【推荐1】The 97-year-old botanist, Margaret Bradshaw, is the chief caretaker of Teesdale’s rarest flowers. “Everything about Teesdale is unique,” says Bradshaw with pride — and the authority of someone who has just written a 288-page book on the subject. Bradshaw has been recording rare plants here since the early 1950s and has witnessed great decreases.Her data was the first to prove that — and the need to do something about it.

The main reason for the decrease of these plants is an unusual one. The number of sheep in Teesdale had been reduced by half by 2000, as the uplands were generally believed there were too many sheep. Bradshaw says while sheep are hunted in some upland areas, reducing herding in Teesdale has been destructive. Longer grass overshadows the delicate (娇嫩) flowers, taking away the light they need to grow. As a result of her findings and her work with farmers who herd the land — as well as Natural England, which manages it — sheep numbers are increasing and the timing of herding is being carefully managed. This has led to the partial recovery of some plants.

At 93, she set up Teesdale Special Flora Research and Conservation Trust to record rare plants. A keen horse rider, at 95, she did a 55-mile horse journey across Teesdale, raising almost $ 10,000 for the Trust. When asked about the secret to longevity, “Just keep going,” she says.

“Keep at it.Don’t sit down and just watch TV.”

“I recognise I’m getting older and I’ve been trying to get more people to take over and do the records. They don’t believe I won’t be here forever,” Bradshaw says. Despite Bradshaw’s guardianship of this land, and the love and energy she has put into saving it, the future here is unknown. The last words of her book speak to this endless loss. “This is our heritage, this unique plant species, mine and yours,” she writes. “In spite of trying, I have failed to prevent its decrease, now it is up to you.”

【推荐3】The "30 by 30" campaign to protect 30% of the world's oceans by 2030, supported by more than 70 nations, is known mostly for ambition and few achievements so far. Just 7% of the seas are protected and only 2.7% are highly protected.

Setting aside nearly a third of the oceans, the fishers say, is an idea developing nations in South America and elsewhere can hardly afford. That argument against a large expansion of sea protected areas is heard around the world, and the gap between conservationists and fishers has grown wider as fish population declines and the appetite for seafood grows along with the global population.

Research published recently aims to dramatically change that situation. The study suggests that protecting 30% of the oceans not only could restore biodiversity to ocean habitats, it could also increase the annual global catch by eight million tons about 10% of the catch today. After all, the only way to get more food from the ocean is to protect more. And, as a bonus, it would provide a "cheap, natural solution" to climate change by reducing the amount of seafloor carbon emitted （排放）into the seas by fishing trawlers （拖网渔船）.

In the study, an international team of 26 scientists analyzed the world's unprotected ocean waters to calculate which are threatened by overfishing, habitat destruction, and release of carbon. The team then mapped locations globally where protections would provide the greatest benefits to fish resources, biodiversity and climate.

The findings can be used by nations to address the three related aspects separately or in combination. Fully addressing all three will require that at least 30% of the oceans be protected, but nations can still realize significant protections by focusing on key areas, and global cooperation to strategically locate protected areas can be nearly twice as effective as individual nations working alone.

【推荐1】From Marrakech to Cape Town, Africa has so much to offer. From culture hotspots to natural sights, it can be difficult to decide. Here are some top destinations to recommend.

Bursting with a variety of wildlife in large numbers, Kruger is considered South Africa’s best park for a reason. In addition to the awesome amount of nature on display, the facilities are also fantastic, with great hotels and camps to suit all kinds of budgets.

Take the cable car to the top of Table Mountain for breathtaking views across the whole city. Hang out and relax at the Victoria and Alfred waterside area where you can visit the Museum of Contemporary African Art, try local dishes at the food market, or join a walking tour to explore the area’s history dating back to the 17th century.

Over 1,700 metres wide, Victoria Falls sits on the Zambia and Zimbabwe border. As November marks the start of the rainy season, it’s the perfect time to visit, as with all the extra water the falls will be at their most dramatic!

Boats are the best way to get around this watery wilderness, and perfect for getting up close to hippos and crocodiles. This is also a great place to explore African cuisine, with delicious dishes like Vetkoek, a type of burger served with curry, and chilli sauce.

So, whether you want to take a walk on the wild side or want to dive into a city’s culture(or both!), book your Africa adventure here in just a few simple clicks.

【推荐3】The sun is going to expand into the orbit of Mercury according to scientific calculations, which will result in the entire Earth catching fire, killing all life on the planet. In order to survive, the United Earth Government installs about 10,000 giant engines on the Earth to power it away from its initial orbit and flee to Alpha Centauri. The whole trip is expected to last 2,500 years, during which time humankind will go through about 100 generations. Yet, as the Earth approaches Jupiter, the gas giant's huge gravitational force captures the planet and threatens to tear the Earth apart within days. Who will save the world?

This imaginative tale is at the heart of the science-fiction movie The Wandering Earth. The original novel was written by Liu Cixin, one of China's most remarkable science-fiction writers and a winner of the 2015 Hugo Award for his novel The Three-Body Problem. Unlike many American space-themed films where the solution to a disaster the Earth faces is always fleeing the planet, people in the film are taking the Earth with them. The film, which is the country's most successful science-fiction film of all time, has offered a different and more ambitious idea. The “ambition” doesn't come from nowhere. For thousands of years, the “homeland” has taken roots in the hearts and minds of Chinese people. One old idiom that shows a strong feeling that Chinese people have had for their homeland is “luoyeguigen”, which means returning to one's homeland at an old age, like fallen leaves returning to the roots of their tree.

More importantly, The Wandering Earth is the first “made-in-China” science-fiction movie on the big screen, as the original novel was written by a Chinese author and the director, Guo Fan, is also Chinese. That's just the point. It means domestic movie production teams have matured enough to develop new ideas on the creative basis of science-fiction writers, while the writers are willing to work together with movie productions so that the film results in the best possible performance. Liu may be a highly regarded science- fiction writer in China, but he is not the only one. There are many more writers with rich imaginations, and their works can be adapted for movies as well.