It’s off to Philly to trade ideas with environmental journalists

Hello and welcome to the AP Climate Watch newsletter. I’m Douglas Glass , an editor for AP’s Climate and Environment team, coming to you this week from Philadelphia, where journalists, educators and industry professionals are gathering for the Society of Environmental Journalists ' (SEJ) annual conference.

I attended my first SEJ conference last year, soon after shifting to the climate beat after many years in general news. It was a great chance to turbocharge my understanding across a lot of areas. That learning never ends, and I’m excited to attend several sessions on areas of critical importance to our planet right now.

That includes an all-day workshop on the energy transition that is well underway and that experts say must continue – away from planet-warming fossil fuels like oil, gas and coal – to avoid consequences far worse than we already see.

At AP, we’ve covered the energy transition from many angles, like the immense challenge of moving governments on the issue. How we weigh the risk of pollution from lithium mines against the need to get people out of gas-powered cars and into electric vehicles. How much room we should give whales as we build offshore wind to replace dirty sources of power. And as we push to electrify as much as we can, can our grids even handle it?

I’m also looking forward to a tour of the Delaware Bayshore, an area of the U.S. dealing with sea level rise, erosion and saltwater intrusion. Sea level rise is often cited as some distant possibility of climate change, but it’s already here .

Another conference panel will dig into carbon capture – the possibility of capturing and storing away carbon right where it occurs, or even vacuuming it out of the air. It’s a bet that most all fossil fuel companies are making to support their overall pledges to cut emissions, but none of it has been done anywhere close to the scale the world would need.

And there will be a session on how to keep readers from turning away from our work. As we report on the often depressing news of climate and environment, this is a risk journalists think about a lot. It’s not enough to do strong work; we need it to be seen. That’s one reason this newsletter exists. If you’re reading it, you care. Think about sharing this with someone who may not be tuning in.

Here’s what else you need to know

?? Heat waves are hotter, they’re moving more slowly and they’re baking people for a longer time over larger areas than they used to

?? The cicada-geddon is coming!

?? In Indonesia, experts say deforestation is leading to more intense climate impacts

? Climate Solutions

A major expansion of charging stations in the U.S. is a necessary step for continued expansion of electric vehicle adoption. However, so far, a major program of the Biden administration has only put chargers in a handful of states .

If you are in the 2024 Skoll World Forum next week in Oxford, don't miss AP's conversation: Building global understanding of climate and beyond: Media, Foundations and Investors Working Together.

Thank you for reading this newsletter. We’ll be back next week. For questions, suggestions or ideas please email [email protected] ?

This newsletter was written by Doug Glass, an editor for climate and environment, and produced by climate engagement manager Natalia Gutiérrez .?

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