No. 83, June 6, 2019

Hello Revelator readers,

Do we have a right to a safe environment and a livable climate? That's the question at the heart of the Juliana, et al. v. United States lawsuit — better known as "Youth v. Gov." The case moved forward this week, and we have a look at the important legal and constitutional issues.

What's the best way to save sharks from overfishing? As shark scientist David Shiffman discusses this week, protected areas can benefit sharks and other oceanic species — but only if they're properly established. Find out what works and what doesn't.

Looking for some inspiration? This month brings 15 great new books from Greta Thunberg, Robert Macfarlane, the activists behind Extinction Rebellion, and other conservation experts. Check out our picks for June's best environmental reads.

Finally this week: A new tool may protect birds from wind turbines using artificial intelligence.

Subscriber bonus: The Wild 5

Let's go a little deeper. Here are five stories we're watching this week.

1. A new report finds that the Trump administration has launched the largest rollback of protected public lands in the country's history.

2. A sharp increase in deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon in May has sparked concern it could be a record-breaking year under the industry-friendly new president Jair Bolsonaro.

3. Having trouble keeping track of the crowded field of Democratic presidential contenders? Here's a handy guide to where they stand on climate-related issues.

4. The number of Southern Resident killer whales got a bump with the birth of a new calf to the J pod. It's the second new addition this year for the endangered population of 76, which hadn't seen a successful birth for three years.

5. Now this is buzzworthy: Minnesota lawmakers passed a one-year $900,000 plan to pay homeowners to replace their lawns with bee-friendly plants.

In case you missed it:

Did you know that birds can help us reduce our use of toxic pesticides? Learn more from "Raptors to the Rescue."

What should we cover next?

Drop us a line anytime. We welcome your ideas and inside scoops.

Coming up:

We have some amazing new articles and essays coming your way in the next few weeks, including (sadly) more extinction news, a look at how social media fuels the illegal pet trade, a new idea to protect jaguars, and a look at how noise pollution affects certain marine life.

Look for our links in next week's newsletter — or follow us on Twitter and Facebook for the headlines as they go live. We share other interesting news there, too!

As always, thank you for reading.