No. 161, Dec. 3, 2020

Hello Revelator readers,

When you think of Alabama, the first thing that comes to mind may not be biodiversity. But the state actually has more aquatic species than any other — and a rich collection of plants, too. It also happens to have the least funding for environmental protection. That means that "America's Amazon," as it's been dubbed, is at risk of disappearing before we even know what's there.

Plastic pollution may be a global problem, but the United States is responsible for more plastic waste than another country. That finding is part of a collection of new research that's helping us better understand the scope of the problem and its possible solutions. Here are the five biggest takeaways.

Regulators in Washington state have a chance to stop the world's largest fracked gas-to-methanol refinery. But first they have to reject a dangerous climate theory that could enable similar projects in other states.

From the archives:

One of the most important court cases for the future of conservation will be decided next week in Ecuador. Here's what's at stake.

Subscriber bonus: The Wild 5

Here are five more stories we're watching this week.

1. "Trump Officials Move to Relax Rules on Killing Birds" (The Washington Post)

2. "Every Major Bank Has Now Ruled Out Funding Arctic Drilling" (Earther)

3. "Glyphosate Likely Harms Nearly All Endangered Species" (Chemical & Engineering News)

4. "Once-ignored Promises to Tribes Could Change the Environmental Landscape" (Stateline)

5. "Overlooked and Unloved: How a Global Project Could Unlock the World of Parasites" (The Guardian)

What should we cover next?

Our stories rely on insight from experts, frontline activists and readers around the world — especially these days, when so much damage is being done behind the scenes, out of the public eye. We want to hear from you, so please drop us a line anytime.

Coming up:

We'll look at what we can learn from the original New Deal, back in FDR's time, and what the Biden administration can do to get the EPA back on track.

Look for our latest links in next Thursday's newsletter — or follow us on Twitter and Facebook for headlines as they go live.

As always, thank you for reading. Stay safe.