【推荐1】Electric air taxis could one day move commuters (通勤者) from downtown Chicago to O’ Hare International Airport or to the suburbs, high above expressway traffic, in a fraction of the time it takes to drive.

That’s the vision of electric aircraft developer Eve, which is leading a group of aviation companies and local governments conducting simulations (模拟) in Chicago. Though the aircraft are likely years away from receiving federal authorization to fly, it’s a vision shared by other major companies, like Chicago-based United Airlines, which recently struck a conditional agreement to purchase at least 200 of Eve’s flying taxis in United’s latest investment in the industry.

Eve co-CEO Andre Stein said the air taxis are nothing like electric helicopters or flying cars. They will use eight motors distributed around the aircraft to take off vertically, then electric pushers and wings to glide forward.

Stein envisions the air taxis helping commuters reach meetings across town or providing a way to get home quickly in time for a child’s birthday. Rather than an everyday option like commuter rail or public transport, they can help save time in urgent situations, he said.

The concept of bypassing ground transportation by air isn’t new. Helicopter taxi service already exists in cities like New York, where a flight can sometimes be comparable to or cheaper than the cost of a ride-share from an airport into Manhattan.

But Stein said the new technology is expected to make air taxis more affordable than helicopters and estimated a possible ticket price could be around $100 to travel 20 miles. He also mentioned what he described as improved efficiency and sustainability. “It’s much simpler, much lower maintenance than a helicopter, much quieter and more pleasant,” he said.

For now, Eve hopes the Chicago simulations will help provide a better understanding of how the air taxis could fit into current air traffic patterns and how they can connect with users’ journeys via ground transportation to the heliport. “It’s really about bringing another option for urban air mobility,” Stein said. “We don’t intend to solve all the traffic congestion problems, there’s no silver bullet there. But it’s about more options.”

【推荐2】While riding hard on a bike, do you feel like you are saving the planet? Or do you just feel out of breath? In fact, cycling is now considered one of the best weapons mankind can use in the fight against climate change.

The United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution (决议) in March supporting bicycles as a tool for dealing with climate change. The resolution calls on member states to “add the bicycle to public transportation, in the city and countryside, in developing and developed countries”, with all 193 members of the UN agreeing upon the resolution.

The decision has received positive comments from different groups in support of cycling and the environmental awareness internationally. “It’s an important step toward the recognition of cycling as an important means of transport,” said the European Cyclists Federation.

The resolution from the UN comes at a time when climate change has returned to the center of the world’s attention. On February 28, the UN published a new report assessing (评估) recent climate change trends (趋势). The report warns that the world’s average temperature will rise by 1.5 C above pre-industrial levels (1850-1900), with more than 40% of the world’s population being “easily affected” to these temperature changes.

Cycling is an environmentally friendly means of transport. Choosing to take a bike instead of a car just once a day can reduce a person’s carbon emission (碳排放) from transport by 67 percent, according to a research by the University of Oxford. The research also found that cyclists produced 84 percent lower CO 2 emissions from all daily travel than non-cyclists.

Cycling has grown in popularity as people who take public transport to work wish to stay away from crowded public transport and also like taking any opportunity to exercise. Cycling culture has been further encouraged with the influence of COVID-19. In May 2020, bike sales in Spain increased 22 times compared with 2019. In London, large parts of the city are being closed off to cars so that people can walk and cycle safely.

More importantly, the resolution focuses on bike-sharing services, which could be seen as recognition of China’s bike-sharing success, noted CGTN. China has some of the largest bike-sharing systems in the world. This means of transport that produces zero emissions reduces the amount of CO2 sent out into the atmosphere (大气层) by 4.8 million tons every year, according to a 2020 report from the World Resources Institute.

【推荐3】Passenger Information

Carry-on Bag Rules

When travelling on China Southern flights, passengers are advised to follow our simple bag rules.

●Each passenger is allowed to bring one bag onto the plane.

●Weight limit: Each carry-on bag may weigh up to 10 kilos.

●Size limit: Each carry-on bag can be up to 110cm long, 60cm tall and 30cm wide.

●Additional bags and oversized / overweight bags may be allowed on the plane if there is enough room. There will be a fee for such bags (see the table below) . Please note that if your bag breaks more than one rule then you must pay a fee for each rule broken.

Bag Fees

* No bag over 15 kilos will be allowed on the plane.

** No bag over 150cm long or 80cm high may be taken on the plane. Passengers must check in such bags before boarding the plane.

Safety Rules

For the safety of our passengers, the following items must not be taken onto the plane:

—Bottles containing gas (e. g. cigarette lighter)

—Bottles containing any cream, oil or other liquid that are over 100 ml.

Note:

If you have any liquid medicines over 100ml that you must use during your flight, please contact our customer service manager at 34533566 to make arrangements at least 24 hours before your departure. You will need to have a doctor's letter explaining why you need the medicine.

【推荐1】As spring arrives, farmers around the world are making decisions about what crops to plant and how to manage them. In the U. S., farmers typically have big data to help make these decisions. These data have a clear upside. They make farms more productive. In the U.S., the past five years have seen a series of good harvests for both corn and soybean. A big part is generated by effectively using data to produce more food from the same amount of land, seed and fertilizer.

In the poorer parts of the world, however, the picture is much different. Many farmers are guided only by their history with the land and their community's traditions. Their skills and knowledge are impressive, but they suffer from a poverty of data. They rely on technical advisors for advice from governments and academic centers who often have very little knowledge of the local area. For seeds and fertilizers and other materials used in the field, they rely on companies that lack data on how their products will perform in the local conditions.

About 10 years ago, East African officials and their development partners started to explore why so few smallholder dairy farmers made profits from growing demand from urban consumers. Surveys of farmers in the region suggested poor access to veterinary(禽畜的) care and breeding assistance. An effort to provide these services has helped farmers get more milk.

Data would matter little if farming was easy and the paths to productivity were obvious. But in reality, agriculture is a complex mix of many factors, including climate, biology, chemistry, physics, economics and culture—all of which vary from region to region. In this situation, good data is necessary.

【推荐2】As health care costs continue to rise, a growing number of companies are working out programs designed to keep their employees healthy.

Thomas Chapple is the senior vice president. “It’s really important to us because medical costs are going up like crazy, he says. This company spends more than 200 million a year on medical costs for its employees around the country. The best thing we have seen as a way to control the medical cost is individual fitness.”

We have a fitness center, “Shawn Flaherty, director of public relations for Freddie Mac.,” says, “We have a health benefits plan that encourages people to work out three times a week, get cholesterol (胆固醇) checks, as well as ‘not to smoke.’ If they do that, it will cost them less for the health benefits.”

Rachelle Clark works for Freddie Mac. “I feel great. You know the benefit is rewarding. I like to look good and feel healthy. I am just fortunate that I work for the company that provides some type of facility for the employees.”

While on-site fitness centers are popular, some companies pay membership fees at local gyms for employees. The companies also offer classes such as boxing, yoga and dancing. Employees see those health programs as a valuable benefit.

Tom Brook exercises five days a week. As a newspaper reporter he has a tight schedule, although Tom says it’s not that difficult for him to make time for a workout. “It is great. It is right here where we work,” says Tom, “So everybody gets a chance to use it whenever they want to. I have lost weight and never been in better shape.”

The programs may not be a magic cure for rising health costs, but they seem to have a positive impact on both employers and employees.

【推荐3】Today’s Brussels sprouts (孢子甘蓝) taste better than you might remember from childhood, and that is because a new variety has replaced the original vegetable. You can thank plant breeders for the change. Modern breeders, armed with new gene-editing technology, are looking to reproduce Brussels sprouts’ reinvention.

In the late 1990s, scientists discovered specific chemicals which made Brussels sprouts taste bitter. Plant breeders started growing old seeds, previously abandoned due to poor yields (产量), to look for tastier versions with lower levels of these specific chemicals. Then they crossed these delicious but low-yield plants with high-yield individuals until they found a version that made plenty of tasty sprouts, transforming the vegetable from a bitter pill into a popular dish.

But other vegetables haven’t fared as well. That’s because most breeding decisions favor plant traits (特性) that matter to vegetable growers, not vegetable eaters. For instance, disease resistance is probably the major focus these days of most breeding programs because that prevents the farmer from growing the crop. The taste of vegetables is ignored.

People, however, are now becoming interested in prioritizing the taste of vegetables thanks in part to new genetic technology. “There’s never been a better time to be a fruit breeder or a vegetable breeder because we have more tools and techniques,” says Susan Brown, an apple breeder at Cornell University.

Some companies are beginning to use those tools to deal with the challenge of developing tastier vegetables. One company, Pairwise, is fighting the same compounds that troubled Brussels sprouts. But this time researchers are improving the flavor of salad greens.

All vegetable growers hope that more flavorful products on store shelves will convince people to consume the recommended allowances (定量) of fruits and vegetables — and do so better than decades of nutritional guidance have. “Don’t waste your time talking about trying to educate people to eat better,” said Harry Klee, a professor who specializes in tomato breeding. “Just give them products that taste better and that they want to eat.”