【推荐2】The cold, wet weather of winter often puts out any wildfires that are still burning, but not in the far North areas, such as Alaska, Canada, and other parts of North America. Some forest fires just don’t die in these places. Think of the fires as “zombies” (僵尸): Scientists do. When summers are warmer than normal, some fires can hide through the winter. They burn dead plant matter and soils under snow. In May 2021, scientists reported their work to a scientific journal. The scientists saw that zombie fires are rare but they could become more common as the world warms, the study warns.

“Some years, new fires were starting very close to the previous year’s fire,” explains Rebecca Scholten. She studies Earth and environmental sciences at Vrije University Amsterdam in the Netherlands. The new fires made scientists wonder how often fires might survive the winter. The scientists started by combing through firefighter reports. Then they compared these with satellite images of Alaska and northern Canada. The scientists looked for fires that began close to fires from the year before. They also focused on blazes starting before the middle of summer. Random lightning or human actions spark most fires in the area, Scholten says. But those fires happen later in the year.

Zombie fires accounted for less than 1 percent of the total area burned by fires from 2002 to 2018. But it changed from year to year. Take 2008, for example. A zombie fire burned Alaska that year. It caused almost one-third of fire damage that year. One clear pattern emerged: Zombie fires were more likely to happen after very warm summers. High temperatures may allow fires to reach more deeply into the soil. Such deep burns are more likely to survive to spring.

The zombie fire threat could grow. The climate is warming. Forests in the far North already are warming faster. “We’re seeing more hot summers and more large fires and intense burning,” Scholten says. Plus, zombie fires could cause more issues. The fires release huge amounts of greenhouse gases. These trap heat in the Earth’s atmosphere. The atmosphere is a layer of gases that surround the Earth. Scholten’s research could help fire management. Firefighters would know to check for them after warm summers.

【推荐1】New Mexico claims 465 miles of Route 66's Chicago to Los Angeles journey. There are numerous attractive places. Here are four of them.

Gallup Trading Center

ADDRESS: 223 W Historic Highway 66, Gallup, NM 87301-6321

PHONE:+1 505-722-4762

Sitting on the edge of the Navajo Nation, Gallup is a center for Native American art， including Richardson Trading Co. where Navajo textiles（纺织品）pile in a room devoted to one of the nation＇s many art forms. Silver jewelry（珠宝） line glass decorates every wall， including the delicate designs Zuni artists have mastered. It's a perfect place to purchase a souvenir to remember a Route 66 road trip through New Mexico.

Blue Swallow Motel

ADDRESS:815 E Rte 66 Blvd, Tucumcari, NM 88401

PHONE:+1 575-461-9849

Road trippers can put up at several hotels preserved from decades ago in Tucumcari, including the Blue Swallow Motel. The hotel dates back to 1939 and continues to be family-owned and operated today. Inside, the rooms have decorations from the peaceful days of American road trips, for example rolling phones. The most desiring suite is named after the long-time owner Lillian Redman.

Route 66 Auto Museum

ADDRESS: 2436 U.S. Rte 66, Santa Rosa, NM 88435

PHONE:+1 575-472-1966

The museum run by a couple is a must-visit for its collection of classic and old-fashioned cars. The owner has been in the vehicle restoration business for 40 years, so the small museum has a variety of luxury cars. The warehouse-like space is also listed in Route 66 memorabilia, including gas station signs and pumps.

Route 66 Diner

ADDRESS:1405   Central Ave NE, Albuquerque, NM 87106-4801

PHONE:+1 505-247-1421

Route 66 Diner is a traditional soda fountain that serves hamburgers, drinks, and malts on the edge of Nob Hill. A wall here is covered with classic road signs and is a must-have Instagram photo for many visitors.

【推荐1】Major Snow, the 21st solar term of the year, begins this year on Dec 7 and ends on Dec 20, marking the start of the season. It begins when the sun reaches the celestial longitude (天文经度) of 255° and ends when it reaches 270°     1    , so it is named Major Snow.

By the start of Major Snow, most of China has already seen the start of winter.     2    . At this time of year, the snow gradually settles in the Yellow River Basin. In far north there is heavy snow; while in the south, it is mild with less rainfall.

    3    . Snow adds warmth and wetness to the winter wheat, preventing dry air in winter. It can also store and lock in water needed for the following year, and it kills off bacteria and pests which decreases the risk of disease.

During Major Snow, people often eat jujube cakes, made from red jujube dates (枣) which are rich in vitamin C, protein, calcium, iron, vitamins and other nutrients.     4    . Jujube dates not only replenish (补充) the spleen and stomach, but also protect the liver, increase muscle strength, and are said to be anti-aging. Because of their affordable price and high nutritional content, jujube cakes are popular all over China at this time of year.

In some areas, cured meats become a specialty product, as a way to store meat over the winter months. As the saying goes, small snow seals the ground, heavy snow seals the river.     5    .

Major Snow is an excellent season for people to replenish their bodies. There is another saying, “Replenishing your body in winter means you will be strong enough to fight a tiger in early spring.”

【推荐2】Cutting our use of fossil fuels by making energy from solar panels and wind farms is a well-known way to tackle climate change but a new study shows that soil could play a big role too.

Scientists are looking at ways to store the gas carbon dioxide (CO₂) on Earth. That’s because too much of it in the atmosphere is one of the main causes of global warming. CO₂ comes from natural sources and from human activities like burning fossil fuels (coal, oil and gas). If there is too much of it in the Earth’s atmosphere, it can trap in the Sun’s heat, leading to climate change. The soil study was led by Jacqueline McGlade, former chief scientist at the UN Environment Programme.

McGlade says that if half of the world’s agricultural soil stored just 1% more CO₂, the world would almost be on track to keep to the 2015 Paris Agreement. In the Paris Agreement, most of the world’s countries promised to stop average temperatures rising above a certain point that would be bad for the planet.

McGlade says that changing farming methods will improve the health of soil and its ability to store CO₂. She suggests cutting the use of artificial fertilizers. These are plant foods made from fossil fuels that contain growth-boosting ingredients.

Other ways to help include ploughing less to stop soil drying out or washing into rivers, and planting cover crops. Cover crops are not harvested for food, they are grown to give the soil a break.   One cover crop is clover, a plant that naturally gives the soil nitrogen     a substance that helps other plants grow.

McGlade says, “Changing farming could make soils carbon-negative, making them absorb carbon and reducing the cost of farming.”   She says that, in the long term, it would also boost food production.

【推荐3】Climate change does not offer comfort, but it can produce winners as well as losers. With parts of England as hot as the Champagne region of France was in the 1980s, the sparkling-wine industry is already bubbling. Longer sunny periods will make it easier for British winemakers to make quality wines.

A recent study from the London School of Economics finds that climate change is also expanding the area in England suitable for making wine. Most vineyards (葡萄园) are in south-east England but more land as far north as the east Midlands could come into use. Alistair Nesbitt, the study’s lead author, says that by 2040 higher temperatures may also allow winemakers to grow more disease-resistant varieties of grapes.

As a result, a mini land rush is under way. According to Strutt & Parker, a consultancy, Britain has over 900 vineyards, up by 80% in the past five years. Essex, Sussex and Kent are of most interest to winemakers. This summer Jackson Family Wines, an American firm, became the first big maker of wines to invest in England; it plans to acquire around 26 hectares (公顷) in Essex. London clay, a mud found in high concentrations in the county, is ideal for producing bold red wine.

Nick Watson of Strutt & Parker says that the prices of established vineyards have increased sharply and that land suitable for viticulture (葡萄栽培) now sells for £40,000-50,000 per hectare. Such prices pale next to those in famed wine regions abroad: in Bordeaux land can fetch over £1.6m a hectare. The difference has little to do with the quality of the soil and much to do with a region’s reputation.

Other aspects of climate change are less welcome for winemakers. A year of heavy rain or severe drought could destroy entire crops. John Atkinson, a winemaker in Essex, says that making good wine all comes down to the soil, the weather and the barrel. “Growing grapes in this country is a bit like playing cricket,” he says, “There are so many ways to be out.”