【推荐1】The world’s coral reefs are in bad shape. Climate change has led to coral whitening. Overfishing has disturbed the ecosystems that keep reefs healthy. Poisonous runoffs from human industry are destroying the “rainforests of the sea.” A new study has highlighted another threat to coral reefs：plastics.

Researchers analyzed corals from reefs in Southeast Asia and Australia. Almost everywhere they looked, they saw bits of plastic, including chip wrappers, Q-tips, garbage bags.

The team estimates that at least 11 billion plastic items are trapped in coral reefs in the Asia-Pacific and that number is increasing alarmingly. This could spell disaster for the world’s reefs. The likelihood of the corals developing a disease jumps from 4 to 89 percent when corals come into contact with plastics.

Further investigations are needed to determine precisely how and why plastics make coral open to different diseases. But it seems that plastic debris（碎片）slices open the skin of the corals, exposing them to bacteria.

“Plastic debris can cause damage to coral tissues by accelerating invasion of bacteria or by exhausting resources for immune system function during wound-healing processes,” the authors of the study write. Drew Harvell, co-author of the study, says that plastics also “shade the light coral needs and cut off water flow.”

It is vital to preserve the health of coral reefs for a number of reasons. Many marine creatures make their homes within the reefs. Reefs also protect coastlines from waves and tropical storms, support fishing industries and generate billions of dollars for the worldwide tourism industry every year.

Throughout the research, scientists noticed that the plastics problem was not evenly distributed. Reefs near Indonesia had the highest amount of plastic rubbish, while reefs near Australia had the lowest. This could be because Australia has the best waste removal system. It suggests that there is a relatively easy fix to the issue.

“We can clean up the problem,” Harvell told Fears. “It’s so much easier than climate change.”

【推荐2】In a landmark study, published in the journal Nature Communications, researchers placed the genetically modified (转基因的) mosquitoes in a special laboratory that has similar conditions to sub-Saharan Africa, where mosquitoes spread malaria, a deadly disease.

The male mosquitoes were engineered with a sequence of DNA known as a “gene drive” that can rapidly transmit a mutation (突变) that wipes out populations of the insects. The goal is to create a powerful new tool to fight malaria.

Years of additional research will be needed to prove the approach works and the mosquitoes would be safe to release into the wild. The project would also require approval and agreement by local residents in areas where those mosquitoes live, mostly in sub-Saharan Africa.

The modification consisted of a mutation in a gene known as “doublesex”, which female mosquitoes need for normal development. The mutation deforms the mouths of mosquitoes, making them unable to bite and spread the disease. It also deforms their reproductive organs, making them unable to lay eggs.

“The mutation is combined with a gene drive, a selfish type of genetic element that spreads itself in the mosquito population,” said Tony Nolan of the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, who helped develop and test the mosquitoes.

Because of fears of disturbing the delicate balance of ecosystems, the researchers have taken extraordinary steps to prevent the insects from escaping. The scientists first tested the mosquitoes in a high-security basement lab in London, where the mosquitoes destroyed unmodified mosquitoes in small cages.

To try to test the mosquitoes safely under more natural conditions, the researchers built a special high-security lab in Italy, which has similar environment to the natural environment in sub-Saharan Africa. It is also designed to keep their gene-drive mosquitoes from escaping. For example, anyone entering the most secure part of the lab had to pass through a special room that would prevent any mosquitoes from exiting. The lab was purposefully located far from Africa in case, somehow, any mosquitoes managed to get out.

【推荐3】A handful of healthy soil could contain great numbers of living organisms. However, poisonous pesticides (杀虫剂) are causing harm and destruction to them, according to a recent analysis.

For the analysis, researchers looked through nearly 400 published studies including over 2,800 experiments on how pesticides affect soil organisms. They found that pesticides harmed organisms critical to maintaining healthy soils, but these harms have never been considered in the safety reviews of the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency).Poisonous pesticides are driving factors in the sharp decline of many soil organisms, such as ground beetles. They have been identified as the most significant driver of soil biodiversity loss in the last ten years.

However, that research has always been ignored. The EPA, which is responsible for pesticide supervision(监管)in the country, openly acknowledges that somewhere between 50 and 100 percent of all agriculturally applied pesticides end up on the soil. Yet, to assess pesticides’ harms to soil species, the agency just uses a single test species, the European honeybee, to estimate risk to all soil organisms. It spends its entire life above ground in artificial boxes.

Worse still, as soil health gain popularity globally, pesticide companies have jumped up to green wash and promote their products. Every major company is now advertising its role in improving soil health, such as advocating planting cover crops. As general beliefs, these practices are indeed good for soil health and, if adopted responsibly, are a great step to take. But companies know that these practices are often accompanied by increased pesticide use. Chemicals and pesticides have to be applied more frequently to kill weeds before crops are planted.

The long-term environmental cost can no longer be overlooked. Soils are some of the most complex ecosystems on Earth, containing nearly a quarter of the planet’s biodiversity. Protecting them should be a priority, not an afterthought.

【推荐3】Motivating Employees under Unfavourable Conditions

It is a great deal easier to motivate employees in a growing organization than a declining one. When organizations are expanding, promotional opportunities, pay rises, and the excitement of being associated with a dynamic organization create feelings of optimism. When an organization is shrinking, the best and mobile workers are likely to leave voluntarily.     1     The minor employees remain because their job options are limited.

Morale (士气) also suffers during decline. People fear they may be the next to be made unnecessary. Productivity often Suffers, as employees spend their time sharing rumours and providing one another with moral support rather than focusing on their jobs.     2     Pay cuts, unheard of during times of growth, may even be imposed. The challenge to management is how to motivate employees under such special conditions.

    3     For example, if the job is running a small business or an autonomous unit within a larger business, high achievers should be sought. High achievers will do best when the job provides moderately challenging goats and where there is independence and feedback.

The literature on goal-setting theory suggests that managers should ensure that all employees have specific goals and receive comments on how well they are doing in those goals. Regardless of whether goals are achievable or well within management’s perceptions of the employee’s ability, if employees see them as unachievable they will reduce their effort.     4    

Since employees have different needs, managers should use their knowledge of each employee to personalize the rewards over which they have control. Some of the more obvious rewards that managers allocate include pay, promotions and the opportunity to participate in goal-setting and decision-making.