Sign in

John R. Platt

@johnrplatt.bsky.social
3.8K followers 2.5K following 1K posts

Editor, The Revelator @therevelator.org. Covering the extinction crisis, wildlife, climate change and environmental justice. linktr.ee/johnrplatt

PostsRepliesMedia
Reposted by John R. Platt
The Revelator @therevelator.org · 17h
New from The Revelator & Crucial Comix -- Virginia Is for Lovers … of Data Centers? therevelator.org/virginia-data-cent…
021
Reposted by John R. Platt
The Revelator @therevelator.org · 07/10/2026
This generated some good debate! Is Removing All Nonnative Plants Always the Answer? therevelator.org/nonnative-plants
therevelator.org
Is Removing All Nonnative Plants Always the Answer? • The Revelator
Some species we label as invasive still serve a purpose by providing food or shelter to native species.
2237
Reposted by John R. Platt
The Revelator @therevelator.org · 06/10/2026
The predictions about this year's #elnino keep getting worse. But the on-the-ground reality is already pretty bad: therevelator.org/super-el-nino-indo…
therevelator.org
Photo Essay: As a Super El Niño Looms, Indonesia’s Crippling Drought Deepens • The Revelator
The country’s water crisis threatens drinking water and hydropower and worsens the risk of destructive fires.
033
Reposted by John R. Platt
Crucial Comix @crucialcomix.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
Must-read new comic reporting on resistance to data centers across Virginia by artist @denalisai.bsky.social - published in partnership with @therevelator.org www.crucialcomix.com/comic/data-c...
crucialcomix.com
Data centers are not inevitable
My state, Virginia, is the data center capital of the world, and the people have had enough.
02713
Reposted by John R. Platt
John R. Platt @johnrplatt.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
Virginia Is for Lovers … of Data Centers? By @denalisai.bsky.social for @therevelator.org & @crucialcomix.bsky.social therevelator.org/virginia-dat...
therevelator.org
Virginia Is for Lovers … of Data Centers? • The Revelator
Many people are learning about data centers and advocating for their communities’ interests. Some are experienced community advocates, while others are organizing for the first time.
032
John R. Platt @johnrplatt.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
Virginia Is for Lovers … of Data Centers? By @denalisai.bsky.social for @therevelator.org & @crucialcomix.bsky.social therevelator.org/virginia-dat...
therevelator.org
Virginia Is for Lovers … of Data Centers? • The Revelator
Many people are learning about data centers and advocating for their communities’ interests. Some are experienced community advocates, while others are organizing for the first time.
032
Reposted by John R. Platt
The Revelator @therevelator.org · 05/10/2026
New today from The Revelator & Crucial Comix -- Virginia Is for Lovers … of Data Centers? therevelator.org/virginia-data-cent…
031
Reposted by John R. Platt
The Revelator @therevelator.org · 04/10/2026
We Didn’t Just Fail to Stop Ebola. We Caused It. -- The driver of zoonotic outbreaks isn’t bad luck. It’s habitat destruction, wildlife trade, and decades of ignoring science. therevelator.org/ebola
therevelator.org
We Didn’t Just Fail to Stop Ebola. We Caused It. • The Revelator
The driver of zoonotic outbreaks isn’t bad luck. It’s habitat destruction, wildlife trade, and decades of ignoring science.
0127
Reposted by John R. Platt
The Revelator @therevelator.org · 03/10/2026
Chameleons can hide from a lot of things ... but not climate change: therevelator.org/chameleons-climate…
therevelator.org
Even Chameleons Can’t Hide From Climate Change • The Revelator
These amazing, camouflaged reptiles have adapted to life in unique microhabitats, but that’s also made them more vulnerable to disruption.
194
Reposted by John R. Platt
David Shiffman, Ph.D. 🦈 @whysharksmatter.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
The Ocean Cleanup, launched via a splashy TED talk, promised to remove all the plastic from the ocean. It failed for exactly the reasons that scientists, dismissed as “jealous haters” at the time, said it would fail. What can we learn from this? therevelator.org/why-ocean-cl...
therevelator.org
Why The Ocean Cleanup Hasn’t Solved the Plastic Pollution Crisis • The Revelator
Global problems are rarely solved by one person or invention. The Ocean Cleanup didn’t work, for the reasons experts said it wouldn’t. What can we learn from this?
53815
Reposted by John R. Platt
The Revelator @therevelator.org · 02/10/2026
New Environmental Books: Summer-to-Autumn Reads for the Whole Family (and look for our next book column soon!) therevelator.org/environmental-book…
therevelator.org
New Environmental Books: Summer-to-Autumn Reads for the Whole Family • The Revelator
The latest climate book by Naomi Klein joins new titles about activism, animals, and restoration.
021
Reposted by John R. Platt
The Revelator @therevelator.org · 01/10/2026
Albania’s Vjosa Narta river faces threats from development planned by Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner and enabled by the Albanian government. Music and art help fuel ongoing protests. #FlamingoRebellion therevelator.org/flamingo-revolutio…
046
Reposted by John R. Platt
The Revelator @therevelator.org · 30/09/2026
Many choices we ask people make to help the climate don’t reveal immediate results. But researchers found that changing diets can have a climate benefit and quickly reduce some health risks. therevelator.org/climate-policy-diet
therevelator.org
Climate Policy Has a Sacrifice Problem. My Clinical Trials Kept Solving It by Accident. • The Revelator
Many choices we ask people make to help the climate don’t reveal immediate results. But we found that changing diets can have a climate benefit and quickly reduce some health risks.
043
Reposted by John R. Platt
The Revelator @therevelator.org · 29/09/2026
From the archives: The Monkey Puzzle Tree Faces More Threats than a Barrel of Monkeys therevelator.org/monkey-puzzle-tree
therevelator.org
The Monkey Puzzle Tree Faces More Threats than a Barrel of Monkeys • The Revelator
This “living fossil” has survived in the South American Andes for millennia, but now faces an uncertain future due to climate change, fires, and voracious European animals.
133
Reposted by John R. Platt
John R. Platt @johnrplatt.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
The #FlamingoRevolution and the Rhythm of Resistance: The Race to Save Europe’s Last Wild River @therevelator.org therevelator.org/flamingo-rev...
therevelator.org
The Flamingo Revolution and the Rhythm of Resistance: The Race to Save Europe’s Last Wild River • The Revelator
Albania’s Vjosa Narta River faces threats from development planned by Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner and enabled by the Albanian government. Music and art help fuel ongoing protests.
0179
John R. Platt @johnrplatt.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
The #FlamingoRevolution and the Rhythm of Resistance: The Race to Save Europe’s Last Wild River @therevelator.org therevelator.org/flamingo-rev...
therevelator.org
The Flamingo Revolution and the Rhythm of Resistance: The Race to Save Europe’s Last Wild River • The Revelator
Albania’s Vjosa Narta River faces threats from development planned by Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner and enabled by the Albanian government. Music and art help fuel ongoing protests.
0179
Reposted by John R. Platt
The Revelator @therevelator.org · 28/09/2026
The Flamingo Revolution and the Rhythm of Resistance: The Race to Save Europe’s Last Wild River therevelator.org/flamingo-revolutio…
012
Reposted by John R. Platt
The Revelator @therevelator.org · 27/09/2026
Zimbabwe + lithium + China = an emerging environmental justice story: therevelator.org/zimbabwe-regime-li…
therevelator.org
How Zimbabwe’s Regime Is Fueling a Dirty Lithium Boom • The Revelator
Oppressive tactics seek to suppress information and suppress dissent, while communities face poisoned air and water.
022
Reposted by John R. Platt
The Revelator @therevelator.org · 26/09/2026
To save sharks and rays, we first need to understand where they live. therevelator.org/save-sharks-rays-p…
therevelator.org
To Save Sharks and Rays, Protect These Places • The Revelator
The Important Shark and Ray Areas project has identified thousands of critical habitats for some of the world’s most threatened fishes. Now saving these sites is up to us.
021
Reposted by John R. Platt
The Revelator @therevelator.org · 25/09/2026
"Climate Policy Has a Sacrifice Problem. My Clinical Trials Kept Solving It by Accident." (commentary) therevelator.org/climate-policy-diet
therevelator.org
Climate Policy Has a Sacrifice Problem. My Clinical Trials Kept Solving It by Accident. • The Revelator
Many choices we ask people make to help the climate don’t reveal immediate results. But we found that changing diets can have a climate benefit and quickly reduce some health risks.
042
Reposted by John R. Platt
Indivisible Vancouver @indivisiblevan.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Most Thursday mornings, hardy volunteers at the Morrell Nature Sanctuary pull, cut, or hack down (depending on the species) the nonnative plants that threaten this incredible ecosystem. therevelator.org/protect-morr...
therevelator.org
Protect This Place: Coastal Douglas-Fir Forest of Southwestern British Columbia • The Revelator
Most Thursday mornings, hardy volunteers at the Morrell Nature Sanctuary pull, cut, or hack down (depending on the species) the nonnative plants that threaten this incredible ecosystem.
021
Reposted by John R. Platt
TBerry @tanyaberry.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
I started writing this about blackberries and it morphed into a piece about the Morrell Nature Sanctuary on #vancouverisland
022
Reposted by John R. Platt
Tom Toro @tbtoro.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
My latest for @therevelator.org 🐤
0228
Reposted by John R. Platt
The Revelator @therevelator.org · 24/09/2026
Our "Protect This Place" series continues! therevelator.org/protect-morrell-na…
therevelator.org
Protect This Place: Coastal Douglas-Fir Forest of Southwestern British Columbia • The Revelator
Most Thursday mornings, hardy volunteers at the Morrell Nature Sanctuary pull, cut, or hack down (depending on the species) the nonnative plants that threaten this incredible ecosystem.
042
Reposted by John R. Platt
John R. Platt @johnrplatt.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
"The algorithm ... rewards volume — the biggest haul, the fastest turnaround, the fullest cart. Brands ship free product to influencers, influencers generate demand, demand generates the next shipment. There is no exit." therevelator.org/trend-driven...
therevelator.org
The Calendar Says We’re Doing Better With the Environment. My Bedroom Says Differently. • The Revelator
Trend-driven consumerism is an environmental threat. We need to fight the system that drives us to buy.
053
John R. Platt @johnrplatt.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
"The algorithm ... rewards volume — the biggest haul, the fastest turnaround, the fullest cart. Brands ship free product to influencers, influencers generate demand, demand generates the next shipment. There is no exit." therevelator.org/trend-driven...
therevelator.org
The Calendar Says We’re Doing Better With the Environment. My Bedroom Says Differently. • The Revelator
Trend-driven consumerism is an environmental threat. We need to fight the system that drives us to buy.
053
Reposted by John R. Platt
The Revelator @therevelator.org · 23/09/2026
Trend-driven consumerism is an environmental threat. We need to fight the system that drives us to buy. therevelator.org/trend-driven-consu…
therevelator.org
The Calendar Says We’re Doing Better With the Environment. My Bedroom Says Differently. • The Revelator
Trend-driven consumerism is an environmental threat. We need to fight the system that drives us to buy.
021
Reposted by John R. Platt
Peter Coles 🏳️‍🌈 🏳️‍⚧️ 🇮🇪 @telescoper.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Equinox – John Coltrane Today is the 100th anniversary of the birth of the great John Coltrane, who was born on 23rd September 1926 in Hamlet, North Carolina.
telescoper.blog
Equinox – John Coltrane
Today is the 100th anniversary of the birth of the great John Coltrane, who was born on 23rd September 1926 in Hamlet, North Carolina.
1115
Reposted by John R. Platt
John R. Platt @johnrplatt.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
Dr. Green: Do Small Environmental Actions Make a Difference? @therevelator.org therevelator.org/small-actions/
therevelator.org
Dr. Green: Do Small Environmental Actions Make a Difference? • The Revelator
Also this week: A reader asks about feeling like a cog in the machine and wonders if they can influence greener policies in their workplace.
042
Reposted by John R. Platt
The Revelator @therevelator.org · 22/09/2026
Dr. Green: Do Small Environmental Actions Make a Difference? therevelator.org/small-actions
therevelator.org
Dr. Green: Do Small Environmental Actions Make a Difference? • The Revelator
Also this week: A reader asks about feeling like a cog in the machine and wonders if they can influence greener policies in their workplace.
085
John R. Platt @johnrplatt.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
Dr. Green: Do Small Environmental Actions Make a Difference? @therevelator.org therevelator.org/small-actions/
therevelator.org
Dr. Green: Do Small Environmental Actions Make a Difference? • The Revelator
Also this week: A reader asks about feeling like a cog in the machine and wonders if they can influence greener policies in their workplace.
042
Reposted by John R. Platt
David Shiffman, Ph.D. 🦈 @whysharksmatter.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
My latest for @therevelator.org is all about the important shark and ray areas project, a global-scale collaboration that has identified over 1,000 places significant for migration, reproduction, and more. 🧪🌎🦑🦈 To Save Sharks and Rays, Protect These Places therevelator.org/save-sharks-...
therevelator.org
To Save Sharks and Rays, Protect These Places • The Revelator
The Important Shark and Ray Areas project has identified thousands of critical habitats for some of the world’s most threatened fishes. Now saving these sites is up to us.
16337
Reposted by John R. Platt
Mongabay @mongabay.com · 22/09/2026
H5N1 bird flu is spreading across southeastern Australia, jumping from wild birds to marine mammals like dolphins, fur seals, and endangered sea lions. Experts warn the virus threatens entire ecosystems as infected carcasses risk spreading the disease to scavengers. Story by @npbrao.bsky.social.
mongabay.cc
H5N1 bird flu jumps to marine mammals and wildlife in Australia
H5N1 avian influenza is spreading rapidly across southeastern Australia owing to infected wild bird species, including little penguins, magpies, crested terns and pelicans. Bird aggregations during…
42619
Reposted by John R. Platt
John R. Platt @johnrplatt.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
To Save Sharks and Rays, Protect These Places -- by @whysharksmatter.bsky.social for @therevelator.org therevelator.org/save-sharks-...
therevelator.org
To Save Sharks and Rays, Protect These Places • The Revelator
The Important Shark and Ray Areas project has identified thousands of critical habitats for some of the world’s most threatened fishes. Now saving these sites is up to us.
033
John R. Platt @johnrplatt.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
To Save Sharks and Rays, Protect These Places -- by @whysharksmatter.bsky.social for @therevelator.org therevelator.org/save-sharks-...
therevelator.org
To Save Sharks and Rays, Protect These Places • The Revelator
The Important Shark and Ray Areas project has identified thousands of critical habitats for some of the world’s most threatened fishes. Now saving these sites is up to us.
033
Reposted by John R. Platt
The Revelator @therevelator.org · 21/09/2026
To Save Sharks and Rays, Protect These Places -- David Shiffman reports: therevelator.org/save-sharks-rays-p…
therevelator.org
To Save Sharks and Rays, Protect These Places • The Revelator
The Important Shark and Ray Areas project has identified thousands of critical habitats for some of the world’s most threatened fishes. Now saving these sites is up to us.
01613
Reposted by John R. Platt
The Revelator @therevelator.org · 20/09/2026
The Plight of the Desert Penguin: Caught Between Extraction and El Niño therevelator.org/desert-penguin
therevelator.org
The Plight of the Desert Penguin: Caught Between Extraction and El Niño • The Revelator
Voracious demand for fish oil and guano puts the squeeze on shrinking populations of Humboldt penguins in Peru.
056
Reposted by John R. Platt
The Revelator @therevelator.org · 19/09/2026
#Narwhals aren’t creatures of myth or cartoons. The “unicorns of the sea” are real — and they’re incredible. therevelator.org/whale-of-the-month…
therevelator.org
Whale of the Month: Narwhals • The Revelator
No, they’re not creatures of myth or cartoons. The “unicorns of the sea” are real — and they’re incredible.
02311
John R. Platt @johnrplatt.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
Gavbangi: Iran’s Long-Running Conservation Effort Relies on Volunteers — and Turns Them Into Habitat Protectors • @therevelator.org therevelator.org/gavbangi-ira...
therevelator.org
051
Reposted by John R. Platt
The Revelator @therevelator.org · 18/09/2026
How often do you hear about a conservation program in Iran? Read about Gavbangi, a volunteer-led effort to save the maral (Caspian red deer) from poachers and habitat loss: therevelator.org/gavbangi-iran-cons…
therevelator.org
Gavbangi: Iran’s Long-Running Conservation Effort Relies on Volunteers — and Turns Them Into Habitat Protectors • The Revelator
Saving the maral (or Caspian red deer) from poachers and habitat loss will depend on keeping this volunteer effort going amid Iran’s ongoing challenges.
065
Reposted by John R. Platt
John R. Platt @johnrplatt.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
Is Removing All Nonnative Plants Always the Answer? An op-ed generating some debate! @therevelator.org therevelator.org/nonnative-pl...
therevelator.org
Is Removing All Nonnative Plants Always the Answer? • The Revelator
Some species we label as invasive still serve a purpose by providing food or shelter to native species.
0124
John R. Platt @johnrplatt.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
Is Removing All Nonnative Plants Always the Answer? An op-ed generating some debate! @therevelator.org therevelator.org/nonnative-pl...
therevelator.org
Is Removing All Nonnative Plants Always the Answer? • The Revelator
Some species we label as invasive still serve a purpose by providing food or shelter to native species.
0124
Reposted by John R. Platt
Ocean Hoptimism @oceanhoptimism.org · 17/09/2026
@therevelator.org called it: Trump’s destruction of USAID would deepen the climate & extinction crises. Now come the receipts: rising deforestation, weakened protections, & conservation programs gutted. The damage was foreseeable. They did it anyway. Read More: insideclimatenews.org/news/1509202...
therevelator.org
By Shutting Down USAID, Trump and Musk Will Worsen the Climate and Extinction Crises • The Revelator
The agency supports critical efforts to reduce wildlife trafficking, deforestation, land violence, and other threats around the world.
0128
Reposted by John R. Platt
The Revelator @therevelator.org · 17/09/2026
Is Removing All Nonnative Plants Always the Answer? therevelator.org/nonnative-plants
therevelator.org
Is Removing All Nonnative Plants Always the Answer? • The Revelator
Some species we label as invasive still serve a purpose by providing food or shelter to native species.
12316
Reposted by John R. Platt
John R. Platt @johnrplatt.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Awful: Trump Administration Moves to Gut a Core Endangered Species Protection "...the accidental killing or injury of an animal would no longer be considered illegal; only actions specifically intending to target an animal would." www.nytimes.com/2026/09/16/c...
nytimes.com
Trump Administration Moves to Gut a Core Endangered Species Protection
An internal memo reinterprets the law so that only the intentional killing of animals, not collateral harm, is illegal.
03813
Reposted by John R. Platt
Katharine Hayhoe @katharinehayhoe.com · 17/09/2026
This week I handed the newsletter over to climate policy & politics expert Leah Stokes. She says, talking about climate change doesn't lose elections. It wins them. Read on!
patreon.com
Climate action comes in waves | Talking Climate with Katharine Hayhoe
Leah Stokes on voting for climate, where policy failed, and the Carbon Wave Calculator This week I’m excited to be handing this newsletter o
314145
Reposted by John R. Platt
Alt National Park Service @altnps.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
a tributary connected to the Hackensack River. Crews have been working to contain and clean up the spill, but the extent of damage to wetlands and wildlife may take time to fully understand. This is exactly why the rapid expansion of massive data centers deserves far more scrutiny!
patch.com
Data Center Spills 5,500 Gallons Of Diesel Into North Jersey Creek
The spill happened Friday night at Equinix data center, which is located on Hartz Way and is expanding.
431649535
Reposted by John R. Platt
Ferret Guy @ferretguy.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
He. Could. Have. Prevented. This.
031
Reposted by John R. Platt
Rainforest Action Network @ran.org · 17/09/2026
The crisis in Kalimantan is not over❗🔥 Fires have now started in Nusantara, Indonesia's new capitol city. Not only is this destroying precious forest, orangutan habitat, and releasing carbon, but it's a direct result of industrial clearing of forests. bit.ly/3VgZvqB
news.mongabay.com
Wildfires on doorstep of Indonesia's new capital as environmental and health crisis flares
PENAJAM PASER, Indonesia -- Indonesia's escalating wildfire crisis has reached the outskirts of Nusantara, the new capital city under construction as the world's fourth-most-populous country seeks to transplant its political heartland from a flood plain...
074
John R. Platt @johnrplatt.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Both are great.
000