【推荐2】A new study says that no matter how much the world cuts back on carbon emissions, a large and important part of Antarctica is expected to disappear.

The study focused on the melting of protective ice around Antarctica’s Amundsen Sea in western Antarctica. They said the “unavoidable” melting will take hundreds of years, resulting in a rise of nearly 1.8 meters in sea levels. This melting will have a profound impact on where and how people live in the future. The study, published in Nature Climate Change, warns that even if future warming was limited to just a few tenths of a degree more, it would have “limited power to prevent ocean warming that could lead to the collapse of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet.”

The lead writer of the study, Kaitlin Naughten, explains that the research indicates that the Earth is on a path towards rapid ocean warming and ice shelf melting over the coming century. While past studies have talked about how serious the situation is, Naughten was the first to use computer modeling to study how warm water from below will melt the ice. The study looked at four different cases in how much carbon emissions the world produces. ln each case, ocean warming was just too much for this area of the ice to survive. It also looked at what would happen if future warming was limited to 1.5 degrees Celsius over mid-19^th century levels: the international goal. They found the runaway melting process in this case as well.

The study primarily focuses on the part of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet that is most at risk of melting near the Amundsen Sea, including the Thwaites ice shelf, often referred to as the “Doomsday Glacier”. According to Eric Rignot, an ice scientist at the University of California Irvine, this area is already “doomed” (注定的) due to the rapid melting that has occurred. Naughten does not like to use the word “doomed”, because she said 100 years from now, the world might not just stop but drive back carbon levels in the air and climate change. But she said what is happening now on the ground is a slow collapse that cannot be stopped, at least not in this century.

【推荐1】Researchers have been trying to uncover the cause of a steady decline of drug and alcohol use in teens. Some suspect it’s due to anti-drug campaigns or the decline of cigarettes as a gateway drug. But another theory has begun to surface. Is a new drug replacing the old ones? Are smart phones taking their place?

I noticed that using my smart phone took away so many life experiences. I hadn’t minded before when my own phone could distract me, but now I felt annoyed when my friends or family used their phones when we were together. Sure it was uncomfortable at first, not having a clutch (紧握) to fall back on when I didn’t feel like talking.But we shouldn’t use our devices as the universal conversation avoider, or as our distraction from the discomfort of human interaction. How can we learn to interact when our phones are on hand at all times to prevent ourselves from doing so?

Still, smart phones can sometimes be wonderful tools. They allow us to take beautiful photos and help us connect with old friends and maintain long-distance relationships. They allow us to have an endless amount of information at our fingertips, and give us directions to whatever destinations. But we must consider how every tool smart phones provide us with can also influence our lives. Not only does smart phone and screen use have an effect on relationships, it can also shape an individual and the brain. Studies have shown that excessive Internet usage can cause increased depression, loneliness, and anxiety in adolescents.

So my advice to teens who feel the same way as I do? My decision to go without a phone was definitely extreme, considering our generation. So try ditching your phone for a week. Observe how it affects your relationships, your mood, and your presence. You just might end up feeling less stressed, happier, and more connected.

【推荐2】The clumsy yet graceful wood stork, which was on the brink of extinction in 1984, has recovered enough in Florida and other Southern states. The American wildlife officials proposed removing the waterfowl (水禽)from the endangered species list.

This symbolic species, which is the only stork native to North America, has rebounded because dedicated partners in the southeast have worked tirelessly to restore ecosystems that support it. In addition, the wood stork has increased its range in coastal areas. The birds have adapted to new nesting areas, tripling the number of colonies across their range from 29 to 99 in recent years.

Credit goes mainly to the wildlife protections provided by the Endangered Species Act (ESA), which can impose restrictions on a variety of activities in areas where such species are located, such as development, mining and oil drilling. The act saved the wood stork and it helped preserve and rebuild vital habitats throughout the southeast, which has improved water quality and benefited countless other species who call the area home. The Endangered Species Act has saved 99%of the species that have been on the list since 1973, with 100 types of plants and animals delisted because they have recovered or are at least stable.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said that restoration of the wood stork’s habitat, especially in the Florida Everglades and adjacent Big Cypress National Preserve, led to a sharp increase in breeding pairs. Those numbers had shrunk to just 5,000 pairs in 1984, whereas there are more than 10,000 pairs today.

“The proposed delisting of the wood stork is a significant milestone and a remarkable achievement of the hard work by federal agencies, state and local governments, tribes, conservation organizations, and private citizens in protecting and restoring our most at-risk species,” Interior Secretary Deb Haaland said.

If the wood stork is delisted, officials said it would remain protected by other laws including the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and the Clean Water Act. A monitoring plan would be put in place for at least five years to ensure the stork population remains stable.

【推荐2】Life can bring situations that might keep us stressed for a few days, weeks, or months. How well—or bow poorly—we get through a stressful situation depends a lot on us.     1     . Here are some steps you can take to deal with a stressful situation.

●Understand the situation

    2     Try to describe your situation in a sentence or two. What’s stressful about this situation for you right now? It can help to clear your thoughts. When my family just moved, I went to a new school in the middle of the year. The stressful parts are not knowing anyone, strange campus, missing my old friends, and dealing with all new schoolwork by myself

●     3    

Notice and name the feeling you have about the situation. It may help you understand the way you feel given your situation if you write down your feelings. I’m mad that we had to move, especially now. I feel lonely and sad because of missing my old school and old friends.     4     I guess anyone would feel this way if they were in my situation.

●Learn more

    5     . This might include reading about it, talking to others, or finding out what others in your situation have done and what to expect. Learning helps you feel more confident and prepared—plus it reminds you that you’re not the only one who has gone through this.