Saving a Critical Environmental Law

This week's investigative reporting, analysis and environmental news.
The Revelator
Tongass National Forest

No. 122, March 5, 2020

Hello Revelator readers,

The Trump administration is proposing to gut the National Environmental Policy Act, a move that would boost industry and silence communities. With just days left to submit public comments on the changes, we explore what the law does and why it matters.  

Noise pollution can harm some species, but so can silence. Meet the scientists using "social recordings" of wildlife to spur conservation efforts.

Can we stop trouble before it starts? A new online resource combines economic and environmental data to help predict (and, its developers hope, prevent) deadly conflict and mass migration.

It's not easy being an environmental journalist these days. But Meera Subramanian, president of the Society of Environmental Journalists, explains why good environmental journalism is needed now more than ever.

Subscriber bonus: The Wild 5

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

1. The White House overrode the findings of its own EPA scientists, who found that the toxic chemical trichloroethylene (TCE) damages fetal hearts.

2. Efforts to contain the new coronavirus have caused a steep drop in carbon emissions and other pollutants in China and are diminishing global energy demand.

3. A U.S. district judge invalidated the Lake Erie Bill of Rights passed by Ohio voters last year, which was modeled after other "rights of nature" efforts.

4. As populations of three of Hawaii's endangered honeycreepers decline, scientists have found that the birds' songs are becoming more similar and less complex — which could further threaten their survival.

5. The city of Los Angeles is studying the feasibility of transforming a shuttered Navajo Nation coal plant into a renewable energy hub, with wind, solar and hydro.

In case you missed it:

The world's ocean waters are warming dangerously. Here are five things you should know about what scientists have discovered and what they hope to learn.

What should we cover next?

Our stories rely on insight from experts and readers around the world, so we always welcome your ideas and inside scoops. Drop us a line anytime.

Coming up:

Stay tuned for more great stories and essays, including the road to zero-carbon transportation and the surprising ecological toll of recreational fishing.

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

As always, thank you for reading.

Tara Lohan

Tara Lohan
Deputy Editor, The Revelator

 

  This message was sent to eamessages@biologicaldiversity.org
Photo of Tongass National Forest by Adam DiPietro/USFS
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