【推荐1】For the history of life on Earth, organisms have relied on the light of the sun, moon, and stars to find their way and schedule their lives. While the beginning of electric lighting in the late 19th century may have benefited humans, it has caused problems in the natural world. Among the impacts of artificial light at night(ALAN), light pollution lures migrating birds to cities with shocking consequences, contributes to the alarming decline in insect populations, and convinces sea turtle babies to amble(缓行)away from the water instead of towards it.

Now, a new study from the University of Plymouth adds another disappointing finding about how ALAN is affecting the creatures with whom we share the planet: Light pollution from coastal cities can trick corals(珊瑚)into reproducing outside of the optimum times when they would normally reproduce.

Using a combination of light pollution data and spawning(产卵)observations, researchers were able to show for the first time that corals exposed to ALAN are spawning one to three days earlier and closer to the full moon compared to those on unlit corals. “That shift may reduce the survival and fertilization success of gametes(配子)and genetic connectivity between nearby lit and unlit coral systems,” they explain.

“Corals are among the most biodiverse, economically important, and threatened ecosystems on the planet,” write the authors of the study.

“Climate change has led to mass bleaching(褪色)events. Habitat destruction, fisheries, and pollution have reduced corals substantially since the 1950s,” they write, adding, “The complete loss of corals is anticipated over the next 100 years.”

If we want to reduce the harm ALAN is causing, we could perhaps look to delay the switching-on of night-time lighting in coastal regions to ensure the natural dark period between sunset and moonrise when coral reproduction remains undisturbed.

【推荐2】In 2019, a NASA satellite map with dark and light green colors showed the world that China is leading the increase in greening on Earth’s land area because of national tree-planting programs.

    1    over 45 percent of China’s land is covered with deserts and sandy soil, way bigger than China’s arable land (可耕地) which is nearly 10 percent of the total arable land in the world, but supports over 20 percent of the world’s population

March 12 marks China’s Tree Planting Day.    2    . At the time, a forestry expert suggested designating (定义) the Qingming Festival, also known as Tomb-Sweeping Day, as the National Tree Planting Day. After the death of Sun Yat-sen on March 12, 1925, the National Tree Planting Day was changed to fall on March 12 to remember Sun’s support for national afforestation (植树造林).

Since the People’s Republic of China was founded in 1949, the Chinese government has continued to use the day to honor Sun’s contribution to the country.    3    

In 2019，a research team of Boston University found that the global green leaf area has increased by five percent since the early 2000s.     4     , they thought it was because of a “warmer, wetter climate and fertilization from the added carbon dioxide in the atmosphere”. But with a two-decade-long data (数据) record from NASA, they see that humans are contributing.    5    .

In 2021，China planted 3.6 million hectares of forest and changed 380,800 hectares of farmland into forest. The country plans to plant 6.4 million hectares of trees and grass this year.

【推荐3】On the side of the road in the Hoh Xil Nature Reserve in northwest China's Qinghai Province, you might see a chubby wolf wagging its tail, rolling on the ground in front of the passing cars in hopes of getting a meal. However, it was skin and bones a few months ago. It is said that the old starving wolf was kicked out of the wolf pack because of its poor hunting ability. But that all changed after a passing driver gave it two pies and posted a video of it online in July, which has made the wolf popular, with people rushing to the area to provide it with food.

Since then, the wolf has given up its hunting instinct(本能) and turned to passers-by for snacks that are high in oil, sugar and salt, such as pies, roasted chicken and sausages. Subsequently, more wolves have joined this behavior. The wolfs change has led many netizens to find humor as they are actually acting like pet dogs. However, the change means that it is losing its ability to survive in nature, which is extremely dangerous to wild animals.

“Wolves are part of the food web in the ecosystem, and as people continue to feed them, their habits will change, which will disrupt their role in the ecosystem and affect the stability of the ecosystem,” said Qi Xinzhang, deputy head of the Xining Wildlife Park in the province.

Although wolves sit near the top of the food web, their kill rate is only 14 percent. They don't eat every day. Instead, they live a life of feast or famine, and hunger is their norm.

So far, some parts of the country have enacted laws and regulations prohibiting the feeding of wild animals. Shanghai municipal government implemented regulations on October 1 this year, prohibiting the feeding of wild animals. On October 16, a newly revised wildlife protection law in southwest China's Sichuan Province made it clear that feeding and driving away wild animals are prohibited while observing and photographing them.

【推荐3】The Best Maldives Island for Your Travel Style

Every resort (度假地) in Maldives is its own private island but choosing the right one for you can be difficult. Want to kick off your Indian Ocean holiday in style? Our guide will help you know what to look for in the hunt for your ideal island.

You’ll never go hungry at the Waldorf Astoria Maldives Ithaafushi, which has 11 restaurants, including ones specializing in garden-to-table cuisine. There are regular food-themed events, too — our favorites include Arabian Night and the Twilight Seafood Barbecue.

Considered one of the best spots in the Maldives for honeymoons, the Four Seasons Resort Maldives has a huge range of room categories and offers a brilliant selection of packages, including Island Romance packages that feature fantastic extras designed with couples in mind.

There are numerous reasons to visit the Fairmont Maldives, including the fact that it’s a great place to learn about sustainability, whether it’s at the Sustainability Lab, where guests can turn discarded plastic bottles into jewelry or during excursions with marine biologists from a charity created to protect sea turtles.

Heritance Aarah recently opened its Live Maldivian Village Museum, which focuses on 4,000 years of Maldivian history. Guests can learn about the art of coral stone carving and find out why locals are known as some of the world’s best boat builders.

To ensure you experience the Maldives’ best bits, schedule a holiday every month without fail. We’re joking, but you get the point: think what you want to see and do, and brush up on the different areas’ seasonal selling points.