stone and gravel treatments to slow down and control flooding through streets and storm drains.

After this part of the tour, we were driven to Lake Champlain, where we toured the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum with Executive Director Arthur Cohn, afterwards, taking our lunch aboard the historic schooner "Lois
McClure."

Fortified by food, we gathered next inside the University of Vermont's Rubenstein Ecosystem Science Laboratory (Left) on the lake front, for a lecture by UVM professors William Bowden and Mary Watzin. This included a movie of underwater shipwrecks in Lake Champlain, giving us all a chance to thaw out from the raw and windy conditions outside.

Soon enough, we gathered on the waterfront again, this time boarding the UVM research vessel "Melosira," (Left) captained by Richard Furbush, a UVM Research Facilities Manager and Vessel Captain and his knowledgeable one-man crew, a graduate student at UVM.

The wind was fairly high with choppy waves, as Captain Furbush carefully charted a course beyond the break water barrier and further into Lake Champlain. The boat was fairly filled with our group, and not everyone could actually fit inside the crowded cabin, which offered the only shelter from cold, wet and wind. The rain contined to hold off as steel colored water reflected slate-like clouds glowering overhead.

UVM's Mary Watzin held forth on a variety of environmental topics as we headed out, pointing to many features landside, and describing their impact to Lake Champlain's health.

Later, a claw was sent to the bottom on a winch, dragging back up zebra mussels and fresh water mussels locked together. Next, a large net was dragged, bringing up several small mouth bass, the largest of which had the clear mark of having been recently ravaged by a lamprey eel. Still, it had plenty of fight left in it, and after we'd finished our examination, it was returned to the lake, where it appeared to be none the worse for our careful research.

Mary Watzin (Left) rounded out our tour by observing a water sample under a microscope, which was visible to the group on a large monitor nearby. We observed several life forms moving on the slide, clearly illustrating life in the lake waters at every level.

Captain Furbush generously allowed our group to move in and out of the heated cabin, as he pointed out navigation instruments like a fish finder, electric compass, GPS and other navigational devices. Below decks, you could see a small bunk room and miniscule kitchen. It looked snug and inviting.

Our final lesson was on the geology of a nearby Lake Champlain island (Left), where we were able to view several layers of rock on exposed cliffs. One layer was highly unusual and visible, rising at a significant tilt skyward.

This geological formation, as Watzin pointed out, was the inspiration for an exterior design element on the East side of the UVM Rubenstein building. Later, when I checked the building out, I could see a line of brick work that rose at a similar angle across the surface of the building, mimicking the local Lake Champlain geology. It was wonderful to see and a not-so-subtle reminder of purpose.

I returned to the Sheraton with a renewed appreciation for the many systems, problems and people involved with Lake Champlain water issues. The sheer beauty of the lake inspires and challenges me to continue learning about water issues that impact my own nearby Great Lakes and waterways.

As we were told on the tour, Lake Champlain applied to be considered a sixth Great Lake. When it was officially denied, it was determined by locals that it was still "A pretty darn good lake." And that's just how they plan on keeping it, Champ sightings and all.

Madison Hall, Intrepid Adventurer (Above)

PHOTO CREDITS: All photographs were taken by Madison Hall except for "Champ" photo.

Visualizing Your Story

2006-10-30T21:47:00-07:00

By Jessica A. Knoblauch

Everybody knows that people are engaged in multiple ways, one of which is through visuals. In this super-busy world, journalists must catch the reader's attention even faster than ever before. One of the most efficient ways of doing this is using graphics in your story-telling.

The session I attended, Visualizing Stories: Moving Beyond Words When Covering the Environment, covered all the basics that journalists need to know when using visuals in their stories. Here are some of the highlights...

When using graphs, remember that a good graph is equal to a nut graph. It should illustrate/illuminate the gist of the story (Dina Cappiello)
There are many things that call for a graph. Here are some of them: time lines, data trends over time, comparative data, maps, sequential events, report cards, and any complicated process or concept that could be better explained with an illustration. (Lisa Stiffler)
Remember, good graphics don't happen without good reporting. (Dina Cappiello)
When working with the graphics department, don't just hand over your copy and expect them to come up with a visual for you. Look over the article and pick out what you want to illustrate. This will make the whole process a lot easier. (Lisa Stiffler)
When considering using a graph, imagine yourself as a reader picking up a newspaper. Would the graph that you're thinking of using interest you?
Feeling pretty creative? Try out www.soundslides.com Create your own audio slide show with this program and use it in conjunction with your next article. And the best part? It's FREE!

Endowment progress & more: Peter Thomson, part 3

2006-10-30T10:55:46-07:00

In the final part of our Sunday morning wrapup chat, independent radio producer and SEJ board member Peter Thomson reflects on how SEJ's endowment effort is going, and how the mindset of this nonprofit organization's board is evolving.

More from Peter Thomson: See parts 1, 2

Local climate change & continuing conversations: Peter Thomson, part 2

2006-10-30T10:54:27-07:00

This is my favorite part of the chat I had with SEJ board member and independent radio producer Peter Thomson about SEJ2006. here he discusses what happened in the Friday morning breakfast panel on covering climate change, and how SEJ might extend the conversation that started at that session.

Incidentally, the impromptu hotel lobby session with New Yorker reporter Elizabeth Kolbert that I covered earlier here was part of the overflow of that session.

Behind-the-scenes scrambling at SEJ2006: Peter Thomson, part 1

2006-10-30T10:52:28-07:00

By Amy Gahran

Part one of a great talk I had with SEJ board member and Boston-based independent radio producer Peter Thomson about how remarkable it is that this year's conference in Burlington came together so well.

Peter's also the author of a forthcoming book Blue Crescent, about his trip to Siberia's Lake Baikal, which you can pre-order on Amazon.

More from Peter Thomson: See parts 2, 3

GE Hudson Superfund Story Unfolds

2006-10-30T10:51:19-07:00

By Joe Davis

Richard Bopp, Environmental Geochemist, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute explains (enthusiastically) to SEJ tourgoers (smiling but skeptical) how the porous rock below the now-closed GE Hudson Falls plant acted as a sponge for PCBs which are still seeping into the river. (Click to enlarge)

Pix From GE Hudson Falls Ground Zero

2006-10-30T10:50:00-07:00

By Joe Davis

This photo (click to enlarge) shows a crowd of venturesome and inquiring SEJ conference-goers at the overlook next to the now-closed GE capacitor plant at Hudson Falls, NY.

They are less than 20 feet from the outfall from which much of the PCB contamination that created a Superfund site out of the Hudson entered the river. When the river is a little higher, water spills over the dam at lower right onto the dark-colored rocks beyond the overlook.

Why disappearing info will be making more headlines

2006-10-30T08:55:34-07:00

By Amy Gahran

James Bruggers, environmental reporter for the Louisville Courier-Journal, reflects on how events at this conference show how FOI/information access issues are becoming mainstream fodder for the media. And about time, too!

UPDATE NOV. 1: Despite the hopefulness expressed in this video about Jim's trip back to Louisville, turns out he had a travel nightmare ahead of him...