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Climate Investigations Course: ECOSINT

ECOSINT: Environmental and Climate Open-Source Intelligence

Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT) is now a fixture in many newsrooms and can be applied to a wide range of investigative objectives. However, in many ways it is particularly useful when researching climate and environmental stories.

Searching social media and other online sources for connections between companies, politicians, and business figures is useful in almost any investigative research, but satellite imagery analysis and mapping can be especially useful in understanding land use, deforestation and the impact of extractive industries. It is also hugely important for identifying the impacts of climate-influenced natural disasters. Similarly, shipping and logistics tracking have clear applications when digging into fossil fuel and other industries. OSINT is also an important tool for verification and fact-checking. In a subject area like climate change – which is awash with mis- and dis-information – this practice is crucial.

Through best practice guidance, demonstrations and hands-on exercises, this module introduces participants to a wide range of digital tools and methods that can take environmental and climate investigations to the next level.

 

There is an urgent need for greater public understanding of the looming climate crisis, and journalism has an integral role to play in this.

However, while environmental and climate reporting is crucial, there is an equally critical need for investigative journalism around these topics. While the public needs to know what is happening to our planet, they also need to understand why it is happening.

Why, despite decades of warnings and research into mitigation and solutions, is the situation worsening?

Where are promises and commitments being broken?

What is hindering the process of building new systems to avert the worst of the coming crisis?

And who, ultimately, is profiting from this situation?

This course will help you dig into the people, organisations, governments and companies that can provide you and your audience answers to these questions.

Technical Requirements

This course will need you to have the following software/apps/tools on your computer:

  • Zoom app
  • Camera and audio

Introduction to ECOSINT
Recommended resources to set up or install ahead of the session:

  • X (formerly Twitter) Account
  • Instagram Account
  • Linkedin Account
  • Invid Chrome Browser extension – https://www.invid-project.eu/tools-and-services/invid-verification-plugin/
  • Register with Open Screening https://resources.linkurious.com/openscreening

Satellite Imagery and Mapping
Recommended resources to set up or install ahead of the session:

  • Sentinel Hub EO Browser  (free, web-based & sign in optional) – https://apps.sentinel-hub.com/eo-browser/
  • NASA FIRMS Active Fire Data (free, web-based & sign in not required) – https://firms.modaps.eosdis.nasa.gov/active_fire/
  • Google Spreadsheet download link for Active Fire Data India (May 1-31, 2024). Participants will follow the same process to access data – https://t.ly/DpFSV
  • Global Forest Watch (free, web-based & sign in optional) – https://www.globalforestwatch.org/
  • Google Earth Pro (free & desktop version that requires installation on the PC) – https://www.google.com/earth/about/versions/
  • Google Sheets (free, web-based and requires Gmail sign-in) – https://sheets.new/
  • Google Earth Engine (free, web-based & sign in not required) – https://earthengine.google.com/timelapse/
  • Jimpl (free, web-based & sign in not required) – https://jimpl.com/

This course will be hosted on Zoom. To find out more about how we use Zoom, please check out our Zoom InfoSec page.

 

Course Structure

Exercises and additional resources will be provided to supplement the training between sessions.

Important

Our training is not recorded: if you miss a session, it is lost – you cannot watch a recording of it, nor will you be allowed to attend that session at a later date.

Ready to dive into ECOSINT? Please see the booking form below.

Note that you can get a 20% discount on the total applicable fees by booking the full ‘Climate Investigations Course’ instead here which ‘ECOSINT’ is a part of.

3 June 2025 – Introduction to ECOSINT

10:00–11:30
The first module will deliver an overview of the wide range of open-source tools and methods that can be employed to start or develop your climate investigations. It will cover advanced search and a range of tools for sifting through large amounts of information from online repositories or social media platforms to uncover connections and details. The content will also provide next steps, where to go for inspiration and further resources.

4 June 2025 – Satellite Imagery and Mapping

10:00–11:30
Participants in this module will learn how to access satellite images and geospatial data and use tools to analyse this to monitor environmental changes and visualise those changes over time. Alongside land use change and extractive industry impacts, the content will help to develop participants' skills in analysing, comparing and investigating satellite imagery to understand climate-related events. It will set out the different platforms providing satellite imagery, and assess the different pros and cons of each, including the affordability and levels of detail available. Participants will gain familiarity with integrating multimedia with satellite and remote sensing data to enhance investigative reporting and visual storytelling.

5 June 2025 – Fighting Climate Dis and Misinformation

10:00–11:30
Misinformation and disinformation on climate change are growing and are one of the major obstacles inhibiting or delaying progress in tackling the issue. The objective of this session is to enhance the capacity of participants to counter misleading information around climate change. It provides the means to identify climate mis/disinformation and the techniques being used to distract action on climate change. It also goes through tools from image and footage verification to document analysis and corroboration. Through exercises, participants will use these methods to analyse climate mis/disinformation.

6 June 2025 – Tracking the Oil Trade

10:00–11:30
This module focuses in on one specific area but has relevance for investigating many extractive industries. Through learning techniques to understand and trace oil through the supply chain, participants will gain an understanding of approaches for identifying upstream projects where resources are extracted and how to trace their transportation. The module utilises examples of high-impact investigations in the international press concerning sanctions evasion and the procurement of fuels in war, and shows participants methods for tracking seaborn shipments of oil on tankers — the most popular method for transportation of crude. It also demonstrates how to investigate international trade dynamics in fossil fuels.

Trainer Biographies:

Guy Porter

Guy Porter has a background in digital investigation, data analysis and research for campaign organisations Global Witness, Avaaz and Purpose, and training and development for the Centre for Investigative Journalism (CIJ) and Goldsmiths, University of London.

Arun Karki

Arun Karki is a Nepal-based leading data journalist, trainer and the founder of the Center for Data Journalism Nepal (CDJN). Since 2020, he has spearheaded various data-driven reporting projects, including COVID-19 data reporting and climate investigations, employing open-source intelligence.

Aditi Tandon

Aditi Tandon is a Senior Production Editor at Mongabay India, an environment and conservation news portal. She has worked for over two decades in journalism and communications.

Sam Leon

Sam Leon is co-founder of Data Desk, an investigative consultancy focused on climate and the commodities industry. He previously worked at Global Witness where he ran their digital investigations unit.

Booking Form

  • 3 June 2025 10.00–11.30 BST (UK time)
  • 4 June 2025 10.00–11.30 BST (UK time)
  • 5 June 2025 10.00–11.30 BST (UK time)
  • 6 June 2025 10.00–11.30 BST (UK time)
BST (UK time)
Location: Zoom meeting
Goldsmiths students (full time)*
sold out
£100
Students (full time)*
sold out
£119
Freelancers**
£199
Small Media/Education/NonProfit Organisations (<10 staff)
£330
Large Media/Education/NonProfit Organisations (10+ staff)
£489
Other Organisations
£915

One ticket per person.

In line with our non-profit mission, our pricing operates on a sliding scale, ensuring large organisations pay more to subsidise places for smaller newsrooms, freelancers and students.

*Students places for this course are capped, due to limited capacity. Anyone registering as a student will be asked for a photo/scan of their student ID ahead of the course.

**Employed individuals who cannot have their employers pay for the course are entitled to the freelancer rate. Note that we are a small charity and rely on your honesty so please do not register as a freelancer if your employer is reimbursing you for the course.

We have a strict policy of No Refund and No Transfer of bookings.

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