Winner of the 2018 & 2109 International SEAL Award for Environmental Journalism
“Environmental journalism matters now more than ever,” said Matt Harney, Founder, SEAL Awards. Previous winners have included top journalists from the Guardian, New York Times and Washington Post.
I’m an award-winning journalist and author who has covered international environmental issues for more than 25 years. Currently, the Director Of Green Technology Research at 13D Research & Strategy, a financial and investment newsletter publisher.
My work has been featured in publications around the world including National Geographic, The Guardian (UK), Vice Motherboard, Inter Press Service News Agency (IPS), The Weather Network, The Atlantic, Ensia, Al Jazeera, New Scientist, The Ecologist, Mo Magazine (Brussels), TerraGreen (India), Toronto Star, Maclean’s Magazine, China Dialogue, Earth Island Journal, and The Narwhal.
Author of National Book Award winning Your Water Footprint: The Shocking Facts Behind Our Thirst for Earth’s Most Precious Resource
A co-winner of the 2012 Prince Albert/United Nations Global Prize for Climate Change and Environment Reporting.
Co-founder of the award-winning Climate News Mosaic, a collaboration of independent journalists from around the world covering climate change.
For over a decade I was the international science and environment correspondent for the Rome-headquartered Inter Press Service News Agency (IPS), the world’s 6th largest global news agency.
My IPS articles have been published in over 500 newspapers and magazines all over the world reaching an estimated 200 million readers in up to 20 languages. IPS news is also broadcast by over 1000 radio stations, potentially targeting over 150 million listeners.
I also wrote for IPS affiliate, Tierramerica, located in Montevideo and IPS bureaus in Johannesburg and New Delhi.
UPDATE 2014: 15 minute video from a public forum in Toronto offers an update on current state of the UN climate negotiations and likelihood of success
My work also appears on Reuters AlertNet, TerraViva, Common Dreams, InfoSud, Straightgoods.com and many more news networks.
A professional member of the Society of Environmental Journalists: Fellow, International League of Conservation Writers
Endorsements:
“We need people like you. In tough economic times, where information flow is increasingly channelled and controlled, you perform a simply critical role. Hang in there. You are an admirable role model for the future.”
–– E. Ann Clark, Associate Professor, University of Guelph.
“Stephen Leahy has done a superb job exposing the enormous sums the US government is spending on corporate welfare for big oil.”
–Ross Gelbspan, Pulitzer-prize winning editor and author of The Heat is On
“Stephen has mastered the art of accurately and engagingly conveying complex scientific ideas to a lay audience; the feedback we get on his work tends to be glowing, both from readers and researchers — which is a rare thing.”
— Katherine Stapp, IPS Regional Editor, North America and the Caribbean
Community Supported Environmental Journalism
The old model of journalism and media is broken. A new model is called community supported journalism — people like you and me supporting original, investigative journalism on important and overlooked subjects. Please see my Community Supported Journalism page for how you can help ensure people know about crucial environmental issues and solutions
Books
Your Water Footprint: The Shocking Facts About How Much Water We Use To Make Everyday Products October 2014 Firefly Books, 160 Pages, 125 Unique Infographics – Critically-acclaimed and national book award winning.
Stephen on Walrus TV: “We don’t realize our entire society runs on water. It doesn’t run on oil”
My articles have been collected in two eBooks: Oil Stains in the Boreal Forest: The Environmental Cost of Canada’s Oil Sands 2.0 and Steve’s Hurricane Handbook 2007 . They have also been reprinted in a number of books including:
- Introducing Environment, Oxford University Press
- Current Controversies: Genetic Engineering, Greenhaven Press
- The Contemporary Reader, Pearson Educational Publishing
- Nature’s Fading Chorus, Island Press
Speaker
I am a regular international speaker on water, climate and other environmental issues and have given talks on three continents in the past two years.
- Keynote Speaker Palouse Water Summit 2015, Idaho
- Walrus Talks Water, Halifax and Victoria 2015, Canada
- MuseTalks, Malibu 2015 California
- Expo Zaragoza — World Expo on Water, Zaragoza, Spain
- International Forum on Drought, Sevilla, Spain
- Society of Conservation Biology, International Conference in San Jose, California
See Upcoming Talks for More.
CONTACT STEPHEN
Please fill out the form below – it helps reduce spam and I will get back to you usually within 24 hours
Miscellaneous
See Where’s Stephen for more on where I’m planning to go to cover stories and why it may be of interest.
For information about re-posting, linking or reuse of my articles see FAQ
Stephen Leahy, International Environmental Journalist 
Hi Stephen-
We spoke on the phone several years ago when you were working on research for your story, Greening Stewardship, published in MUSE, about the greening of the museum field. I work at Madison Children Museum, and have your article cited on our website, greenexhibits.org.
Furthermore, if you have written anything else on the subject of green design in the museum field, I would also love to read more.
Much thanks for your great work-
Brenda Baker
Director of Exhibits
Madison Children’s Museum
Madison, WI USA
Hi Steve
Was pleased to read about your work on Janet McNeil’s email, loved browsing your website – Well done!!
Cheers, Gail
Stephen Leahy, if this is your contact, i had a comment on your recent article of Factory Farms/Bird Flu and wanted to share some things with you. Back in the 80’s and 90’s, i directed a small but well known anti-nuclear organization. Through all our work there are two main things i will always remember.. 1) from a retired USDA inspector that lived near poultry production: “Now, Lance, when you’re sitting out on the front porch drinking your ice tea and the flies are dropping dead around you… ya gotta wonder.” and 2) from the school principal at Jay, OK elementary (adjacent to a large poultry facility): “Lance, i’ll tell you… it’s like it’s always the flue season here”.
It seems this problem has been knocking at our door for more than two decades. I guess the density of production has finally affected more than the population adjacent to these facilities.
I seldom communicate with the broader world these days, but i liked your article and work. Best to you.
lance
Hi,
I have recently read several articles that you have written on Sierra Leone. I really think that you’re amazing. All of the questions that I had in my mind regarding the sitution in Sierra Leone or what happens to those “child soldiers” you answered.
I just would like to thank you and the many like you that make us aware of serious issues around the world.
Sincerely,
Saeedah Hamahoullah
Think you to exchange in this shiny day.
Steve,
Good reporting on the mad idea of Lovelock and Ripley, a good balanced story, pro and con. Have you ever heard about a new project, also mad, to plan and design and build (now!) so-called “polar cities” to house possible future survivors of climate change in say, the year 2500 or so? But the planning needs to start now, when there is time and fuel and transport and materials and good weather. Would love to see you cover or even mention polar cities in a future article about more mad ideas that people around the world are working on to save humankind from extinction. Or worse.
Chrs
Danny Bloom
http://climatechange3000.blogspot.com
Dear Stephen,
I am writing on behalf of Island Press, a publishing company based in Washington D.C. that specializes in publishing non-fiction books about environmental issues. We are currently working on a blog project that will meld what existing blogs have to say about various topics. I would like to know if you would be interested in contributing to our forum?
Please visit us at http://www.islandpress.org. You can also find a link here to download our Spring/Summer 2008 catalogue.
Best,
Alex
Hi Stephen. Wow, what a small world this is.
I won’t bore you with specifics but much of my work has revolved around forest issues, namely through organizations such as the FSC. Lately I have begun to blog on places like Myspace to explain how things like biodiesel and soy are actually doing more harm than good vis-a-vis global forests.
While using Google to search some info last night on the collapsing global food supply your name popped up as the #1 return. And I thought, “Hey I know this guy” so I decided to send you this note.
When you have some time I’d like to get together. There are major red alert alarm bells going off right now, but few people seem to be noticing.
does anyone knows if there is any other information about this subject in other languages?
While I only write in English, my IPS articles are translated into up to 20 languages. I have also created Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch, Italian and French versions of this website. Links are on the right panel on the main page. (However, these are difficult to keep up to date because of the amount of time involved)
Hello Steven nice work that you are doing out there. Informing people about the world they are living in is important since its mostly within human nature to be selfish and ignore nature. (I meet you at a Restaurent in Cape Town where I’m a manager and you asked me if there is going to be another one like Nelson Mandela)
Hi Stephen,
First of all let me commend you on the important work you are doing bringing attention to important environmental issues. I’ve come across your name several times reviewing articles regarding mining and human rights/environment…specifically, “Canada Faces Pressure to Promote Sustainable Mining” and “Mining Rights Trampling Human Rights, activists charge”.
A Steeghs: Thanks for your support.
Unfortunately I have never been able to travel to any of these mining sites but the people I interview have been. It would have been better to go myself but that is impractical and IPS/Tierramerica are non-profit media with no funds for travel. Sadly this is also the case for most media these days.
Hi Stephen, I though you might find use in a United Nations Foundation Global Warming debate project on Debatepedia (a pro/con encyclopedia). Here’s a link to the portal page. I’m running the project. If you have any questions, do email me. Best,
http://wiki.idebate.org/index.php/Global_climate_change_debate_portal
Stephen,
Your article on global warming is prominently cited at http://www.global-warming-forecasts.com/2015-climate-change-global-warming-2015.php
Congratulations on your hard work and distinctive journalism.
[…] in climate coverage may not be as dire, or even apparent, in non-English speaking countries. Stephen Leahy, a Toronto-based environmental journalist who writes for the Inter Press Service News Agency (IPS) […]
[…] WHO IS THIS? « Stephen Leahy, International Environmental …Oct 10, 2006 … “Stephen Leahy has done a superb job exposing the enormous sums the US government is spending on corporate welfare for big oil.” … […]
[…] You can find more on Stephen Leahy and his writing at https://stephenleahy.net/about/. […]
Stephan…….why would an educated man like yourself print so much unadulterated garbage about Canada’s oil sands mining? Everything that you have written up to this point is wrong and incorrect. I worked in it for 40 years and I can tell you that everything that you said is untrue. You have no idea what you’re talking about and it seems that the only reason you’re doing this is to go ahead and promote yourself so that you can have a job and make some money. Shame on you for spreading lies for your own benifit.
Everything in the article is based on documented research and interviews. It was vetted by experts. Perhaps you are too close to see the bigger picture.