No. 169, Jan. 28, 2021

Hello Revelator readers,

Monarch butterfly populations have crashed, especially the western migrating population, which according to a count done earlier this month has fallen to below 2,000. To help, many conservationists suggest planting milkweed, and new research suggests how to do that more effectively.

More and more communities face threats from climate change, but emergency managers are often left out of the broader climate conversation. Samantha Montano, a "disasterologist," explains how to close that gap.

The Trump presidency may finally be over, but the damage it did will persist and echo — even as President Biden takes rapid action to repair some of his predecessor's environmental damage. Read my latest editorial.

Now hear this:

I was on Portland's XRAY-FM recently in an interview about the extinction crisis and the species we lost in 2020. It starts at about the 12-minute mark.

Subscriber bonus: The Wild 5

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

1. "Biden Aims for Comprehensive Climate Approach as He Halts New Oil and Gas Leases on Federal Land" (CNN)

2. "Global Ice Loss on Pace to Drive Worst-Case Sea Level Rise" (Inside Climate News)

3. "Bringing Back the 'Most Endangered Bird' in the U.S." (National Geographic)

4. "New U.S. Strategy Would Quickly Free Billions in Climate Funds" (The New York Times)

5. "'A Remarkable Phenomenon': Billions of Cicadas Set to Emerge Across Eastern U.S." (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:

Methane: It's colorless, odorless and a huge contributor to global warming. We'll dig into the Biden administration's methane challenges and what it can do about them.

Also in the forecast: Snow (or lack thereof).

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.