2 . Objects in the night sky are disappearing from view because of light pollution, according to a new study. Outdoor lighting from street lamps, office buildings and vehicle headlights leads to sky less bright, which is when the night sky gets brighter. The brighter it is at night, the harder it is to see stars and planets from Earth.

Christopher Kyba, an astronomer with the GFZ German Research Center for Geosciences, led his team studying over 50, 000 star observations between 2011 and 2022. “If the brightening of the night sky continues at the current rate,” Kyba said, “a child born in a place where 250 stars are visible will only be able to see 100 stars by the time he or she turned 18.”

The issue is global but particularly common in North America, where 80% of people cannot see the Milky Way galaxy (银河系). This huge group of billions of stars should look like a wide strip of light in the dark night sky. However, only very remote places, such as the Sahara Desert and the Amazon Rain Forest, have a truly dark night sky.

Light pollution makes it harder for astronomers to study stars and planets. It also causes problems for animals. Animals active at night like bats become confused and crash into objects. Turtles that hatch (孵化)at night need moonlight to find the sea, but artificial lights can confuse them and make them head inland instead. Birds in cities often wake up and start singing earlier than they should. Human lights also cause themselves to produce less of a chemical called melatonin(褪黑激素). This can lead to sleep problems, headaches, tiredness, and mood issues.

To help, scientists want to raise awareness of light pollution. They suggest that people use outdoor lighting that causes less light pollution, such as motion-sensitive lights that switch on only when they’re needed.

3 . How many plastic carrier bags have you got in your house? I seem to have cupboards full of them and it feels like they’re taking over my home! The shopping bag is just one example of the milion things we use made from this useful material, plastic. But unfortunately, it’s not the easiest thing to recycle and this is causing an environmental problem.

Most of our everyday plastic items end up in landfill, left to rot away for many years. But some of it blows away, causing damage to the natural environment and harming wildlife. The problem is most serious in our oceans.

The study, published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, described how remote islands act as a “sink” for the world’s rubbish. They become collecting points for fishing items and everyday things including toothbrushes, cigarette lighters and razors (剃须刀); things that we throw away. Dr Jennifer Lavers from the University of Tasmania says, “Almost every island in the world and almost every species in the ocean is now being shown to be impacted one way or another by our waste.”

This highlights the potentially deadly effect of our disposable culture. When we throw something away, it doesn’t just disappear, it goes somewhere and because of the long-lasting nature of plastic, it takes a lot time to decompose (分解) and stays there causing great damage to the ocean’s ecology.

Some other recent worldwide research estimates that 90% of all seabirds have swallowed plastic. And worse still, this plastic is broken down into tiny particles (颗粒) over a long period by the wind and the waves, then sea creatures at the bottom of the food chain ingest (咽下) them. These creatures are eaten by the fish that we eventually consume.

The solution to this problem would be to use less plastic. So next time you pick up a carrier bag, or buy a plastic bottle of water, spare a thought for the birds and animals on the remote islands. What do you do to help the environment?

8 . We often think that buying an artificial tree instead of a real one for Christmas will help the environment by not cutting down trees. However, this argument doesn’t consider the process of producing and disposing of the trees, during which a lot of CO₂, emissions are being let off into the air. Actually, increased demand(需求)for real trees is helping the environment.

Artificial trees, when created, give out an average of 40kg of CO₂. To harvest a real Christmas tree, very little CO₂ emissions are caused. If left to biodegrade (生物降解), a real tree will return to the earth in one to two years depending on conditions. An artificial tree, however, will take hundreds of years to degrade, letting out more pollutants into the air. Further, even if an artificial tree is recycled, the process will continue to produce even more CO₂.

Real trees do not have these problems. They can have positive effects on our health. When they are near a window and regularly watered, they will produce clean oxygen which can improve health.

Undoubtedly, cutting down trees is bad for the environment, so what makes cutting down Christmas trees any different? Christmas trees have specific farms where they are harvested, meaning that protected forests aren’t cut down, and, with every tree harvested a new one is planted. The trees aren’t harvested until they are between 10 and 12 years old and the farms always have trees growing while they’ re harvesting this year’s trees.

If you have already used an artificial tree, the best thing you can do is to keep using it year over year to save it from going to landfill.

9 . How to Survive a Lightning Strike?

According to the National Weather Service, almost two-thirds of lightning accidents occur as people enjoy leisure activities outdoors.     1    . Here’s how to stay safe when you’re enjoying summer outdoors.

Keep an eye on the sky

    2    . Thunderstorms usually occur in the afternoon or evening. Start your hike in the morning, and finish up by noon if the forecast indicates bad weather ahead. If the forecast calls for periodic storms throughout the day, make a smart choice and consider giving up the trip.     3    .

Before you head out for hiking, check maps to locate visitor centers, campground buildings, or rest areas along your route. Once you hear thunder, see lightning, or sense that a storm is approaching, don’t hesistate to use your plan. Hikers are strongly advised to watch continually for the nearest shelter.     4     .

Know the storm’s distance

Count the seconds between the flash and the following sound of thunder. Divide the number of seconds by five to calculate the number of miles between you and the storm. For example, if the number of seconds is 30, then the distance inbetween equals six miles, and find shelter immediately.     5    , just remember that you can hear thunder at a distance of 10 miles.

10 . Recycling is good for our planet, but it can be confusing. Can I recycle plastic bags? What about pizza cartons? Toothpaste tubes? Which bin should I use? There are so many questions, and more than half of Americans are unsure about how to recycle.     1     Here’s a handy four-step guide on how to recycle effectively:

Know what to put in the recycling bin. Keep it simple and focus on the most commonly recycled items, such as paper, glass, aluminum and plastic.     2     Don’t use the recycled symbol as a guide. “The number on the container is really for people to identify the type of resin (树脂). That’s not helpful for the common consumer,” said Cody Marshall, a strategist at nonprofit Recycling Partnership.

    3     It is really important to know what you cannot put in your bin. You can always check with your city or at BeRecycled.org. If you live in the US, just plug in your postcode to search. Recycling companies struggle with the same problem items: hoses (软管), cords, needles and clothing, according to Marshall, so don’t put those items in your bin.

Wash or clean items. Do a quick clean to make sure there is no food left in containers before you put them in the bin.     4     Save food for composting (堆肥) in your garden.

Don’t bag it. Unless you live in a place that requires it, like New York City, keep the recyclables lost in the bin. “A lot of the time, it’s not safe for our employees to tear those bags open, or it takes too much time,” said Keller. “    5    ”