【推荐2】Research has found that using wood for construction instead of concrete and steel can reduce emissions. But Tim Searchinger at Princeton University says many of these studies are based on the false foundation that harvesting wood is carbon neutral (碳中和). “Only a small percentage of the wood gets into a timber (木料) product, and a part of that gets into a timber product that can replace concrete and steel in a building,” he says. Efficiencies vary in different countries, but large amounts of a harvested tree are left to be divided into parts, used in short-lived products like paper or burned for energy, all of which generate emissions.

In a report for the World Resources Institute, Searchinger and his colleagues have modelled how using more wood for construction would affect emissions between 2010 and 2050, accounting for the emissions from harvesting the wood. They considered various types of forests and parts of wood going towards construction. They also factored in the emissions savings from replacing concrete and steel.

Under some circumstances, the researchers found significant emissions reductions. But each case required what they considered an unrealistically high portion of the wood going towards construction, as well as rapid growth only seen in warmer places, like Brazil. In general, they found a large increase in global demand for wood would probably lead to rising emissions for decades. Accounting for emissions in this way, the researchers reported in a related paper that increasing forest harvests between 2010 and 2050 would add emissions equal to roughly 10 percent of total annual emissions.

Ali Amiri at Aalto University in Finland says the report’s conclusions about emissions from rising demand are probably correct, but the story is different for wood we already harvest. “Boosting the efficiency of current harvests and using more wood for longer lived purposes than paper would cut emissions,” he says. “We cannot just say we should stop using wood.”

【推荐1】Not all fat is created equal. The fat most people picture is known as white fat, since it looks white or white-yellow when you see it under the skin. But you’re also born with brown fat, which, unsurprisingly, looks brown.

Brown fat — found in the neck and shoulders of newborns — is metabolically (新陈代谢地) efficient, in that it burns lots of calories, which serves the purpose of keeping you warm (important for newborns). We lose most of our brown fat as we age. By age six, we have less than five percent of the brown fat we were born with; the fat we gain over time is almost all white fat. One of the major causes of shortened lifetime and illnesses like type 2 diabetes and many cancers is the increasing level of white fat. So scientists have long tried to find ways to activate that fat or turn white fat into brown fat.

However, one roadblock to using brown fat is that all the good stuff that brown fat does has to be programmed into the previously white fat, but that has proved doable. A group in Delaware has activated brown fat in a few women with an already approved medication. Researchers at the University of Copenhagen (UCPH) have put white fat in test tubes and turned it into brown fat. They then injected the brown fat into fat sheep. As hoped, the sheep with more brown fat got thin and lost their metabolic syndrome and diabetes.

The timetable for this game-changing ability to turn white fat to brown fat is predicted to be less than five years away after human studies start. If scientists find a way to replace white fat with brown fat, it will likely mitigate risks of diseases like diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and brain disorder greatly and provide increased energy levels. That is, you become operationally younger. Bring it on!

【推荐3】The victims were carried in one by one, their paws and fur burned, suffering from dehydration(脱水) and fear. Their caretakers bandaged their wounds, wrapped them and laid them in baskets with the only thing that was familiar — the leaves of a eucalyptus (桉树) tree.

As catastrophic fires have burned more than two million acres in Australia, dozens of koalas have been rescued from burning trees and ashen ground. The animals, already threatened as a species before these latest fires destroyed an essential habitat, are being treated in rescue centers, and at least one private home, along the country’ s east coast.

The difficult situation of the koala—a national symbol of Australia—has raised questions among conservationists and scientists about what it will take to preserve biodiversity in a country increasingly exposed to intense fire, extreme heat and water scarcity, and which already has among the highest rates of species extinction in the world.

While koalas have evolved to exist alongside wildfires, the animals are facing new threats not just from climate change but also from human development, which has dislocated local populations, damaging their ability to survive fires. In some regions, scientists say, koalas’ numbers have declined by up to 80 percent, though it is difficult to know how many remain across Australia.

“We have these unique animals not found anywhere else on this planet, and we’re killing them,” said Cheyne Flanagan, the clinical director of the Koala Hospital, the only facility of its kind in the world. “This is a big wake-up call.”

【推荐2】The ebike has become an essential item, and even the King has been spotted riding one. According to the market research company Mintel, sales have almost tripled over the past five years. While ebikes have become increasingly commonplace, they are still undeniably expensive. You can pick up a perfectly adequate push bike for £300, but most ebikes cost nearly £2, 000. Now, Cycling Electric, designed to help consumers choose an ebike, offers the following recommendations.

Best folding bike

Carbo Model X

Price: £2, 799 | Weight: 13. 3kg

Range: up to 34 miles

This is one of the most convenient bikes, from a little-known label. The lightweight Carbo X is the perfect example of convenience thanks to its carbon frame and belt drive, instead of a metal bike chain. This makes it lighter and less likely to get messy than an electric Brompton, with its more traditional, oily chain.

Most stylish

Temple Cycles Classic

Price: from £2, 995 | Weight: 19kg

Range: up to 74 miles

This Bristol-based brand is known for its elegant pushbikes, which are hand-built in the city. This is its electric version. It’s a very sleek and functional commuter option and not too heavy. Temples have fewer proprietary (品牌专卖的) parts and so are serviceable in any bike shop. Stylish as they may be, the VanMoofs and the Cowboys can be a bit more complex to get back-up and service.

The money-no-object option

Riese & Müller Nevo4 GT Vario GX

Price: £5, 380 | Weight: 28. 4kg

Range: up to 93 miles

This is a prime example of the attention to detail delivering a high-quality experience in functionality, comfort and practicality — if you can afford it. It has the capacity to handle 25kg of luggage in a pannier, powerful road lights and a beautifully smooth motor.