1 . A new study involving the Chinese mountain cat of the Tibetan Plateau has determined that this type of wildcat did not give rise to a separate lineage (血统) of domesticated cats in Asia, as some researchers had supposed, reports David Grimm for Science. The finding supports the conclusions of previous research that suggested all modern domesticated cats originated from the African wildcat, a subspecies of wildcat that appears to have first been domesticated in the Middle East around 6,400 years ago.

The new study, published last week in the journal Science Advances, collected and sequenced the genetic (基因的) material of 27 Chinese mountain cats, 239 Chinese domestic cats and four Asiatic wildcats. The Chinese mountain cat is so rare and hard to find that the researcher’s samples all had to come from museum specimens (样本), roadkill and zoo animals, reports Jaime Chambers for Science News.

The curiosity as to whether the Chinese mountain cat might have contributed genes to at least some populations of modern domestic cats comes partly from the deep 5,300-year history between humans and cats in China and partly because the Chinese mountain cat had never been included in past comparative genetic studies, according to Science News.

The genetic results suggest that the Chinese mountain cat is a subspecies of wildcat rather than its own separate species. This could have a negative impact on the conservation of the Chinese mountain cat, which is listed as “vulnerable (易危)” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and is estimated to have a global population of fewer than 10,000 individuals. Per the IUCN, the cat’s population is in decline, largely due to habitat loss, poisoning and illegal hunting for its coat.

While there remains a lot of argument over how exactly to classify the Chinese mountain cat, Jim Sanderson, a wildlife ecologist with the conservation organization Re: wild, has argued for the Chinese mountain cat to be declared its own species. “The belief is that if it’s not a separate species, nobody cares. We ‘re living in an age of extinction,” Sanderson tells Science. “The Chinese mountain cat deserves every bit as much attention as the panda.”

2 . Restart Dogs are currently working with Adult Estates training prisoners to raise and train puppies as assistance dogs. The analysis found the program led to a reduction in reoffending (再犯) rates in prisoners compared to those who had not participated.

Based in the UK, Restart Dogs is a vocational education programme that trains adult prisoners to become assistance dog trainers. They raise and train dogs to become assistance dogs, teaching them key skills such as door manners, staying where they are asked, walking to heel on a loose lead, and settling next to their handlers while they work and study. But most importantly, they are learning to have faith in their handlers guiding them through their new adventures and environment.

The programme is paid for by the Prisoners Fund, raised by the work that prisoners do in prison. There are a few conditions that prisoners must meet before they can take part in the programme, for example, they must be free of behaviour-related violation (违反) for a specified period before admittance to the programme as well as continued good behaviour throughout the programme.

For prisoners, the benefits of training dogs have been well researched and recorded. Working with professionals to train dogs responsibly allows prisoners to improve their social skills, empathy, self-regulation, respect and overall well-being. The analysis reported a 36% difference in reoffending rates in the training group compared to the control group. These outcomes are similar to those found with more traditional programmes such as education, employment and training programmes.

Meanwhile, for people in need of an assistance dog, there can often be a long waiting list due to the length of time it takes to train an assistance dog—it usually takes two to three years. Thanks to the work that Restart Dogs is doing, as well as training the dogs for future success and happiness, prisoners are able to get a second chance in society!

4 . In San Francisco, a large group of sea lions move themselves out of the bay waters and hang out on PIER 39, which is a popular tourist destination. According to dock (码头) officials, this is the most sea lions seen in the region in 15 years.

“Over 1,000 sea lions have been counted this week,” PIER 39 harbormaster Sheila Chandor told many different media. “The surge in sea lions is usually a good sign of their strong population and healthy living environment,” said Adam Ratner, Director of Conservation Engagement at the Marine Mammal (海洋哺乳动物) Center in Sausalito, California.

“California sea lions are sentinels (哨兵) of the ocean,” Ratner said. Their population to some extent reflects the health of the ocean. Therefore, seeing a large number of California sea lions is clearly a good thing.

For nearly 35 years, the slippery (滑的) residents have been a star attraction for tourists. That autumn in 1989, PIER 39 had just been repaired, but the ships had not yet been moved back. At that moment, the sea lions unexpected arrival not only attracted fans but also created enemies. According to a website, some dock residents and workers were scared away by the strong and very unpleasant smell and noise of their new neighbors, while others saw these animals as a bright spot after the destructive Loma Prieta earthquake.

The officials sought help from the Marine Mammal Center to find a way to deal with sea lions. Ratner said that the final decision is to let the sea lions stay and coexist with humans. “The fact proves that this is really a good thing,” he said. “This is just a proof of how we can truly work together and think about how we can share our coasts with marine mammals and other wildlife in a way that benefits all the parties involved.”

5 . Thrift stores are a refuge (避难所) for countless items from landing in garbage piles. Value Village, for example, saves more than 650 million pounds of clothing from landfills each year, making it one of the largest recyclers of used garments in the world. Their stores give a second life to 1.8 million pounds of clothes every day, which is equal to 600 mid-sized cars. Almost 100 percent of clothing and textiles are recyclable, yet 85 percent of it ends up in landfills. It’s estimated that the average person throws away 70 pounds of clothing a year.

Lindsay Coulter is the so-called “Queen of Green” with the David Suzuki Foundation, educating people on how to live a greener life by making changes around the house. She says that donating and shopping at thrift stores is an excellent way to exercise all three of the three Rs: reduce, reuse and recycle. She says, “Whether it’s a purse or a pair of shoes, it’s really worth considering going to thrift stores as another point of contact to help reduce your consumption.”

Coulter points out that since landfills are air-tight, textiles take longer to break down. “I’d imagine things like an old towel, a rag or an old T-shirt will last a really long time,” she says. The beauty of thrift shopping is that the supply is never-ending, so if you don’t find what you’re looking for one day, it’s likely to show up in no time.

One person who knows this quite well is Jodi Jacyk, costume specialist in the theatre and film department at the University of British Columbia. She says the majority of items for the university’s productions are purchased second-hand. Because of her shrinking budget, items like clothing and shoes are thrifted from Value Village. “We are constantly thrifting and we re-use costumes for many years. Thrift shopping is a much easier, cheaper way to do things.” she says.

The next time you need to lighten your closet, take the opportunity to go thrift shopping to lighten both your carbon footprint and your financial burden at the same time.

7 . On the Arctic ocean’s edge, polar bears stand on ice thinning from human-caused climate change. Without thick ice from which to powerfully attack seals, many of these symbols of the wild north can’t eat. Should we feed polar bears to right our wrongs? Or should we leave them alone, even if that means they starve to extinction?

Emma Marris’ Wild Souls encourages readers to reflect on this question and more. An absorbing mixture of philosophy and science, the book explores what we owe the nonhuman world. Like her 2011 book Rambunctious Garden, which challenged the idea of “undeveloped wilderness” in a world where humans touch everything, Wild Souls questions the very concepts of wildness and nature. The result challenges readers to reconsider how they relate to nonhuman animals, from caged creatures to polar bears in the warming north.

Marris guides readers through a series of case studies, from native hunting practices to local zoos, all brought to life through attentive on-the-ground reporting. Running through these examples is a central ethical (道德的) tension: How do we weigh the concrete moral value of an individual creature who has feelings and can suffer against the more abstract value of species or ecosystems, which is of course unfeeling but causes such depths of emotion in us when they are threatened or lost?

Marris is frank on where she stands on certain issues, arguing, for example, that zoos are immoral. She also asks whether it’s ever right to save a species like the California condor (秃鹰) — which once flew high above most of North America but dwindled to just a handful of individuals in the 1080s — by caging them for captive breeding (圈养) .

In the end, Marris finds no easy answer to making ethical choices about animals’ fates. Instead, readers may realize something profound: There are no perfect ways to act ethically towards all animals and all species when the values crash. As we try to mend the mess we’ve made of nature, all we can do is act with thoughtful modesty.