Renewable Revolution

No. 54, Nov. 15, 2018

Hello Revelator readers,

You may be surprised to learn that Virginia has one of the fastest rates of relative sea-level rise in the country. The Hampton Roads region is experiencing both rising seas and sinking land, threatening tourist towns like Virginia Beach and the region's major military facilities with frequent flooding — a situation expected to worsen as the climate warms. This week, in the first of a series of stories on the topic, we write about how the state is beginning to get serious about tackling sea-level rise, which could make Virginia a leader in coastal adaptation and climate strategies.

Fossil fuels 🏴‍☠️ are driving our climate problems, as we all know, and a surplus of fracked shale gas is poised to make that even worse. The petrochemical industry🐉🦕🦖 😈 👹 is ramping up production of plastics thanks to fracking, with dire consequences for the climate and the health of residents in the Rust Belt, where many new pipelines and production facilities are being built.

When it comes to wildlife, we still have a lot to learn about the reintroduction of imperiled wild species. University of Texas-Austin researcher Kalli F. Doubleday explains why all eyes are on India's Sariska Tiger Reserve for important lessons on the reintroduction of big cats and their coexistence with neighboring humans.

While tigers may be good at grabbing headlines, let's not forget about insects. Scientists are calling for more research to understand why many insect populations are declining and what we can do about it.

Subscriber bonus:

We have a special thank you for our subscribers this week: a free copy of Corrupted Science: Fraud, Ideology and Politics in Science [/font]by John Grant, courtesy of publisher See Sharp Press. This must-read new book dives into the sordid history of how corporations and politicians — including the Trump administration — have twisted or attacked scientific expertise. As a subscriber, you can download the e-book in any of these formats: PDF, Mobi (Kindle) or Epub. Enjoy — and thanks for subscribing!

In case you missed it:

Wildfires are on top of our minds right now as California battles its most deadly and destructive wildfire in state history. Wildfire historian Stephen Pyne explains why we need to have different strategies for fighting different kinds of wildfires 🔥, especially those at the intersection of wildlands and our developed communities.