Lisa Song
I report on the EPA and related agencies that oversee the environment, climate change and science.
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What I Cover
I cover how environmental regulations (or the lack thereof) affect communities, human health and the natural world.
My Background
I joined ProPublica in 2017 to cover environmental health and the fossil fuel industry. I’ve written about false solutions related to plastic recycling, carbon credits and biodiversity offsets. I’ve chronicled conflicts of interest in scientific research and regulators’ inability to curb major polluters. I’m currently focused on how the Trump administration is changing environmental protections. My reporting has led to regulatory change and has been cited in lawsuits.
Prior to ProPublica, I worked at Inside Climate News, where I was part of the reporting team that revealed Exxon’s shift from conducting global warming research to supporting climate denial. I co-wrote “The Dilbit Disaster,” which won a Pulitzer Prize for national reporting. I have degrees in earth science and science writing from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
The Climate Solution Actually Adding Millions of Tons of CO2 Into the Atmosphere
New research shows that California’s climate policy created up to 39 million carbon credits that aren’t achieving real carbon savings. But companies can buy these forest offsets to justify polluting more anyway.
Tracking the Trump Administration’s “Midnight Regulations”
The administration is rushing to implement dozens of policy changes in its final days. We’re following some of the most consequential and controversial.
Rapid Testing Is Less Accurate Than the Government Wants to Admit
Rapid antigen testing is a mess. The federal government pushed it out without a plan, and then spent weeks denying problems with false positives.
The EPA Refuses to Reduce Pollutants Linked to Coronavirus Deaths
Particulate matter kills people. That was true before the pandemic, and new research has tied it to coronavirus deaths. But the EPA is ignoring scientists who say stricter particulate matter limits could prevent tens of thousands of early deaths.
Politicians and Business Interests Pushed Health Officials Aside to Control Reopening. Then Cases Exploded.
Interviews and internal emails show that Utah prioritized the health of businesses over keeping coronavirus case counts down. As case counts rise, the state will now allow indoor gatherings of up to 3,000 people.
Millions of Homeowners Who Need Flood Insurance Don’t Know It — Thanks to FEMA
It is FEMA’s job to warn homeowners about major flood risks, but its approach is notoriously limited. In Cook County alone, researchers found about six times as many properties in danger as FEMA estimated. Look up your address with a new tool.
Tear Gas Is Way More Dangerous Than Police Let On — Especially During the Coronavirus Pandemic
In the middle of a respiratory pandemic, law enforcement agencies have used tear gas in especially dangerous ways.
The Financial Catastrophe That Coronavirus Brought to Small Towns
The federal government has abandoned America’s small towns as the coronavirus depletes their budgets. It’s flood season and local leaders have no idea how to help residents through natural disasters.
A Trump Official Tried to Fast-Track Funding for His Friend’s Unproven COVID-19 “Treatment,” Whistleblower Says
Whistleblowing virologist Rick Bright says that his Trump-appointed boss tried to fast-track funding for a friend’s coronavirus treatment, and that he was reassigned for insisting that funding be reserved for “safe and scientifically vetted solutions.”
Grieving Families Need Help Paying for COVID-19 Burials, but Trump Hasn’t Released the Money
FEMA has helped pay for the burials of victims of past disasters. But months into the coronavirus pandemic, the Trump administration has sat on similar requests. Families of COVID-19 victims have been forced to turn to religious centers and GoFundMe.