I'm back!

Well hello there. It's been a while.

As announced here a few months ago, my freelancing days are mostly behind me. I am now the editor and lead writer of a new environmental website that launched this past week after four months of development. It's called The Revelator.

I'll still do the odd bit of freelancing here and there, but for the most part The Revelator will be the home for my journalism moving forward.

And moving forward, we are. We were only "live" for three days last week, but that short time included a whole bunch of new pieces by me, including my opening editorial for the first day and several articles. Here's the whole list:

Welcome to The Revelator

The Extinction Crisis is Here. How do We Keep from Feeling Overwhelmed?

Whooping Cranes Could Be Wiped Out by Climate Change

GreenLatinos: Working Locally, Connecting Nationally

Trump’s Border Wall Could Impact an Astonishing 10,000 Species

Drawdown: 100 Powerful (and Sometimes Surprising) Solutions to Global Warming



Expect a lot more moving forward. We're just warming up!

Polar bears, ring-tailed lemurs and Jimi Hendrix

Last week brought just three new articles, because the year is still creaking to a slow start. But these are three good, important articles, all for Scientific American:

Polar Bear Conservation Plan Calls Climate Change "the Primary Threat" to Their Survival

Meet the Endangered Plant Named after Rock Legend Jimi Hendrix

Ring-Tailed Lemur Populations Have Crashed by 95 Percent

More next week!

Looking back, looking ahead

Good morning! Happy Monday! 2017 is starting to roll along, and I took the occasion to look both back and forward with this week's "Extinction Countdown" articles for Scientific American:

Conservation Stories You May Have Missed in 2016

Conservation Predictions for 2017

That's it! A short week for my headlines. More (much more) in the weeks and months ahead!

Conservation's best and worst of 2016 (plus more)

Hey folks, happy Monday after Christmas. I'm probably heads-down already today (and the rest of this week) working on a top-secret project for early 2017, but meanwhile, the last of my articles for 2016 continue to eke their way out. Want to read the latest? Of course you do.

I'll start with two big "Extinction Countdown" articles for Scientific American, looking back at the year that was. (Fair warning, the second piece is pretty darn bleak.)

The Best Wildlife Conservation Stories of 2016

The Worst Wildlife Conservation Stories of 2016



Next up, my latest for Hakai magazine, on the subject of beach restoration:

Reinforce and Rebuild



Finally this week, here's my latest tech careers article for IEEE-USA InSight:

The Art & Science of Poster Sessions


That's it for this week -- and pretty close to the end for 2016. I know I have at least one more article pending before December 31, so follow me on Twitter for the headline(s) as it (they) happen(s), or come on back here in a few days for another list.

Happy holidays!

Sharks that Walk and Coral that Dies

Hey folks, happy Monday. December is here and the mad rush toward the end of the year has begun. Maybe that's why I had so many articles appear last week, and why I'm working on so many more.

This week's articles cover a pretty wide range of topics, but they also have some thematic overlaps. A couple of articles address coral ecosystems and the creatures that live in them, while a few more deal with life in the Arctic. There's some parallel between a piece about a day about extinction and an attempt to bring lost species back. Finally, there's a general theme of resiliency in the face of climate change and other threats.

A walking shark. Left, right, left, right...

But enough about themes. Let's get to the articles themselves. I'll start this week's list with my latest "Extinction Countdown" articles for Scientific American:

Another Arctic Species Losing Out as Sea Ice Declines: The Ivory Gull

Walking Sharks at Risk


Next up, three new pieces for TakePart:

A Day to Mark Fallen Species

Gone for 400 Years, Returned Beavers Get Protected Status in Scotland

19 Ways Arctic Climate Change Could Unleash a Global Catastrophe


After that, here's my latest article for Hakai Magazine:

There Is Life on a Dead Coral Reef

And finally this week, here's the third part of my epic trilogy about Einstein and comic books for From the Grapevine. This is half personal essay, half history lesson:

Meet 'E-Man,' the superhero inspired by Albert Einstein


That's it for this time around. Come on back next Monday for another batch of articles. Hey, it's better than hitting the mall for holiday shopping!

Two Orange Species (and a whole lot more)

Hello and welcome to another Monday morning link list, showcasing my articles from the previous week. This time around we have four articles for two publishers, one of each has to do with a predominantly orange species.

Here are the first two, for Scientific American:

Tiger Farms Linked to Massive Surge in Illegal Trafficking

New Technology Reveals Hundreds of Bird Species at Risk


And here are the final two, for TakePart:

Palm Oil Kills Orangutans, but Can the Industry Help Save the Great Apes?

Burning Less Coal Means Less Mercury in Your Tuna


This is Thanksgiving week here in the States, so there may not be too many new articles published. On the other hand, I have quite a few in the queue at various publishers, so who knows when they'll all appear. In any case, come on back here next Monday for another list, as long or as short as it may be. 

Elephant Butts and a Whooping Crane Whoops

Happy Monday, dear readers! It's time for another linkfest with all of my previous week's articles. No big theme this time around, just some good stuff.

Let's start with two new articles for TakePart, one of which has to do with endangered species, the other of which covers interesting new technology:

New Zealand Has the Most Seabirds on the Planet, and 90 Percent Are at Risk

You’ve Heard of Self-Driving Cars. Now Here Comes the Self-Driving Scooter


Next up, my latest for Audubon:

The Saga of 16-11, a Star-Crossed Whooping Crane Now In Mating Rehab


Finally, here's yet another elephant-related article for Scientific American:

Asian Elephants Help Seed the Forest


That's it for this time around. I have quite a few other articles already in the queue at  various publishers, and even more beyond that in the works. Follow me on Twitter for links as they happen, or come on back here next Monday for another list!

Voting + Elephants, Bats and Penguins

Courtesy of Air Shepherd

Last week brought a bounty of timely articles, and a few pieces on interesting uses of technology.

The most timely of the bunch was this, my first article for Sierra Magazine, just in time for the 2016 election:

Vote for Biodiversity


Next up, two pieces for Scientific American, one of which is also kind of (but really isn't) about tomorrow's election, while the other was timed for last Monday's Halloween:

How Do You Stop a Marauding Bull Elephant Named Trump? Send in the Drones

Halloween Horrors: The Spectral Vampire Bat


Finally this week, here's a neat new story for TakePart:

Penguin Detectives Wanted


That's it for this time around. Join me next Monday for another list, or follow me on Twitter for headlines as they happen.

Elephant Feet, Snow Leopards and Elevator Speeches

Another week, another six publications. That's a bit more than usual, but it includes a couple of pieces that were in work for a long time and have now finally seen print.

Speaking of print, this week's list starts with my article from the November print issue of Scientific American, which is an adaptation and expansion of an article I did for them online two months ago:

Elephant Footprints Teem with Life


Sticking with SciAm, here are my two latest "Extinction Countdown" articles (including my second snow leopard article for the month):

The Mangrove Finch: An Extinction in Slow Motion

Snow Leopards Could Lose Two-Thirds of Their Habitat due to Climate Change


Next up, a new wildlife article and a green-tech piece for TakePart:

Forest Conservation Has a New Poster Child: The Gopher Tortoise

Renewable Energy Is About to Get Supersized


Finally, sticking with tech, here's my latest careers article for IEEE-USA InSight. This is technically geared toward engineers, but I think anyone can get something out of it. I know I learned a lot while writing it:

How to Craft a Winning Elevator Speech


That's it for this week. Come on back next Monday for another list!

Shrinking Leopards, Twilight Coral and Two Extinctions

Credit DWNP, Panthera, and Rimba

I love my job -- yes, even though I cover some pretty bleak topics, like the ones you'll find in three out of this week's four articles. I may find myself writing bad news more often than not, but it's an amazing opportunity for me to speak to the people who are doing good in this world to help us understand the threats that we face -- and maybe to turn them around.

That said, let's start with this week's bleakest articles, my latest for PBS's Nature:

Indochinese Leopard’s Range Has Shrunk by more than 94 Percent


And here are two pieces for TakePart, one good and one bad, both important:

Hawaii’s Newly Discovered Deep-Sea Reefs Thrive in a ‘Twilight Zone’

The West Coast’s Largest Estuary Is Being Starved of Water


Finally this week, here's my latest for Scientific American, which combines terrible news with slightly less bad news:

1 Endangered Beetle Species Gets Protected, 2 More Go Extinct


That's it for this time around, but hang on to your hats (or glasses, as the case may be). I have at least six articles already in the queue with my editors pending publication and you should start seeing them as early as today. That's in addition to the brand-new stuff that I will actually start writing today. It's going to be a busy week! I'll post the headlines as they happen on Twitter, so follow along there or come on back here next Monday for another list. Maybe they won't all be quite so bleak!

Crows + Marijuana + Einstein

Welcome to a new week! Here's another batch of articles for your Monday morning eyeballs.

Source: Nobrow Press

Let's start with two positive conservation-themed stories, the first for Audubon, the second for Scientific American:

The Hawaiian Crow Is Ready to Make Its Big Comeback

Great News for Rhinos, Pangolins, Parrots, Sharks and Chambered Nautilus


Next up, an interesting news story for TakePart:

The Marijuana Boom Is Contributing to the Climate Crisis


And finally this week, an interview with a graphic novelist for From the Grapevine:

Einstein gets graphic in new biography


More next Monday -- or follow along on Twitter for headlines as they go live.

Snow Leopards, Biomimicry and a Frog Extinction

Say good-bye, little froggie.

Wow, last week was busy! Five new article publications, plus work on half a dozen more. But let me tell you, the effort was worth it, not just for the chance to tell good, important stories but also for the incredible reaction from all of my readers.

Nothing personified that more than my latest for PBS's Nature, a positive conservation article that went totally viral:

Snow Leopard Conservation Gets Boost from New Tech


This week's articles for Scientific American were far less positive, but they had to be told. I've been following these stories for a while and neither is a happy tale:

The Rabbs' Tree Frog Just Went Extinct

Two Years to Ploughshare Tortoise Extinction?


But let's get happy again with this week's articles for TakePart. The first one might seem like a tough bit of news, but the people working to save the California Condor are doing great work. The second article in this batch is my latest green-tech piece.

The Tiny Threat That’s Killing North America’s Largest Bird

Mimicking Nature to Fight Climate Change


That's it for this time around. Come on by next Monday for another list, or follow me on Twitter for links as they go live.

Climate, Crime & Comics

Happy Monday, dear readers! It's time for my weekly roundup of my most recent articles. This time around I have five new pieces for you, all focusing on the three big C's: climate, crime and comics.

Let's start with my latest articles for TakePart. The first features interviews with climate scientist Michael E. Mann and editorial cartoonist Tom Toles. The second is a cool program I that doesn't get nearly enough credit for the good it's done.

A New Weapon in the War Against Climate Change Denial: Laughter

Rural America’s New Cash Crop: Renewable Energy


Next up, here are two new "Extinction Countdown" articles for Scientific American. The first is a crime story you haven't seen anywhere else. The second is a story I've been following for several years now and it's starting to get me a bit frustrated.

Thousands of African Grey Parrots Stolen from the Wild Every Month

Climate-Threatened American Pika Denied Protection--Again


Getting back to the crime angle, here's my profile of World Wrestling Entertainment's top intellectual property attorney, who just loves to fight copyright thieves, for Profile Magazine:

Win Battles Outside the Ring to Protect Trademark and Fans


Finally this week, back to the comics connection. You may recall a piece I did for From the Grapevine a few months back where I tracked some of Albert Einstein's most memorable appearances in comic books. Well, here's the next logical step in that examination:

What did Batman and Einstein have in common?


That's it for this time around. I'm working on all kinds of new stuff, so come on back here next Monday for another link list, or follow me on Twitter for links as they happen.

Two Extinctions (and Other Happy News)

For a journalist who works the endangered species beat, I haven't written about too many actual extinctions lately. That changed this week, with news of not just one but two species that have now been lost. Here are the articles, for Scientific American:

First Bird Extinction in the Galápagos Islands Confirmed

Climate Change Has Claimed Its First Mammal Extinction


Luckily I had some other stuff to write about this week, but these stories for TakePart also weren't very good news:

These Maps Could Help Predict the Next Big Animal-to-Human Disease Outbreak

LED Streetlights Are Good for the Earth, Bad for Humans and Wildlife


But that's the bad news out of the way. Here, my second article for Hakai magazine, presents some interesting new science. I should write about whales more often.

Sperm Whales Have an “Eve”

Okay, let's switch gears, but not completely. Here are two eco-related features from the July issue of American Builders Quarterly, the first of which is actually this issue's cover story:

All Work and All Play for Nelson Treehouse and Supply

American University’s Energy Supply Went 50 Percent Green Overnight



Finally, here's something completely different: my latest tech careers article for IEEE's The Institute:

How to Land a Job in Artificial Intelligence 


That's it for this time around. Hopefully next week won't present such a bleak group of stories!

Exploitation, Noise, Light and Poop

Hey there, fellow Monday sufferers. Another week has passed us on by, which is always a good chance to look back at what was. In my case, that means listing and in some cases reflecting on the articles that I published over the past seven days.

There were quite a few of them this time. I'll start with a feature article that Scientific American asked me to write in the wake of Harambe the gorilla, that bison calf at Yellowstone and the mess at Thailand's Tiger Temple:

Wildlife Tourism Faces Dark Days—but Revenue Soars


Next up, my latest for Audubon, an exclusive that you won't read about anywhere else:

Human Noise Robs Owls of Their Ability to Hunt


Sticking with birds that have been screwed by modern society for a moment, here are my latest "Extinction Countdown" articles for SciAm (yes, them again):

Another Threat to Hawaiian Birds: Cat Poop

Saudi Arabian Cattle Breed Nearly Extinct


And finally, let's end this list with three powerful and important articles for TakePart:

Cambodia’s Leopards Could Be Extinct in Just Two Years

A New Tool Reveals Where Tropical Forests Most Need Saving

Light Pollution Blocks the Night Sky for One-Third of Humanity


That's it for this week. Join my here on future Mondays, or follow me on Twitter for headlines as they happen.

Things are Getting Fishy Around Here

Happy Memorial Day, friends and readers. I hope you're taking the day off. I probably am, but we'll see how it all works out. Freelancers don't always get to relax on holidays, and I have several large features working their way toward completion so I should probably be heads-down, fingers-on-keyboard today. But it's early yet, so I haven't decided. Maybe I'll get some work done before the rest of the world wakes up and then spend some quiet, fun time with the rest of the human race.

Anyway, it being a Monday, here are my links to my articles from last week. I'll start with two fisheries-related stories for TakePart:

The Philippines’ Giant Fish Are Disappearing

Squid Are Getting Bigger and Taking Over the Ocean


Next up, two new "Extinction Countdown" articles for Scientific American:

Illegal Pet Trade Threatens 13 Indonesian Birds with Extinction

What do Elephants and Cocaine Have in Common?


That's it for this time around. I'm not sure how much of my work will see publication this week, it being a short holiday week and all, but again, we'll see. Come on back here next Monday for another list, or follow me on Twitter for headlines as they happen.

Bird Week + Ugly Critters, Eaten Lemurs and Melting Glaciers

Greetings friends, readers, enemies, passers-by and other people with eyeballs! It's time for my weekly list of links to my articles from the previous seven days. I have some great stories for you this week, so let's start with my favorite, my issue for the June 2016 print issue of Scientific American, which is already online:

Ugly Critters Get No Love


Speaking of SciAm, here are two more "Extinction Countdown" articles for them:

Who Eats Lemurs? The Answer Is More Complex Than You'd Think

Here's a List of Every At-Risk Bird Species in North America (All 432 of Them)


Finally this week, here are two new pieces for TakePart, one of which is kinda hopeful and the other of which should have you sweating in your socks:

There’s New Hope for Saving the U.S.’ Most Endangered Bird

One of Antarctica’s Biggest Glaciers Is Eroding Faster Than Thought


That's it for this time around. Join me next Monday, same blog time, same blog station, for another link list. Of follow me on the thing that sounds like a bird to get headlines and other links as they happen.

Turtle Week (plus a whole lot more)

Hey folks, welcome to the 400th post here on the old John Platt Article Library.

This blog originally came into existence as a place for me to archive some of my old writing. Along the way, it also became an ongoing catalog of all of my current writing. Which, of course, is why we're here again today.

This week's publications include two new articles about sea turtles, including this one, my first contribution to Hakai magazine, about how drones are being used to study sea turtle sex:

Turtle Voyeurs


This week's "Extinction Countdown" articles for Scientific American continued with the sea turtle theme, while also addressing deforestation and its effect on one of the world's rarest primates:

Should Tourists Swim with Endangered Sea Turtles?

Fractured Monkeys


Next up, three new articles for TakePart, two of which look at how global warming is messing with our wild species:

Drought Offers Insight Into How Species Will Fare in a Warming World

How Global Warming in the Arctic Kills Birds in the Tropics

Scientists Put Bees on the Menu


Finally this week, here's a short new piece for Audubon:

The Bison Joins the Bald Eagle as a Fellow Symbol of America


Oh, did I say "finally"? Not quite. I also made an appearance on the "Green Dudes" segment of the Green Divas radio show. You can listen to it here.


That's it for this time around. Join my next week for another list, or follow me on Twitter for links as they happen.

Extinction, Consumerism and Ghosts

Hey folks, it's Monday again, which means it's time for another batch of headlines representing my latest publications.

First off, remember my bleak article about antelopes from last week? Well, the news got even worse for one species. Here's the news, my latest "Extinction Countdown" article for Scientific American:

Only Three Addax Antelopes Left in the Wild?

Next up, three powerful pieces for TakePart:

Preaching Against Extinction (my interview with Reverend Billy and the Stop Shopping Choir)

Hunting Wolves Hurts Tourism

‘Ghost Gear’ + Climate Change = Bad News for Lobsters


Finally, let's end with something completely different, my latest tech careers article for IEEE's The Institute:

Five Ways Engineers Can Improve Their Writing


Next week...another antelope article? Probably not, but you never know!

Drones, Parity, Immortality and Information

Put on a fresh pot of coffee, folks, because I have a lot of reading for you this Monday morning.

Last week saw the publication of a ton of new articles by me. Not only that, the articles themselves stand out from everything else that I've done so far this year.

Let's start with my latest feature for TakePart. This massive article -- my longest and most complex to date -- took me high into the Oregon mountains and (by phone) to forests around the world. It was tough work, but boy was it worth it:

Drones' New Mission: Save the Forests


My next piece is also something different for me. Motherboard spent all of last week telling stories of what they called the Silicon Divide, about how women are underrepresented in and by technology. As part of the series, they asked me to write an essay about my attempts at source parity. Now, I never write essays, but this was an important topic to explore and it generated an unbelievable response from readers. Check it out:

What Happened When I Pushed Myself to Interview More Women


Moving on to publisher number three, here's my latest for Audubon, one of my most inspiring wildlife stories in a long time:

Endangered Hawaiian Bird Immortalized In Space


On a completely different subject, Slate dropped me a line last Monday and asked me to write this, my first piece for them:

This Week’s Back-to-Back Earthquakes Don’t Mean the World Is Ending


Getting back to TakePart, here are two new news articles from my regular wildlife beat:

The Information Age Is Failing the World’s Wildlife

Can a Park the Size of New York City Save Sumatran Rhinos and Tigers?


Finally this week, here's my latest high-tech careers feature for IEEE-USA InSight. It's a fun one:

Engineers & Entrepreneurs: Are You Missing this Key Skill? 


Holy cow, what a week! I hope you enjoy reading them all. Meanwhile, keep checking Twitter for my latest headlines. This week coming week should be another exciting one.