Now that I’m in school I’m spending less time than I used to reading the news, but I still try to stay on top of energy and environmental news, in particular. Here are my go-to sources for news on energy and environmental policy:
- E&E News – The most widely-read “trade publication” for environment and energy news. A subscription costs thousands of dollars a year and E&E is thus usually only available to Congressional offices, lobbying shops and well-resourced nonprofits. However, Duke is one of a handful of academic institutions with a university-wide subscription, so Duke students can read it for free!
- New York Times – Some fantastic environmental journalists like Lisa Friedman write for NYT. The stories are great in and of themselves and it’s generally important to keep up with how the “paper of record” is covering environmental issues.
- Greentech Media – Coming into grad school, I thought of myself as someone who knew pretty much all the best sources for environmental news because, if anything, I spent TOO much time reading environmental news. Greentech Media was a major news source I’d overlooked but that I’m encountering constantly at the Nic School, in my classes as well as at Duke and through my peers who are avid fans. Greentech Media is focused on finance and is particularly renowned for two podcasts that it hosts: The Energy Gang and The Interchange. Julian Spector, a staff writer at Greentech Media and Duke alum, recently came to visit Duke.
- David Roberts, Vox.com – one of the best “explainer journalists” in the climate game, I’ve honestly read every single post of his for the past few years now. Lots of my foundational interest in and knowledge of topics I’m covering in grad school started with reading his posts on climate economics and policy (like this fantastic post on climate change and discount rates, complete with adorable pictures of otters to break up the walls of texts).
- Brad Plumer, Washington Post- Formerly a colleague of David Roberts at Vox before he moved over to WaPo, he’s a wonk’s wonk. Highly recommended reading.
- RFF Library Blog– Maintained by the think-tank Resources for the Future. If you’re frustrated that a new environmental science or environmental policy study you read about in the news wasn’t linked to in the story you read, wait a day or two and it will show up here.
- Nicholas School News– For keeping up with all the latest events and research coming out of the Nic School.