1 . More than one-third of the world’s food is wasted or thrown away. This adds up to an unbelievable 1.3 billion tons of waste a year, most of which rots in landfills, emitting (排放) methane and contributing to climate change.

But one of the most promising and simple solutions lies in the problem itself: this wasted food — if composted ( 堆 肥 ) — could slow climate change and improve soil quality. When food waste break down in composting facilities or even in backyard compost piles, they don’t produce methane, and they result in carbon-rich soil. Higher quality soil also continues to absorb more carbon from the atmosphere, helping to fertilize plants and contributing further to fighting against climate change. Increasing the amount of carbon in the world’s soil by just 0.4 percent a year would stop the rise of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Returning one ton of organic matter to each hectare of soil would increase production of cereal crops each year by millions of tons.

While it is true that people can compost in their yards, community gardens, schools or even on their kitchen counters, larger-scale efforts, including infrastructure ( 基 础 设 施 ) and reward system for consumers, would take it to the next level. Imagine that consumers could just leave food leftovers in a bin for pickup, or drop them off at a local store, earning a few cents a bucket, just like what has been offered for recycling bottles or newspapers. Moreover, in the case of composting, the reward system would be sustainable because the end-product of compost can be sold to farmers.

There have been important steps recently toward keeping food waste out of landfills. But food still makes up the largest part of city landfills. Until that changes through increased composting, we are wasting a lot more than food. We are wasting the opportunity to slow climate change and ensure adequate future food supply for the world.

Eco­warrior Emily Addison is encouraging people to go green this summer with the initiation of a citywide campaign that features eight     1    (week) of picking up simple green habits and winning exciting prizes.

Change doesn’t happen overnight — and Emily Addison knows that     2    (complete). Her journey from starting a business     3    sustainability was a slow evolution (演变), which finally took firm hold when she     4    (become) a new mother. Emily since then has been a leading voice in living green and championing sustainability. She established a sustainability organization that aims     5    (make) going green easy for the inexperienced, and a community     6     will be there for you no matter whether you’re taking baby steps or huge leaps into sustainability.

Emily first broke the news of the sustainability organization back in December, but this month is really the initiation of the organization’s     7    (big) campaign to date. The campaign is     8    (it) first­ever citywide challenge with the purpose of     9    (encourage) all of us to take purposeful steps towards a greener future.

The campaign starts this week with the simple challenge — go for     10    walk. Each weekly challenge will be revealed on the organization’s website, along with an article that explains the benefits of taking that first green step.

3 . In winter, intense cold in China’s Jilin Province can turn tripping water into ice within seconds. Yet, 63-year-old Ren Jianguo gets up early every day to spread corn on the riverbank to make sure thousands of migratory birds(候鸟) have food to go through the cold days.

Ren lives in Jilin City which is built on the banks of the Songhuajiang River. Over the past 26 years, he has been one of the many volunteers protecting migratory birds on the river’s Changbai Island. Local residents label him as “Uncle Bird”. Winter is the busiest time for Uncle Bird as it is the season when large amounts of migratory birds fly here to avoid the biting cold days in Siberia, Russia.

On the upper reaches of the Songhuajiang River is Northeast China’s largest artificial lake. The temperature of the water stays at around 4-10℃ all year round. This allows Changhai Island to welcome countless migratory birds.

“As long as they choose to stay in this city, there should be people to take care of them. When it becomes difficult to find food in winter, I call for donations or sometimes pay for the food myself to secure their survival during the winter,” Ren said.

Jilin City, which is part of the migratory passage of birds in East Asia, is one of the few warm wetlands in northern China suitable for migratory birds to rest. To improve the environment here, the Chinese government has invested about 26.6 billion yuan for water pollution control and prevention along the Songhuajiang River since 2006.

For Ren, a small house near the riverbank has almost become his “second home”, a place from which he can patrol(巡逻) along the banks, observe birds, educate the public about bird conservation and, after a long day of work, light a fire and enjoy a warm meal.

“I simply want this to be a warm and welcoming place for birds when they choose to stay here for a temporary rest,” he said.

6 . Our planet is losing species at an alarming rate. As the world has become increasingly industrialized, natural habitats have been destroyed to build cities that are unlivable for wildlife. However, a pair of European designers, architect Rene Hougaard and product designer Alexander Qual, believe there are ways to encourage cities to coexist with nature. Inspired by everyday people who build “insect hotels“ in their backyards, they’ve created outdoor furniture that would be beautiful to look at, but also allow bugs, birds and wildflowers to thrive (繁殖).

The natural world tends to appear messy and chaotic to the human eye, but there is often method in the madness. Qual and Hougaard kept this in mind as in all the structures, they played with the concepts of order and messiness.

Qual created a large, yellow, leaf-shaped insect hotel, that’s designed to be placed on a flower bed in a park. The structure contains wooden blocks with holes that are 6, 7 and 8 millimeters in diameter (直径), since different insect species prefer holes of different sizes.

Hougaard created a metal log bench with an empty space in the middle specifically designed to hold a decaying (腐烂的) log that can provide a habitat for insects and plants, along with birds and bats. While humans often shun decay, Hougaard imagines a place where people can sit down and observe the slow process in which bacteria break down the wood, creating food for insects, birds and other animals.

As for the question of whether people actually want to be so close to bugs, snakes and nesting birds, the designers acknowledge that modern humans have been trained to stay away from such creatures. But Hougaard says these structures keep animals contained, while allowing people to observe and appreciate them safely. And eventually, if we want to maintain biodiversity, humans need to become much more comfortable living alongside wildlife, rather than feeling the need to destroy it. After all, we humans need nature to survive.

7 . Ways to Reduce Plastic Waste

Plastic has been found virtually in everything these days. Your food is packaged in it. Your car, phone and computer are made from it.     1    . While most plastics are advertised as recyclable, the reality is that they’re “downcycled”. 

Luckily, there are simple steps you can take to dramatically decrease the amount of plastic waste you produce.

    2    

One of the easiest ways to keep plastic out of the landfill is to refuse plastic straws. Simply inform your waiter or waitress that you don’t need one, and be sure to state this clearly when ordering at a drive-through. Can’t stand giving up the convenience of plastic straws?     3    . Restaurant workers will be less likely to bring you a plastic one if they see that you’ve brought your own. 

Use reusable bags

About one million plastic bags are used every minute. A single plastic bag can take 1,000 years to degrade(降解). If you’re already bringing reusable bags to the grocery store, you’re on the right track. Purchase some reusable bags and help keep even more plastic out of the landfill. However, you should avoid those bags made from nylon or polyester (聚酯纤维).     4    . 

Use matches

    5    , if you need to light a candle, build a campfire or start a fire for any other reason. These cheap plastic devices can sit in landfills for years and have been even found in dead birds’ stomachs. If you can’t bear to part with your lighter, pick up a refillable metal one to help cut down on waste.

8 . In 2004,the 410,000 residential (住宅的)fires in America caused more than 14,000 injuries and 3,000 deaths.You can prevent fire-related deaths and injuries,and even most residential fires by knowing about fire safety.    1    

Fire safety escape plan

A fire safety escape plan tells everyone what to do if your home catches fire.Your family need to design an escape plan for your home.    2     When you discuss with your family,it is a good idea to talk about each person’s responsibilities in case of a fire such as who helps whom out of the house. 

Fire safety and kids

    3     Children cause thousands of residential fires each year most of which are caused by children playing with matches.You need to teach your children to obey the following fire safety rules:    4     Always have an adult’s help when cooking.Always STOP,DROP,and ROLL,if you or your clothes catch fire. 

Fire safety and your home

Electrical fires are the most common type of residential fires in America.Electric heaters,and clothes dryers are responsible for most of residential electrical fires.If a fire happens,shut off the electricity,and put out small fires with your home fire extinguisher (灭火器).Do not put water on electrical fires.    5     Call 911 and report the fire.

9 . Traditionally, profiting from forests often meant capitalizing on timber (木材)——choosing commercial timber. Yet increasingly, there is an understanding that it’s of greater significance to keep trees standing than cut them down for financial profit. Money is not everything. We have to recognize real and lasting value is from natural resources. But money is a fact of life.

Good news is that we can expect entire natural woodland is left undamaged and still provides a revenue (收益) stream. Leaving woodland complete does not necessarily mean that we do not touch it at all. Conservation work may involve building back biodiversity or the removal of foreign plant species.

A healthy woodland system can provide a range of yields (产物). Besides eatable yields——top fruit, berries, and food crops, it produces substances for chemical use. The non-timber forest products provided by natural ecosystems will vary significantly depending on where they are. But there’re almost always ways to explore to acquire revenue.

A project in the U.K. shows woodland is also a draw for visitors. It engages a community who creates a sustainable area of woodland. The sale of handmade wooden items and non-timber forest products is involved. But the community largely obtains revenue by opening up parts of the natural woodland to the public with an adventure playground and outdoor recreational activities on the site. It also offers courses on nest building, special wildlife events and more. The project is thought to have great uniqueness. In terms of revenue, it centers round the existing natural land; the yields woodland can provide become side products.

Recreational activities, tours, and classes are just the commencement. A rich and biodiverse woodland can be an ecosystem that draws in people looking for a beautiful place to stay. Woodland has great value in ecological and social terms. And when you nurse it, it could also add to the income from your land.