Award-winning environmental journalist Peter Dykstra has died from pneumonia at the age of 67

Peter Dykstra was a journalist who worked on environmental issues for decades, including time on TV at CNN's Science, Tech and Weather Unit, written publications Environmental Health News (ENH) and The Daily Climate, as well as radio show Living on Earth.

Dykstra, who joined the Society of Environmental Journalists (SEJ) in 1992, died on Wednesday July 31 from respiratory failure linked to pneumonia. He also carried out environmental work with charity Greenpeace and created the organisation’s U.S. media program, after starting work there as a volunteer when he was at university.

His death was announced on Living on Earth by host Steve Curwood, who spoke of a “beloved correspondent”. He said: “We interrupt this broadcast to bring you the late breaking and so sad news that our beloved colleague and friend Peter Dykstra has died at 67 in an Atlanta hospital from respiratory failure linked to pneumonia.

“Almost every week for more than a decade Peter was the puckish bard of concise environmental news and histories, delivered from his home in Atlanta with a twinkle in his eye you could hear on the radio.”

He won multiple awards for his work including an Emmy and a Peabody. As well as winning his own awards, Dykstra was a judge for SEJ's Awards for Reporting on the Environment and also served on the SEJ Board of Directors from 1997 to 1999.

Dykstra was born in 1957 in New Jersey and studied at Boston University. He spent his career making climate change news more mainstream. In a column for EHN, he once wrote: “Since the 1990’s, I’ve had a front row seat for TV news' abject failure in covering climate change”, speaking about his passion to change that.

In 2017, he became paralyzed in the lower half of his body as a result of an infection in his spine. Dykstra lost his ability to walk and spent the rest of his life in a wheelchair. He required around the clock help in his home but, in his words, he became “hell on wheels”, according to his colleague and friend from The Daily Climate, Brian Bienkowski.

He continued to work from his home right up until his death, contributing to radio programmes and writing columns.

Many tributes have been paid to him from people across the industry. "Peter also had perhaps the best environmental, end-of-the-world, dark humor of anyone I've ever known. I will surely miss that,” said Jay Letto, SEJ Annual Conference Director.

Tim Wheeler, from the Bay Journal, said: “What heartbreaking news. The Earth has lost one of its best friends. But what a legacy he leaves. Peter's fearless journalism, and his tenacity, bravery and sense of humour in the face of adversity were inspirations to me and countless others."

Bienkowski said: “The world was a better place with Peter’s voice in it. He spent a career on the most serious of topics - the health of our planet - and never let it break him. He went from a volunteer to a newsroom leader, but never lost the ability to poke fun at himself.”