No. 58, Dec. 13, 2018

Hello Revelator readers,

If this is your first newsletter, welcome. More than 1,000 new subscribers have joined us over the past month, and we're super glad to have you all.

Getting to this week's news: Did you know that wolves now live in Denmark for the first time in 200 years? That's exciting, but it's also causing some tensions. Can wolves and people coexist after so many centuries apart?

Here are two things that can't coexist: pristine forests and roads. Too bad Alaska and Utah are now asking the Trump administration for exceptions to the Roadless Area Conservation Rule, which could doom some of America's last wild places.

One of this year's best nature books was Paige Embry's Our Native Bees. We spoke with her about the threats facing America's 4,000 wild bee species — and what people can do to help.

Speaking of ways to help, I recently visited the Green Divas podcast to talk about how people can support endangered species in their local communities. Give it a listen.

In case you missed it:

Earlier this year the Trump administration tried to remove protection from the last wild red wolves — a controversial move that a judge just blocked. Still, the situation for red wolves remains precarious. As we covered earlier this year, captive breeding may be their best hope for survival.

Subscriber bonus: The Wild 5

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

1. The Trump administration announced its new definition of the "waters of the United States" rule, which will dramatically reduce the number of wetlands and waterways protected by the Clean Water Act.

2. In a win for rainforests and orangutans, Norway is poised to become the first country to prevent its biofuels industry from using palm oil linked to deforestation.

3. According to a new report, scientists have found that climate change is making extreme weather even more extreme, and in some cases such events wouldn't even be possible if it weren't for human-caused warming.

4. The Keystone XL pipeline remains on hold after a judge ruled that TransCanada can't conduct any physical pre-construction work while the project's environmental review is ongoing.

5. Llamas are often used to protect flocks of sheep or other livestock, but one day soon they (or more specifically their antibodies) could help protect us against the flu.

What should we cover next?

Drop us a line anytime. We welcome your ideas and inside scoops as we gear up for 2019.

Coming up:

We have some important pieces coming your way over the next few days, including a look at sustainable cities and my editorial about the past year (and the year ahead). We'll also be looking back at our best and most thought-provoking articles and essays of 2018, and looking ahead at the stories that might matter most in 2019.

That's it for this week. As always, thank you for reading.