The 10 Most Light-polluted Cities


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

No. 33, June 21, 2018

Hello Revelator readers,

Can you still see the stars at night where you live? For more and more people, the answer to that question is no. This week we take an exclusive look at the 10 most light-polluted cities and metropolitan areas around the world. We also mapped out the planet's 600 biggest cities and compared their lighting to the worldwide average. Check it out — it might surprise you.

Speaking of things you see in the night skies, bats in the United States and Canada are still in trouble. A fungal disease called white-nose syndrome has killed millions of North American bats over the past few years, and it doesn't appear to be slowing down. Last week I traveled to a meeting of bat researchers to find out the latest about the problem and learn about some advances that just might help stem the tide of this deadly disease.

Another disease is plaguing a different type of animal: salmon. In British Columbia a particularly nasty virus has found its way into wild salmon's spawning habitat through the region's commercial fish farms. It's a huge problem that has implications for several endangered species, as well as the culture of local First Nations peoples.

Finally this week, let's end with something fun. Novelist Scott Graham talks to us about his National Parks Mystery series and discusses why he set his novels in these iconic areas, what national parks can tell us about environmental and social-justice issues, and what we'd risk by losing them and other protected spaces around the country.

In case you missed it:

Today is World Giraffe Day. Most people don't realize that giraffes are now even rarer than elephants, following a catastrophic population decline. Check out our brief story from last year to learn more about the problems facing Africa's disappearing giants.

Send us your tips:

What other stories should we be covering? We welcome your ideas and inside scoops. Drop us a line anytime.

Coming up:

We have a lot more coming your way, including a story featuring what could be the cutest baby birds you've ever seen. Too bad they're in trouble.

Look for all of our newest 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.

Feel free to forward this newsletter, too — every new reader makes a difference.

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

John Platt

John R. Platt
Editor, The Revelator

  This message was sent to eamessages@biologicaldiversity.org.
Join the Center for Biological Diversity.


Center for Biological Diversity
P.O. Box 710
Tucson, AZ 85702
United States