【推荐2】One swallow may not make a summer, but seeing or hearing birds does improve mental wellbeing, previous researches have found.

The study, led by academics from King’s College London, also found that everyday encounters with birds boosted the mood of people with depression (抑郁), as well as a wider population.

The researchers said the findings suggested that visits to places with a wealth of birdlife, such as parks and canals, could be prescribed(开处方) by doctors to treat mental health conditions. They added their findings also highlighted the need to better protect the environment and improve biodiversity in urban, suburban and rural areas in order to preserve bird habitats.

To get more convincing results, the researchers tracked 1,292 participants’ everyday encounters with birds last year. Over the course of two weeks, the participants, from the UK, Europe, the US, China and Australia, were reminded at irregular intervals (间隔时间) to record how they were feeling, including whether they were happy or stressed, whether they could see trees, and whether they could see or hear birds.

The researchers found that participants’ average mental wellbeing scores increased when they saw or heard birds, including among those who have depression.

However, this positive effect did not continue if the participants did not encounter birds during the later assessment of their mood, which the researchers said indicated “a possible causal link effect of birdlife on mental wellbeing”.

Andrea Mechelli, professor of early intervention in mental health at King’s College London, said: “ We need to create and support environments, particularly urban environments, where bird life is a constant feature. The positive effect of bird encounters on people with depression was of great significance.“ He added, “We know exercise makes everyone feel better. But it’s incredibly challenging to motivate someone with depression to exercise. Contact with bird life is something that, perhaps, is workable.”

【推荐3】Insect numbers have decreased by half in some parts of the world due to climate change an intensive agriculture, a study has found. The combined pressures of global heating and farming are driving a “substantial (大规模的) decline” of insects across the globe, according to UK researchers.

Lead researcher, Dr Charlie Outhwaite of UCL, said losing insect populations could be harmful not only to the natural environment, but to human health and food security, particularly with losses of pollinator (传粉昆虫). “Our findings highlight the urgency of actions to preserve natural habitats, slow the expansion of high-intensity agriculture, and cut emissions to reduce climate change,” she added.

In the latest study, the researchers pulled together data on the range and number of nearly 20, 000 insect species, including bees, ants, butterflies, grasshoppers and dragonflies, at about 6, 000 different locations. In areas with high-intensity agriculture and substantial warming, insect numbers have decreased by 49%, compared with relatively untouched places that have so far avoided the most severe impacts of climate change, according to the research published in Nature.

But the researchers said there was some cause for hope. Setting aside areas of land for nature creates a refuge(庇护所) for insects, which need shade to survive in hot weather. “Careful management of agricultural areas, such as preserving natural habitats near farmland, may help to ensure that vital insects can still survive,” said Dr Tim Newbold, also of UCL.

Study researcher, Peter McCann, added, “We need to acknowledge how important insects are for the environment as a whole, and for human health and well-being, in order to address the threats we pose to them before many species are lost forever. ”

【推荐1】The air is thin and we have to rest several times on the shore hike from camp. To our left, snow-covered mountains disappear into clouds that seem almost close enough to touch. On the plain in front of us, we can just make out a herd of graceful animals. This is why we stay here.

Tibetan antelopes live mainly on the plains of Tibet. Watching them move slowly across the green grass, I'm struck by their beauty. I'm also reminded of the danger they are in. They are being hunted illegally for their valuable fur.

My guide is Zhaxi, a villager from Changtang. He works at the Changtang National Nature Reserve. The reserve is a safe place for the animals and plants of northwestern Tibet. To Zhaxi, protecting the wildlife is a way of life. “We're not trying to save the animals,” he says. “Actually, we're trying to save ourselves.”

In the 1980s and 1990s the population of Tibetan antelopes dropped by more than 50 percent. Hunters were shooting antelopes to make money. Their living places were becoming smaller as new roads and railways were built.

In order to save Tibetan antelopes, the Chinese government placed them under national protection. Zhaxi and volunteers watched over the antelopes day and night to keep them safe from attacks. Bridges and gates were added to let the antelopes move easily and keep them safe from cars and trains.

The measures were effective. The antelope population has recovered and in June 2015, the Tibetan antelope was removed from the endangered species list. The government, however, does not intend to stop the protection program since the threat to the Tibetan antelope has not yet disappeared. Only when we learn to exist in harmony with nature can we stop being a threat to wildlife and to our planet.

【推荐2】A rainforest is an area covered by tall trees with the total high rainfall spreading quite equally through the year and the temperature rarely dipping below 16 ℃. Rainforests have a great effect on the world environment because they can take in heat from the sun and adjust the climate. Without the forest cover, these areas would reflect more heat into the atmosphere, warming the rest of the world. Losing the rainforests may also influence wind and rainfall patterns, potentially causing certain natural disasters all over the world.

In the past hundred years, humans have begun destroying rainforests in search of three major resources(资源): land for crops, wood for paper and other products, land for raising farm animals. This action affects the environment as a whole. For example, a lot of carbon dioxide (二氧化碳) in the air comes from burning the rainforests. People obviously have a need for the resources we gain from cutting trees but we will suffer much more than we will benefit.

There are two main reasons for this. Firstly, when people cut down trees, generally they can only use the land for a year or two. Secondly, cutting large sections of rainforests may provide a good supply of wood right now, but in the long run it actually reduces the world’s wood supply.

Rainforests are often called the world’s drug store. More than 25% of the medicines we use today come from plants in rainforests. However, fewer than l% of rainforest plants have been examined for their medical value. It is extremely likely that our best chance to cure diseases lies somewhere in the world’s shrinking rainforests.

【推荐3】In a county of Britain, a pair of pig farmers has managed to feed one million bees by turning over half of their land to wildflowers. Four years ago, brothers Mark and Paul Hayward decided to fill 81 acres of their farm land with wildflowers. This week, a study found they were feeding one million bees at any time.

“This was our target when we started, to, grow enough flowers to feed a million bees on a single day.” Mark said. “We are acutely aware that bees are under threat from modern farming methods and that East England is one of the worst places where bees are seriously suffering from lack of wildflower diversity,” he continued.

“Every third bite of food you eat can come from bees and we wanted to create an operation on our farm that did not push nature out but rather hugged it-as a central part of our ecology system and our food cycle,” he said.

The farm uses all kinds of seeds which can produce many different wild plants and of course, the bees can get food from different wildflowers.

“We are taking a very small role in helping society restore a balance and this starts with plant diversity to encourage insects, bees, small mammals(哺乳动物), and birds,” said Paul. “At the end of the day, we see ourselves as caretakers of this land. Between us we have six children and we owe it to them to farm sustainability(持续性)and set an example for the generations to come,” added Paul.

According to the Bee Conservation Trust, many types of bees have seen their populations decline by 70%, and two species have become extinct in the last century.

Gill Perkins, CEO of the Bee Conservation Trust said, “Thanks to Mark and Paul, at least here, a million bees can keep living, which is of great significance for ourselves now and future.”

【推荐1】Winter can usually kill most wildfires. But in the far North，some forest fires just don’t die. They are thought of as “zombie (僵尸) fires”.

“Zombie fires” usually sleep underground in winter. Covered by snow, they smoke through the cold. Fueled by carbon-rich peat (泥炭) and soil in the North, most of these hidden fires spread slowly for less than 500 meters during the winter. When spring comes, the flames (火焰) of the fires appear near sites that they have burned in winter, and they turn to burning fresh fuels around. This may happen well before the traditional fire season in the far North.

“Zombie fires” had been known mostly from firefighters’ stories. Few scientists studied them until details in some satellite images attracted one research team. Rebecca Scholten, a member of the team, studies earth systems at Vrije University Amsterdam in the Netherlands. Her team noticed an unusual thing. “New fires have been starting very close to the former years’ fires in recent years, and we wonder how often the fires might survive the winter,” Scholten explains.

These “zombie fires” are rarely seen before, according to a new study from Nature. But in recent years, they are becoming more common, the study warns. It is believed that the “zombie fires” are even on the road of being a threat. Forests in the far North are warming faster than the globe’s average. Scholten says, “We’re seeing more hot summers and more large fires and strong burning. That could set the stage for the fires to become a bigger problem,” she worries. And the region’s soils hold a lot of carbon—maybe twice as much as earth’s atmosphere. More fires here could give off huge amounts of greenhouse gases. That would drive a cycle of more warming and even higher risk of fires.

【推荐3】Are you sometimes a little tired and sleepy in the early afternoon? Many people feel this way after lunch. They may think that eating lunch is the cause of the sleepiness. Or, in summer, they may think it is the heat. However, the real reason lies inside their bodies. At that time — about eight hours after you wake up — your body temperature goes down. This is what makes you slow down and feel sleepy. Scientists have tested sleep habits in experiments where there was no night or day. The people in these experiments almost always followed a similar sleeping pattern. They slept for one long period and then for one short period about eight hours later.

In many parts of the world, people take naps (小憩) in the middle of the day. This is especially true in warmer climates, where the heat makes work difficult in the early afternoon. Researchers are now saying that naps are good for everyone in any climate. A daily nap gives one a more rested body and mind and therefore is good for health in general. In countries where naps are traditional, people often suffer less from problems such as heart disease. Many working people, unfortunately, have no time to take naps. Though doctors may advise taking naps, employers do not allow it! If you do have the chance, however, here are a few tips about making the most of your nap. Remember that the best time to take a nap is about eight hours after you get up. A short sleep too late in the day may only make you feel more tired and sleepy afterward. This can also happen if you sleep for too long. If you do not have enough time, try a short nap — even ten minutes of sleep can be helpful.