On numerous drives with my mom through my childhood, she would suddenly pull over the car to examine a flower by the side of the road or rescue a beetle from danger while I, in my late teens and early twenties, sat impatiently in the car.

Though Mother's Day follows Earth Day, for me, they have always been related to each other. My mom has been ''green'' since she became concerned about the environment. Part of this habit was born of thrift(节俭). Like her mother and her grandmother before her, mom saves glass jars, empty cheese containers and reuses her plastic bags.

Mom creates a kind of harmonious relationship with wildlife in her yard. She knows to pick the apples on her trees a little early to avoid the bears and that if she leaves the bird feeders out at night, it is likely that they will be knocked down by a family of raccoons(浣熊). Spiders that make their way into the house and are caught in juice glasses will be set loose in the garden.

I try to teach my children that looking out for the environment starts with being aware of the environment. On busy streets, we look for dandelions(蒲公英)to fly in the wind; we say hello to neighborhood cats and pick up plastic cups and paper bags. This teaching comes easily, I realize, because I was taught so well by example. Mom didn’t need to lecture; she didn't need to beat a drum to change the world. She simply slowed down enough to enjoy living in it and with that joy came mercy and an instinct(直觉)for protection.

I am slowing down and it isn't because of the weight of my nearly forty years on the planet, it is just out of my concern for the planet itself. I've begun to save glass jars and reuse packing envelopes. I pause in my daily tasks to watch the squirrels race each other in the trees above my house.

Last summer, I planted tomatoes in my yard. With the heat of August around me, I enjoyed my tomatoes while sitting on my low wall. I immediately wanted to share with my mom.

Although being famous might sound like a dream come true, today's stars, feeling like zoo animals, face pressures that few of us can imagine. They are at the center of the world’s attention. Paparazzi(狗仔队)camp outside their homes, cameras ready. Tabloids(小报)publish thrilling stories about their personal lives. Just imagine not being able to do anything without being photographed or interrupted for a signature.

According to psychologist Christina Villarreal, celebrities—famous people—worry constantly about their public appearance. Eventually, they start to lose track of who they really are, seeing themselves the way their fans imagine them, not as the people they were before everyone knew their names. ''Over time,'' Villarreal says, ''they feel separated and alone.''

The phenomenon of tracking celebrities has been around for ages. In the 4th century B C., painters followed Alexander the Great into battle, hoping to picture his victories for his admirers. When Charles Dickens visited America in the 19th century, his sold-out readings attracted thousands of fans, leading him to complain about his lack of privacy. Tabloids of the 1920s and 1930s ran articles about film-stars in much the same way that modern tabloids and websites do.

Being a public figure today, however, is a lot more difficult than it used to be. Superstars cannot move about without worrying about photographers with modern cameras. When they say something silly or do something ridiculous, there is always the Internet to spread the news in minutes and keep ''their story'' alive forever.

If fame is so troublesome, why aren’t all celebrities running away from it? The answer is there are still ways to deal with it. Some stars stay calm by surrounding themselves with trusted friends and family or by escaping to remote places away from big cities. They focus not on how famous they are but on what they love to do or whatever made them famous in the first place.

Sometimes a few celebrities can get a little justice. Still, even stars who enjoy full justice often complain about how hard their lives are. They are tired of being famous already.

A survey has shown that what you do on a plane can be determined by which nationality is listed on your passport. According to the results of an international passenger survey, Australians are the biggest drinkers on board with 36 percent choosing to down the hatch, compared to 35 percent of Americans and 33 percent of Brits.

The Airline Passenger Experience Association (APEX) spoke to around 1,500 people aged 18 and older, who have traveled by plane at least once during the last three months and were living in the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, Japan, China Singapore, Australia and Brazil.

The results found Chinese travelers are most likely to nod off once the seat-belt sign switches off. They are also the first to take out their credit card for some in-flight shopping and the biggest fans of gaming. Americans on the other hand like to use their time in the air more productively—when not drinking—choosing to work while flying at 35,000 feet.

Meanwhile, Brits and Germans are the best at making a chat with random strangers—spending 50 percent more time than any other nationality. Comparatively, Brazilians conduct their conversations online via email, messaging apps or social media.

Despite plane food having a bad reputation, seven out of ten interviewees said they were happy to eat up on the selection of in-flight snacks and meals. In-flight magazines were also popular with four out of five passengers.

The international flyers, who travelled on eight major airlines, did however express their desire for better in-flight entertainment. ''The industry has greatly improved the comfort, entertainment and onboard service, and passengers are accepting those improvements'' said Russell Lemieux, APEX executive director. ''At the same time, passengers are demanding more from their air travel experiences which will drive more improvements touching all aspects of the journey.'' he added.

Holding a cell phone against your ear or storing it in your pocket may be dangerous to your health. This explains a warning that cell phone makers include in the small print that is often ignored when a new phone is purchased Apple, for example, doesn’t want iPhones to come closer to you than 1.5 centimeters.

If health issues arise from cell phone use, the possible effects are huge. According to Devra Davis, an expert who has worked for the University of Pittsburgh, brain cancer is a concern. Over all, there has not been an increase in its incidence since cell phones arrived. But the average masks an increase in brain cancer in the 20—29 age group and a drop for the older population.

“Most cancers have many causes,” she says, but she points to laboratory research that suggests low energy radiation could damage cells that could possibly lead to cancer.

Children are more vulnerable to radiation than adults, Ms. Davis and other scientists point out: Radiation that penetrates（穿透）only five centimeters into the brain of an adult will reach much deeper into the brains of children because their skulls（头骨）are thinner and their brains contain more absorptive（易吸收的）fluid.

Henry Lai, a research professor in the bioengineering department at the University of Washington, began laboratory radiation studies in 1980 and found that rats exposed to radiation had damaged DNA in their brains.

Ms. Davis recommends using wired headsets or the phone’s speaker. Children should text rather than call, she said, and pregnant women should keep phones away from the belly（腹部）.