【推荐1】Regenerative tourism is concept that is gaining attraction in the travel industry. It is different from sustainable tourism in that it goes beyond just minimizing the negative impact of tourism. It is a philosophy that aims to not only minimize the negative impact of tourism but also to actively contribute to the regeneration of local ecosystems, economies, and cultures.

The concept of regenerative tourism is not new. Native communities around the world have been practicing regenerative tourism for centuries. However, it has gained renewed interest in recent years due to the growing awareness of the impact of tourism on the environment and the need for sustainable travel practices, particularly post-pandemic-indeed it could even be argued that, as the global tourism industry and those who depend on it start to recover, tourism in itself is a regenerative act.

One example of regenerative tourism is ecotourism. Ecotourism involves traveling to natural areas with the aim of learning about and conserving the environment. It involves activities such as hiking, bird watching, and wildlife viewing. Another example of regenerative tourism is community-based tourism. Community-based tourism involves staying with local communities and participating in their cultural activities, such as our Buffalo Curd Experience in Sri Lanka, or our Rice Wine Trek in Laos. Regenerative tourism can also involve the use of sustainable and regenerative practices in the tourism industry itself. For example, hotels can use renewable energy sources, reduce their water consumption, and use sustainable materials in their construction.

The benefits of regenerative tourism are many. However, carrying out regenerative tourism practices requires a shift in mindset and a commitment to sustainability. It requires tourism businesses to not only minimize their negative impact but to actively contribute to the regeneration of the environment and communities. It requires tourists to be conscious of their impact and to choose travel options in line with their values.

In conclusion, regenerative tourism is a promising concept that has the potential to transform the travel industry. By actively contributing to the regeneration of local ecosystems, economies, and cultures, regenerative tourism can create a better future for both people and the planet.

【推荐2】Nature is all about relationships: the interconnected links between the living and lifeless, and how they harmonize beautifully into a whole that might not be immediately apparent to us humans, as the complexities of the world sometimes escape the grasp of our relatively short-sighted understanding. Perhaps that's why the urgency of the climate crisis and other environ-mental issues don't truly hit home for some; because that important data is presented in a dry, factual way that doesn't touch the deeper parts of our collective soul, in a way that would move us to realize what is being lost.

Clare Celeste is an environmentally-minded artist creating artworks that aim to highlight the precious biodiversity of the planet. Using paper that is complexly cut and then hand-assembled piece by piece, Celeste forms imaginary landscapes of plants and animals that are folded or pressed between glass.

Growing up in Brazil, Celeste says that her earliest childhood memories were of green, tropical ecosystems slowly being eaten up by the rapid expansion of nearby cities.

Celeste said, “When I made a series of combinations, I realized that many of the species in the illustrations had already gone extinct. Humans have wiped out 68 percent of all our planet's biodiversity since 1970, so working with old illustrations can be very heartbreaking as much of the diversity in these beautiful old illustrations has been wiped out by human activities.”

Celeste explains some of the motivations behind this series of paper works: “I wanted to convey the beauty of our planet's plants and animals, while also introducing a more architectural or human-made element with the geometric (几何图形的) patterns. Having grown up in Brazil, I was surrounded by dense urban spaces that often had rich jungle growth just wanting to break through the concrete architecture. I suggest we go back to our love: our love of nature, of our children, of future generations. Because when we love something deeply, we are required to act—to save it when it is threatened.”

【推荐3】The streets of Cotonou, Benin’s largest city, have been Domingo Soule’s workplace for 35 years. The 50-year-old motorcycle taxi driver spends his days driving for miles on roads blanketed in exhaust fumes (尾气), picking up customers and taking them to where they want to go. But Soule has developed a cough from breathing in air pollution, he believes, and at the end of each day his eyes hurt.

Things maybe about to change, however. In recent months, he’s seen more and more electric motorbikes on the streets of Cotonou. The Indian manufacturer (制造商) M Auto introduced its electric bikes in Benin in July 2022 and there are already 2,000 on the roads; an additional 2,000 people have paid deposits (定金) and are waiting for delivery.

Shegun Bakari, M Auto’s chief executive, has ambitions to get all moto-taxi drivers in Benin to switch to electric. This month he plans to launch a campaign to encourage them to swap (交换) their old bikes for new electric models.

The only sticking point is the battery. M Auto’s business model relies on “swap stations” throughout the city. When the battery runs out after about 60 miles, drivers must visit a station and pay to exchange the empty battery for a full one. Concerns about the battery are also preventing Soule form buying an electric bike. It could cost him 4,000 CFA ￡(5.40) a day to replace batteries, Soule says, whereas at the moment he can buy five litres of petrol (enough for one day) for 3,000CFA.

Bakari understands his concerns. In Beni, close to 40% of the population live under the poverty line, earning less than US$2 a day. “If I’m living with $2 a day, I can’t afford to pay more just because I want to save the planet,” he says.

He and his team are working to persuade governments in Africa to reduce taxes on electric vehicles, as well as putting plans in place to produce the electric bikes in Benin. They are also in talks with the government to build a solar plant to provide the extra energy that will be needed.

【推荐2】The Chat GPT AI, developed by the company Open AI, attracted 100 million users less than two months after first going public on 30 November 2022. Schools in the US and elsewhere are soon announcing bans on the recently released AI-powered chatbot out of fear that students could use the technology to complete their assignments. However, bans may be practically impossible given how difficult it is to detect when text is composed by Chat GPT. Is it instead time to rethink how students are taught and evaluated?

“Educators are starting to question what it means to assess student learning if an AI can write an essay or paper similar to or even better than a student would — and the teacher can’t tell the difference”, says Torrey Trust at the University of Massachusetts.

Removing technology from the classroom can mean undesirable consequences, such as creating more obstacles for students with disabilities, says Trust. Additionally, restricting access to Chat GPT on school networks and devices can’t stop students from using it at home and in libraries.

Instead of worrying about how Chat GPT could enable cheating, educators should ask what motivates students to cheat in the first place and work on developing relationships of trust, says Jesse Stommel at the University of Denver.

Aakash Chowkase at the University of California has explored using the AI to help with time-consuming tasks, such as creating lesson plans, writing letters of recommendation and developing and grading assignments. “Our ultimate goal is to help learners,” says Chowkase. Similarly, Trust has publicly shared slides intended to help teachers understand some of the promises and pitfalls of using Chat GPT in education. “I just wish educators could see that AI writing tools are going to be part of our future — and a big part of students’ future careers,” says Trust.