Renewable Revolution

No. 124, March 19, 2020

Hello Revelator readers,

The world got a lot scarier this week, but we're still here to bring you stories of environmental successes, emerging problems and wild inspiration.

Let's get to that inspiration right away: We've compiled a list of a dozen amazing wildlife and nature livestreams to help you beat the COVID-19 self-isolation blues and keep you connected to what matters.

And here's a fantastic developing story: An innovative project in California aims to bring down not one, not two, but 81 dams in the Cleveland National Forest. This will help endangered steelhead and transform the region's watershed .

We wonder if activities like hunting and fishing will be curtailed by the 🤧😷 pandemic, but in the meantime, important new research reveals that recreational fishing has a much bigger impact than previously realized, especially for ocean species.

Other new research points to an emerging threat to conservation: fear of nature, or "biophobia." It's a symptom of humanity's disconnection from the natural world — but there are also solutions.

Subscriber bonus: The Wild 5

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

1. Concerns about COVID-19 have prompted a partial shutdown of national parks, but many remain open and crowded 👎.

2. Increasing environmental stress could lead the world's most vital ecosystems — like the Amazon rainforest and Caribbean coral reefs — to collapse in only decades 😵, a new study finds.

3. Democrats pushed back against a potential 🦀 Trump 🐘 administration plan to use the coronavirus health crisis to bail out the struggling 🦖 oil and 🦕 gas industry.

4. The biggest source of new electric generating capacity last year was solar, which beat out both wind and natural gas — although the solar industry now anticipates that the coronavirus could disrupt projects in the months ahead 😬😞.

5. A warm winter has started rousing 🐻 bears early from hibernation — sparking worries about increased conflicts with humans if the bears find food scarce at this time of year.

In case you missed it:

People looking for ways to help monarch butterflies may be putting them in even more danger 😟 .

What should we cover next?

Our stories rely on insight from experts and readers around the world, especially in these troubling times. How has the coronavirus affected things in your work, your life or your community's wild spaces? We want to hear from you, so please drop us a line anytime.

Coming up:

We're got some important reporting about biodiversity issues coming up, including a look at virus-related 😷 issues and a roadmap to help 🐟 freshwater species.

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 — and stay safe.

          
John R. Platt
Editor, The Revelator

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