Plan for Domino Effects on Sustainability Goals
Climate change is causing ever-more-extreme events, from storms and droughts to floods and violent windstorms, and these risks interact across many environmental and social systems. A heatwave can spark forest fires, which lead to air pollution. Drought-wrecked harvests can result in food-price unpredictability.
Yet these domino effects are barely considered in most countries’ strategies for achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030. Many countries that are working hard to reach these goals insufficiently consider the impact of extreme weather. Take Germany as an example. Its 2018 strategy on sustainable development runs to 60 pages yet the word ‘disaster’ appears only once. There is no analysis of the consequences of an increase in such events.
Although many people are now aware that climate change is making fires, floods, heatwaves and storms more frequent, more severe or both, this knowledge isn’t changing policy or research enough. Part of the problem is perception. Future disasters feel unreal to decision-makers, as we’ve experienced with so many governments’ lack of pandemic preparedness, despite years of warning that something similar to COVID-19 was a case of when, not if. Other obstacles are inadequate national and international governance, and communication challenges. The research community has not yet provided effective guidance.
As a consequence, many efforts to achieve the SDGs will, like a house of cards, fall at the first shaking. Our global efforts need to be much more vigorous to the changing and interconnected nature of risk in a warming world.
What now? Researchers must create models that are more understandable and useful to policymakers. When possible, SDG targets and indicators should be redesigned to capture weakness to heatwaves, fires, droughts, floods, hurricanes, mudslides and more. And politicians need to be convinced to invest in precautionary measures and adaptation.
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Why Is Littering a Surprisingly Big Issue?
Compared with the blindingly obvious environmental issues we hear about every day, littering often takes a backseat -- but it’s more pressing than we may think.
If you were to throw, say, a banana peel (香蕉皮) out of your car while driving along the motorway, that would be a completely harmless action, due to the fact that it’s part of a fruit -- right? Actually, no. A banana peel can take up to two years to decompose (分解), and with a third of motorists admitting to littering while driving, that’s a whole lot of abandoned banana peels, or much worse. An orange peel and a cigarette butt has a similar biodegrading (生物降解) term to that of a banana, but tin and aluminium cans last up to 100 years, and plastic bottles last forever, as do glass bottles, Styrofoam cups and plastic bags.
Despite the fact that longer-lasting materials will serve to damage the environment and its animals for longer, we can’t only measure the severity of a certain type of rubbish by its lifetime. For example, despite having a fairly short biodegrading period, more than 120 tons of cigarette-related litter is abandoned in the UK every day. Similarly, our regular littering here and there has caused the UK’s rat population to increase by 60 million. This suddenly isn’t so mysterious when you consider that since the 1960s our annual littering has increased by an astonishing 500 per cent.
It’s not a cheap habit either: UK taxpayers shelve out £500 million in order to keep our streets clean, and when you include our green spaces, that goes up to £1 billion. So, it’s not surprising that if caught fly-tipping you could face a £20,000 fine or even jail time and, if you littered something dangerous, the court could give you five years to serve.
To take back our beautiful countryside and cities we need to do more than simply not leaving rubbish where it ought not to be. We need a pride makeover, and we need to truly care more about the world around us.
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Are Oceans Silent?
Most sea creatures, from whales and dolphins to fish, sharks and shrimps, respond to sound, and many can produce it. They use it to hunt and to hide, find mates and food, send messages and give warnings, establish territories, warn off competitors, confuse their targets, deceive enemies, and sense changes in water and conditions. Marine animals click bones, grind teeth and belch gases (磨牙打嗝); use special organs to make various noises. Far from the ‘silent deep’, the oceans are so noisy.
Into this age-long confused noise, in the blink of an evolutionary eye, has entered a new thunder: the trembling sound of mighty engines as 46,220 large ships passed the world’s shipping courses. Scientists say that background noise in the ocean has increased roughly by 15 decibels (分贝) in the past 50 years. It may not sound like much in overall terms, but it is enough, according to many marine biologists, to mask the normal sounds of ocean life going about its business. At its most intense, some even say noise causes whales to become disoriented, dolphins to suffer from ‘the bends’, fish to go deaf, leave their breeding grounds or fail to form groups—enough to disorganize the basic biology of two thirds of the planet.
“Undersea noise pollution is like the death of a thousand cuts”, says Sylvia Earie, chief scientist of the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. “Each sound in itself may not be a matter of critical concern, but taken all together, the noise from shipping, earthquake-related surveys, and military activity is creating a totally different environment than existed even 50 years ago. That high level of noise is bound to have a hard, sweeping impact on life in the sea.
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文中应包含以下内容：
1.你是否支持动物表演；
2.你支持或反对的理由。
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Fishing is probably the world’s most popular sport. People spend many dollars each year on items like boats and four-wheel-drive vehicles. In addition, they spend money on fishing equipment, bait, fuel and boat repairs. And you can see that fishing can be an expensive pastime. Fishing lovers believe that their hobby is worth it. Others say that fishing is spoiling the environment and that it is a cruel hobby.
Supporters of fishing say that it is a nice hobby. Firstly, of the millions of people who fish for fun, most only catch enough fish to feed their families. They catch fish that are found in large numbers, so there is little danger to the species.
Secondly, recreational fishermen contribute to the economy. They spend money on equipment and other items, and they also spend it indirectly by paying taxes on their equipment and fuel. Those who travel to fishing spots pay for accommodation and airfares. This money keeps people in work and provides new jobs each year.
Thirdly, fishing is relaxing and fun so it lessens stress. Instead of turning to drugs or alcohol, it is far better to go fishing. People who are relaxed are generally healthier and much nicer to be near –except for the smell of the bait!
Those who disagree with fishing say that there are too many fish thoughtlessly taken from rivers, lakes, streams and oceans. This could lead to the dying out of some species. Modern cars and boats mean that people can fish in remote areas of the world, so no place is safe from greedy fishermen who take both males and females, leaving few fish to produce young.
Those against fishing also say that it is a blood sport, which means that an animal must die so that a human can have fun. Many of the fish caught for sport are not suitable for eating, so they are thrown away. Once hooked, fish have no chance of escape.
Life in the Clear
Transparent animals let light pass through their bodies the same way light passes through a window. These animals typically live between the surface of the ocean and a depth of about 3,300 feet-as far as most light can reach. Most of them are extremely delicate and can be damaged by a simple touch. Sonke Johnsen, a scientist in biology, says, “These animals live through their life alone. They never touch anything unless they’re eating it, or unless something is eating them.”
And they are as clear as glass. How does an animal become see-through? Ifs trickier than you might think.
The objects around you are visible because they interact with light. Light typically travels in a straight line. But some materials slow and scalier(散射) light bouncing it away from its original path. Others absorb light, stopping it dead in its tracks. Both scattering and absorption make a.n object look different from other objects around it, so you can see it easily.
But a transparent object doesn't absorb or scatter light, at least not very much. Light can pass through it without bending or stopping. That means a transparent object doesn't look very different from the surrounding air or water. You don't see it- you see the things behind it.
To become transparent, an animal needs to keep its body from absorbing or scattering light. Living materials can stop light because they contain pigments(色素) that absorb specific colors of light. But a transparent animal doesn’t have pigments, so its tissues won’t absorb light. According to Johnsen, avoiding absorption is actually easy. The real challenge is preventing light from scattering.
Animals are built of many different materials—skin, fat, and more—and light moves through each at a different speed. Every time light moves into a material with a new speed, it bends and scatters. Transparent animals use different tricks to fight scattering. Some animals are simply very small or extremely flat. Without much tissue to scatter light, it is easier to be see-through. Others build a large, clear mass of non-living jelly-like(果冻状的) material and spread themselves over it.
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Are People Unique?
It is human beings' pride that we are the only species on the Planet that can speak and think. However, recent research casts doubt on that common belief.
Zuberbuhler, a psychologist at St Andrews University, and his colleagues recorded thousands of calls made by Diana monkeys and noticed that the monkeys adapted their calls to change the meaning to warn one another about different situations. For example,they made a "krack" alarm call at the sight of a tiger. However,when they merely repeated calls made by other monkeys they added an "oo".
The researchers found that the same calls would be recognized by other species, like Campbell's monkeys. So they are communicating across species."And since then we have found that hornbill birds can understand these calls and they too can understand all the different meanings, said Zuberbuhler. What is also surprising is that signs of intelligence have been found in birds whose small brains were long assumed to be a complete barrier to intelligence. However, all that is changing fast. A few years ago, Irene Pepperberg of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology taught a parrot to recognize and count up to six objects, which couldn't have been achieved if birds were unable to memorize.
Last year that was topped by Alex Kacelnik, a professor of behavioral ecology at Oxford, who discovered that crows (乌鸦) are capable of using tools in complex orders, the first time such behavior had been observed in non-humans. In an experiment seven crows successfully grabbed a piece of food placed out of reach using three different lengths of stick. Crucially, they were able to complete the task without any special training, suggesting the birds were capable of a level of abstract reasoning normally associated only with humans.
All this is powerful evidence against the idea that people are unique.
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There’s a longstanding debate on how to reduce emissions in the trucking industry. Germany is testing out a new system — eHighways, which feed electricity to trucks while they drive.
Figuring out how to reduce emissions in the commercial trucking industry is key to the fight against climate change. Because long-haul diesel(柴油机) trucks spend so much time on the road, they disproportionately produce pollutants, greenhouse gases, and contribute to dirty air.
Germany is at the forefront of this fight against truck emissions.
Using wires strung above the highway and a pantograph (current collector) mounted to the top of a truck, Germany’s e Highways use technology similar to that of an electric city bus. The system delivers power directly from the electrical line straight to the truck’s motor.
Adapting the same equipment that is used for driving trains and urban street cars, Siemens, the German electricity company, provided the equipment for the test route — stringing miles of high-voltage electrical cable above the Autobahn.
The eHighway system saves truckers weight and money compared to outfitting trucks with electric batteries — which could be both heavy and expensive. Using overhead wires on the freeway, a truck would only need a big enough battery to drive the short distance from the offramp to its destination. Not to mention, the money trucking companies would save on fuel, their largest cost.
While this system saves money in the long term, stringing thousands of miles of electrical cable above freeways would be costly to German taxpayers. Is it feasible? For now, Germany is just testing it out. The eHighway system has also been tested in Sweden and a 1-mile stretch near Long Beach, California.
It would take 2,500 miles of electrical wiring to accommodate about 60% of German truck traffic. So far, only a couple 3-mile-stretches of highway outside Frankfurt, Schleswig-Holstein, and Baden-Württemberg are equipped with overhead electrical cables. By the end of the year, more than 20 trucks carrying real loads will be using the system. The companies funding the project want to see how the eHighway stretch performs in everyday use.
Building the overhead cables would cost the German government about $5 million dollars per mile. Germany’s Ministry of Environment will compare the results of this project with studies of trucks using electric batteries and hydrogen fuel cells. Based on the data, the ministry plans to decide in three to four years which eco-friendly technology to invest in and support.
“Numerous studies have come to the conclusion that overhead cable trucks, despite the high infrastructure costs, are the most cost-effective option,” the Ministry of Environment said to The New York Times.
No matter which option the ministry chooses, the goal is to create a more environment-friendly future for the commercial trucking industry.
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Wildlife Protection, Anything Wrong?
Some of the Earth’s creatures die mainly because of humans’ choices. These choices have nothing to do with food or shelter or anything else that helps humans survive. What kills millions of animals all over the world is that humans want to make money by doing so. People use parts of animals for everything from hats to handbags, from jewelry to ashtrays and to make powders that supposedly improve a person’s life.
It is comforting to note that in the past decades, saving endangered animals has become a popular cause. Let’s take saving elephants as an example. For a long while in the late 1980s, wildlife protection groups made sure everyone saw pictures or films of elephants with their faces cut off for their ivory. These groups also proved that certain populations of elephants are decreasing. As a result, most people stopped buying objects made of ivory. Laws against poaching（偷猎）were made stronger. Many countries made importing ivory illegal. Killing elephants for their ivory became more risky and less profitable.
However, deciding that a species is endangered and protecting it by law are not always enough, as concern for certain species will become weak after a while. In the late 1970s, people protested against the killing of seal babies. Everyone was shocked to see young seals being killed in their icy habitat. The cruel activity stopped. But ten years later, the number of seal babies killed was higher than ever.
Other animal protecting movements have come and gone, such as saving the whales and protecting dolphins. The whale population appears to have increased for now. And the laws are finally changed in America to protect the dolphins that swim with tuna fish in parts of the Pacific Ocean. In the years to come, people’s focus will probably turn to some other endangered species. During this time, will the elephants be forgotten?
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You still need a better reason to plant a tree?
Police aren’t cheap and neither are lawyers, judges, and all the other layers that make up the justice system. But trees and some grass, in comparison, are a real bargain, and they prove to be effective in lighting crimes.
Many cities used to launch programs to plant vegetation along roadways to help absorb rainwater. After tracking 14 types of crime in nearby areas, Michelle Kondo, a social scientist found that a variety of crimes including property crimes such as theft and burglary, and violent crimes such as armed fights and mayhem in those areas decreased to 27 percent, a stunning 18 percent fall. Kondo believed the appearance of city trucks and vans in the landscaped areas— for planting and maintenance— was enough to scare away potential criminals.
Kondo’s study also worked on the link between grassland care and decrease of the crime in downtown areas. It’s tempting to use income as the connection. After all, if you have the crime and money to water your lawn, you probably live in a neighborhood that sees less crime. But actually, people are less likely to hang in those areas where the streets are maintained or cleaned. “You will see less kids hanging on the corners.’’ Kondo said. He argued that caution of the local people implied by the organized greenery helped to frighten away ill-intentioned guys, by announcing to would-be criminals that there are “eyes on the street’’ that care for their neighborhood and would be more likely to report a crime.
We already know greenery is beautiful to look at and can help improve mood and health while reducing pollution. Now we can add crime-fighting to the list of vegetation’s many benefits. Therefore, are you ready to plant a tree?
