Category: The Revelator
5 things to know about plastic pollution and how to stop it
Researchers continue to find new information about how widespread plastic pollution has become, but also how we can help stem the tide. by Tara Lohan, The Revelator December 3, 2020 Our plastic pollution problem has…
Is it too late to save ‘America’s Amazon’?
Alabama’s Mobile River basin has the most aquatic biodiversity in the country. But we’re in danger of losing it before we even know what’s there. The Ask by Tara Lohan November 30, 2020 When longtime environmental…
How renewable energy could power your state
Some parts of the United States could easily generate 10 times their energy needs, according to a new report. by Tara Lohan, The Revelator November 20, 2020 How much of U.S. energy demand could be met…
5 Reasons to rethink the future of dams
The United States must grapple with a legacy of 90,000 dams, many unsafe or unwanted. by Tara Lohan Wednesday, October 28, 2020 The tide has shifted on dams. Once a monument to our engineering prowess, there’s…
Promise or peril? Importing hydropower to fuel clean energy transition
U.S. states hope to tap Canada’s network of large dams to meet low-carbon goals, but do better options exist closer to home? And what effects on the environment and indigenous peoples? by Tara Lohan — The…
Defund or defend? In the fight over fossil fuel investments, who’s winning?
Despite divestment victories, big banks and asset managers continue driving climate change through their lending practices. by Christine MacDonald Monday, September 21 “CalSTRS is using our teachers’ money to invest in the destruction of our own…
Oil and gas in flux: After a series of stunning defeats, what’s next for the industry?
Environmental, economic and political forces have converged, threatening to finally upend fossil fuel dominance. by Tara Lohan Wednesday, July 29 When Dominion Energy and Duke Energy unexpectedly cancelled plans to build the Atlantic Coast Pipeline on…
Should environmentalists embrace Universal Basic Income?
Cash payments from the government could help ease the transition to a climate-safe economy and weather the natural and economic storms to come. by Tara Lohan, The Revelator Sunday, June 28 If you had…
Here’s what Climate Change means for wildfires in the West
Two recent studies find different factors increasing wildfire risk across California and the Pacific Northwest, but the solutions in each location are similar. by Tara Lohan, The Revelator Tuesday, June 23 Exploding saguaros in Arizona have…
The Final Frontiers? A Call to Protect the Biodiversity on the Borders
President Trump’s notorious border wall is just one transboundary threat to the world’s wildlife. by John R. Platt April 30, 2020 Conservation experts have long warned that President Donald Trump’s pet border-wall project between the United…
Pandemic shines a light on critical water issues — 40% of the Navajo Nation lacks running water, will Congress fund solutions?
Clean water is essential during the COVID-19 health crisis, but so far Congress hasn’t directed funds to help water utilities or stop water shutoffs in low-income households. 40% of the Navajo Nation lacks running water by…
Food waste in the time of COVID-19: The real reason to cry over spilt milk
Let’s focus on the economic systems that allowed such waste to be created in the first place, while causing needless pollution, animal suffering and threats to human health. Essay by Dipika Kadaba, The Revelator April 14,…
Spending time in nature during the pandemic? You’re not alone — and that’s a problem.
Encouraged by the federal government, lots of people are trying to get outside. But it’s a risky decision for rural communities. by Tara Lohan, March 25, 2020 When the San Francisco Bay area, where I live,…
Removing 81 dams is transforming this California watershed
The innovative project could aid endangered native species — and provide a useful roadmap for other dam-removal efforts. by Tara Lohan Ι The Revelator March 19, 2020 Removing one gigantic dam can have a massive…
When the War on Science really began
A new book, The War on the EPA, tracks the history and importance of the government agency — and how efforts to undermine it began decades before Trump. Reviews by Tara Lohan, The Revelator The New…
Trump admin’s Clean Water rollback will hit some states hard
But the effects of removing this “environmental safety net” won’t be felt equally. States with fewer local protections and resources will suffer the most — as will their people and wildlife. Oceans & Clean Water February…
Can the U.S. slash food waste in half in the next ten years?
Emerging efforts by cities and the federal government show that progress is possible, but experts say systemic changes are still needed. February 14, 2020 – by Tim Lydon Can the United States make progress on its…
Report: ‘No Evidence That Fracking Can Operate Without Threatening Public Health’
More than 1,500 scientific studies on the health and climate impacts of fracking prove its dangerous effect on communities, wildlife and nature. By Tara Lohan, The Revelator In 2010 when I first started writing about hydraulic…
Last Chance to Voice Support for Key Environmental Law
The Trump administration wants to gut the National Environmental Policy Act, a move that would silence community criticism of destructive projects and give more power to industry. March 4, 2020 – by Tim Lydon One…
5 things you should know about the earth’s warming ocean
Climate change has caused record-breaking ocean temperatures, and that means more dangerous storms, trouble for coral reefs and big changes for our marine ecosystems. Oceans & Clean Water January 29, 2020 – by Tara Lohan The Revelator…
How one Utah community fought the fracking industry — and won
Kanab, a small Utah town that’s home to the famous Best Friends Animal Society, took an unconventional path to face down a frac sand mine that threatened the region’s aquifer. By Tara Lohan, The Revelator A…
