No. 52, Nov. 1, 2018

Hello Revelator readers,

In a shocking move, China this week legalized use of tiger body parts and rhino horns in medical treatments — despite the fact that these "products" have no known medicinal benefits. Many conservation experts fear this limited legal market for farm-raised animals will create additional poaching pressure on wild populations and possibly push these already endangered species into extinction.

In Hawaii an endangered bird is facing a different kind of pressure. The Trump administration this week announced plans to possibly remove the Hawaiian hawk (also known as the 'io) from the protection of the Endangered Species Act. Bizarrely, this all stems from a decades-old petition by a now defunct anti-environmental group. That organization may be gone, but their effort to delist the Hawaiian hawk continues to rise from the grave.

Here's something more fun: goats. A new science project needs your help to find out how climate change could affect mountain goats. The project aims to compare new and historic photos to discover when the animals shed their heavy winter fur and if they can adapt to the predicted changing dates of spring and summer. Read all about the Mountain Goat Molt Project and learn how this type of research could benefit a wide range of species.

Ever heard of a plant midwife? These important women help preserve rare species, and in the process they help improve the health of indigenous communities.

Finally this week, drought can lead to anger and even violence. Climate change will make things worse. One new kind of cop is on the beat to address these issues. Read about Colorado's drought detective.

In case you missed it:

The environment is on the ballot for next week's midterm election. Find out about some key ballot initiatives around the country.

What should we cover next?

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

Coming up:

Come back to The Revelator tomorrow for our picks of the best environmental books being published in November. Beyond that, we've got a lot of great stories and essays in the works, including some surprising new research about tigers and the people who live near them.

We'll have a fresh batch of links in next week's newsletter, or follow us on Twitter and Facebook for the latest headlines as they go live. And while you're on social media, we hope you'll share our stories with your friends.

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