【推荐1】Beijing issued on Thursday China’s first autonomous(自动的)driving permits to two robotaxi operators-Baidu Inc and Pony. ai, which for the first time allows the removal of a safety operator from the driver’s seat on public roads in the capital.

Industry experts said the move marks a significant milestone for the autonomous ride-hailing(打车服务)industry in China, indicating an openness to taking a further step toward a fully driverless vehicle.

Since Thursday, users can hail a driverless robotaxi using the Apollo Go mobile app from 10 am to 4 pm for free, according to Baidu Inc. The driverless robotaxi is expected to hit the road around the clock within six months, said Wei Dong, vice-president of Baidu Intelligent Driving Business Group. The company is concentrating on expanding its commercial robotaxi pilot services in more cities at an early stage.

The robotaxi service provided by Pony.ai, which obtained a taxi license in Guangzhou on April 24, covers hundreds of locations, including subway stations, parks, stadiums, commercial buildings and residential areas “The approval to operate driverless robot axis in Beijing is a critical milestone in the change from testing driverless autonomous vehicles to offering driverless robotaxi rides to public passengers, ”said Peng Jun, co-founder and CEO of Pony.ai.

Beijing is taking the lead in promoting the development of commercialized autonomous driving in China, said Zhang Xiang, a researcher at the Automobile Industry Innovesearcher at the Automobile Industry Innovation Research Center, adding that other first-tier cities, such as Shanghai and Shenzhen, might follow Beijing and allow autonomous vehicles to carry passengers in the near future.

The move will help autonomous driving companies get more testing experience of the driverless pattern, said Lyu Jinghong, an intelligent mobility analyst, adding that more tests are required to realize the goal of fully autonomous driving.

【推荐2】Cars which can read drivers, brainwaves and speed up their reaction times by judging acceleration, steering (驾驶) and braking, could be available within five to ten years. Pioneered by Nissan, the Japanese motoring giant unveiled their Brain-to-Vehicle technology (B2V) at the CES 2018 trade show in Las Vegas, US. The company claims it will enable vehicles to interpret signals from the driver’s brain, redefining how drivers interact with their cars.

Nissan also said that as well as making road travel safer, the cars will keep adapting to make driving more enjoyable. “When most people think about autonomous driving, they have a very impersonal vision of the future, where humans relinquish control to the machines,” said the company’s Executive President Daniele.

“Yet B2V technology does the opposite, by using signals from their own brain to make the drive even more exciting and enjoyable. Through Nissan Intelligent Mobility, we are moving people to a better world by delivering more autonomy, more electrification and more connectivity.”

The development is the result of Nissan’s research into the use of brain decoding technology which can predict a driver’s actions and detect discomfort. By catching signs that the driver’s brain is about to initiate a movement - such as turning the steering wheel or pushing the accelerator pedal — driver assist technology begins the action more quickly. This can improve reaction times and enhance manual driving.

“Other possible uses include adjusting the vehicle’s internal environment,” said Dr Lucian, who’s leading the B2V research. For example, the technology can use enhanced reality to adjust what the driver sees and create a more relaxing environment. “The potential applications of the technology are incredible. This research will be a boost (促 进) for more Nissan innovation inside our vehicles in the years to come.”

Nissan’s goal is to offer the best driving assistance in manual driving mode so that a driver can be in complete control of his or her car. They hope to implement the technology into their vehicles in between five to ten years.

【推荐1】Insect numbers have plunged (骤降) by half in some parts of the world due to climate change and intensive agriculture, a study has found. The combined pressures of global heating and farming are driving a “substantial decline” of insects across the globe, according to UK researchers. They say we must acknowledge the threats we pose to insects, before some species are lost forever. But preserving habitat for nature could help ensure vital insects thrive.

Lead researcher, Dr Charlie Outhwaite of UCL, said losing insect populations could be harmful not only to the natural environment, but to “human health and food security, particularly with losses of pollinators(传粉昆虫)”. “Our findings highlight the urgency of actions to preserve natural habitats, slow the expansion of high-intensity agriculture, and cut emissions to mitigate climate change,” she added.

Plummeting populations of insects around the world — a so-called “insect apocalypse” — have caused widespread concern. However, scientific data gives a mixed picture, with some types of insects showing sharp declines, while others are staying steady. In the latest study, the researchers pulled together data on the range and number of nearly 20,000 insect species, including bees, ants, butterflies, grasshoppers and dragonflies, at about 6,000 different locations. In areas with high-intensity agriculture and substantial warming, insect numbers have plunged by 49% and the number of different species by 27%, compared with relatively untouched places that have so far avoided the most severe impacts of climate change, according to the research published in Nature.

But the researchers said there was some cause for hope in that setting aside areas of land for nature created a shelter for insects, which need shade to survive in hot weather. “Careful management of agricultural areas, such as preserving natural habitats near farmland, may help to ensure that vital insects can still thrive,” said Dr. Tim Newbold, also of UCL.

Study researcher, Peter MeCann, added: “We need to acknowledge how important insects are for the environment as a whole, and for human health and wellbeing, in order to address the threats we pose to them before many species are lost forever.”

【推荐2】Kenya’s tree planting plan turns out to be of great benefit to both the environment and the Kenyans. Launched in 2016 by Elizabeth Wathuti when she was twenty-one years old, the Green Generation Initiative is a Kenyan charity that has been planting trees to deal with deforestation (滥伐森林) and climate change in the East African nation.

The initiative’s primary focus is on addressing food insecurity in the region through planting fruit trees, as well as developing young climate activists through environmental education in schools. Since its foundation, over 30,000 trees have been planted in Kenya, while thousands of school children have not just planted trees but also adopted them to ensure that young people learn the importance of acting as a guardian over the health of the environment. The trees have recorded a survival rate of over 98 percent, as they remain tended to from young trees to maturity.

Speaking to world leaders at the recent United Nations Climate Conference in Glasgow (COP26), Elizabeth issued a serious warning on the threat of climate change. Over two million of Kenyans are facing climate related hunger now. In 2025, half of the world’s population will be facing water shortage. The climate crisis will displace 80 million people in sub-Saharan Africa alone.

Elizabeth said, “Environment is the foundation of development, and it can no longer continue being taken for granted. I have been doing what I can. Inspired by the great Wangari Maathai, I founded a tree growing initiative that enhances food security for young Kenyans.” So far, they have grown 30,000 fruit trees to maturity, providing desperately needed nutrition for thousands of children. “Every day we see that when we look after the trees, they look after us. We are the adults on this Earth right now, and it is our responsibility to ensure that the children have food and water,” she added.

【推荐3】Enjoying a swim at their local beach was once a daily pleasure for Melati Wijsen and her sister, Isabel. But in 2013, when Melati was 12, and Isabel just ten, the sisters started to lose their enthusiasm for swimming in the waters near their home on the Indonesian island of Bali. More often than not, plastic bags would swirl (打旋) around them as they swam.

Melati didn’t think much about it until later in 2013, when her teacher gave a lesson on world heroes like South Africa’s Nelson Mandela and England’s Princess Diana, who had made positive change. That day, Melati walked home in silence alongside Isabel, thinking about the world heroes. If they could do it, we could do it too, she thought.

Soon, they gathered a team of 15 and named their group Bye Bye Plastic Bags (BBPB). Its mission was simple: stop people in Bali from using plastic bags. To convince the local government to ban plastic bags, the group organised an online petition (请愿) to collect one million signatures to ban plastic bags in Bali. Within 24 hours of launching, more than 6000 people from around the world had signed up. Although it was far from the challenging target, Melati and Isabel did what they could.

The girls’ passion has resulted in big changes. In 2017, they organised Bali’s first beach clean up, and now is an annual event. In addition, they has successfully staged a fashion show featuring clothes made from recycled garbage and campaigned to get villages to do away with plastic bags. In 2018, BBPB convinced the Balinese government to ban single-use plastic bags, and the ban took effect in July 2019.

Today, BBPB is a global youth movement and has more than 50 teams in 29 countries. “We didn’t start with any clear plan,” Melati admits. “We didn’t know how we were going to ban the plastic bags but we knew that we wanted to and had the passion to figure it out.”