Focus on Arts and Ecology

No. 153, Oct. 8, 2020

Hello Revelator readers,

Pandemics aren't just for people. Bees have their own emerging pathogenic threat — a danger that's made worse by air pollution, human development and other factors. Jodi Helmer, author of Protecting Pollinators, digs into this "perfect storm" and reveals some solutions.

Crops, meanwhile, can also experience diseases and other threats, which could cause worldwide food insecurity. Our latest op-ed looks at the humble potato as a model for saving the world's wild and cultivated food plants.

Dig deeper:

This week Missouri biologists released 1,000 captive-bred, endangered Ozark hellbenders into the wild — another step toward saving this giant salamander species from extinction. We looked behind the scenes of this exciting effort last year. Check out "Breeding the Snot Otter."

Subscriber bonus: The Wild 5

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

1. "Millions in Federal COVID-19 Aid Went to Companies With Pollution Violations" (Huffington Post)

2. "EPA Gives Oklahoma Environmental Oversight on Indian Lands" (Indian Country Today)

3. "Amazon Near Tipping Point of Switching From Rainforest to Savannah — Study" (The Guardian)

4. "Denver Wants to Fix a Legacy of Environmental Racism" (The New York Times)

5. "Tasmanian Devils Return to Mainland Australia for First Time in 3,000 Years" (National Geographic)

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:

We haven't written about whales lately. We'll fix that next week.

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 — and stay safe.