Joe Wertz is the climate and environment editor at CPR News.

Professional Background: Joe joined CPR in 2020 after working as a senior investigative climate and environment reporter at the Center for Public Integrity. He previously worked as a managing editor and senior reporter at StateImpact Oklahoma, a journalism collaboration of public radio stations in Oklahoma, where he covered environment and energy issues for NPR audiences and other national outlets.

His work includes leading coverage of his home state’s oil- and gas-linked earthquake surge and the state’s plodding regulatory response, Scott Pruitt’s rise and fall at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and national reporting on drilling, renewable energy, agriculture, pollution and climate change. Joe also teaches a university course on data journalism and has worked as an editor and staff reporter at several major newspapers in Oklahoma.

Education: Bachelor’s degree from the University of Central Oklahoma, emphasis on journalism.