Newsletter #123 State Of The Planet Earth - 2018-12-10

If you love articles about Nature and Earth, this page is for you. Happy reading!

2019 may be the hottest year yet—here's why: Stephen Leahy

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Spurred by a likely El Niño as well as climate change, the planet is expected to heat up even more, scientists warn.

Shocking report details massive illegal turtle trade network: Dina Fine Maron

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A series of recent sting operations has led to dozens of arrests, thousands of reptiles seized

Can Israel and Jordan cooperate to save the dying Dead Sea?: Yardena Schwartz

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Both countries face critical water shortages, forcing them to come together and make tough choices.

Pilot’s stunning aerial desert picture wins National Geographic’s 2018 photo contest: Sarah Polger

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Flying high above the desert, photographer Jassen Todorov captured breathtaking scale and won grand prize.

Discover the art behind Nashville's signature sound: Liz Beatty

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In Music City, country music and old-school letterpress design have long harmonized.

Microplastics found to permeate the ocean’s deepest points: Sarah Gibbens

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One liter of water from the Mariana Trench contains thousands of tiny plastic pieces, according to new research.

This notorious Christmas character is dividing a country: Becky Little

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Neo-Nazis in the Netherlands have responded violently to calls to get rid of Santa's blackface holiday assistant.

Listen: Mice ‘argue’ about infidelity in ultrasound: Leslie Nemo

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By eavesdropping on California mice, researchers learn how the species copes with separation.

Dear Curiosity: How NASA's rover makes Mars feel like home: Rebecca Boyle

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As it rolls across the red planet's rusty surface, Curiosity transforms Mars from an alien world into a familiar landscape.

A running list of how President Trump is changing environmental policy: Michael Greshko, Laura Parker, Brian Clark Howard, Daniel Stone, Alejandra Borunda

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The Trump administration has promised vast changes to U.S. science and environmental policy—and we’re tracking them here as they happen.