2 . “Leave no track” is popular among many campers who are concerned about our environment and favor sustainable (可持续的) travel. Its goal is simple; to minimize human-created impacts on the natural world.     1    

Reject plastic and paper. First and foremost, one of the easiest ways to reduce the impact of camping on the planet is to go plastic and paper-free. Instead of single-use plastics and paper plates, choose bamboo or other recyclable camping dinnerware and food packages.       2    

Rent or buy a used tent. Instead of brand-new equipment, consider renting camping equipment instead. Outdoor retail (零售) brands like REI offer a wide variety of camping products to rent, including tents.     3     For those keen on purchasing something new, try brands like Patagonia that put sustainability first to reduce waste and support eco-friendly practices.

    4     In addition to eco-friendly tents, it’s good to ensure that other camping essentials, from hiking shoes and sleeping bags to clothing and blankets, are also gentle on the environment. And remember, whatever is packed in should also be packed out.

Only camp in designated (指定的) camping areas.     5     However, developed campgrounds, which are specifically designated for camping, are usually available by reservation and don’t require campers to walk wearily into the wilderness to clear space to set up a tent. Designated camping spots usually have other advantages like bathrooms, showers, picnic tables, and more.

4 . International ShakeOut Day This Year

This year’s International ShakeOut Day is October 17, when millions of people worldwide will take part in earthquake drills (演习) at work, school, or home! It is a great way for your family or organization to become better prepared to survive and recover quickly from big earthquakes.

At 10:17 am (local time) on 10/17, you can join millions of people across the world in practicing earthquake safety. While we encourage everyone to take part, you can sign up for your ShakeOut drill for any day of the year, and drill at a time of your choice. You can also include people in different locations through videos.

· Most participants (参与者) are in one of the official ShakeOut Regions listed below the page (with current sign-up totals). People and organizations in other countries can also sign up.

· All regions take part in it on October 17, 2024, unless specified.

ShakeOut began in California and has also been organized in many other states and countries. Official ShakeOut Regions require special local or regional cooperation, typically by an emergency (紧急情况) management agency or a union of many organizations. If you are interested in establishing ShakeOut for your region, please contact us at https://www.shakeout.org. If your state, province, or country is not yet taking part, you can sign up for yourself or your organization as part of the global participation total.

5 . Low-effort things you can do to live sustainably

You might think you need to change a lot of your daily habits to live sustainably but, in fact, becoming more eco-friendly is much easier than it might seem. Below are some easy steps towards becoming more sustainable.

Shop at farmer markets.

Getting your daily fruit and vegetables from a local farmer market is an easy way to reduce your carbon footprint while eating healthily. It cuts out lengthy stays of the products in refrigerated storage and up to thousands of miles of fossil-fueled transportation.     1    

Practice meatless Mondays.

Global meat production is a big contributor to greenhouse gasses.     2     It isn’t necessary either. Many people reducing their meat consumption by a small amount would still have a great impact. According to a study, you could reduce your carbon footprint by as much as 8 pounds each week just by practicing meatless Mondays only.

Dispose of unused medications properly.

Flushing (冲) unused medications down the drain (下水道) can pollute water supplies affecting everything downstream. You shouldn’t throw medications away either as they can be dangerous for others to find.     3     Leftover medications can be chemically dealt with and disposed of in a safe and secure way there.

    4    

It is easy to understand that buying something used is more environmentally friendly than buying something new and clothes are no exception.     5     According to the United Nations, the fashion industry is responsible for 2% - 8% of global carbon emissions (排放量). Buying something used keeps things out of landfills and reduces demand for new items.

8 . Explorer Lucy Shepherd and her team completed a 253-mile walk across the Amazon’s Kanuku Mountains in 50 days.

She said she _______ deadly snakes and groups of wasps (黄蜂) and had to climb a tree to _______ a herd of wild boars (野猪). “I’m exhausted but excited,” she said.

Ms. Shepherd _______ the challenge in the hope of highlighting the ongoing deforestation (滥伐森林) of the Amazon and the _______ to protect wildlife areas.

For 17 days of the mission the group travelled without seeing _______, due to the thickness of the jungle’s covering. Once they were left holding their backpacks to stay afloat (漂浮) as their boat _______ in the strong rapids of the river. Ms Shepherd said she did not have accurate maps to _______.

“It was a _______ but unbelievably rewarding journey and to see what we’ve _______ together as a team is just ________,” she said. “To know I have witnessed the ________ of one of the last remaining unexplored wildernesses on earth is the ________ that will stay with me forever.”

“The Kanuku Mountains are ________ growing pressures from unsustainable (不可持续的) wildlife hunting and trapping, logging and mining, as well as forest clearing for agricultural expansion, which all ________ this unique ecosystem,” she said.

Ms Shepherd’s next journey is to ________the Arctic next year.

9 . New research from the University of Portsmouth has shown a marked increase in shipping in the North East Atlantic. Scientists now warn that more monitoring is required to help protect sea life.

Researchers at the University of Ponsmouth have discovered that rates (率) of shipping in the North East Atlantic area rose by 34 per cent in a five-year period. The research is the first detailed survey of shipping activity in the North East Atlantic. Researchers used data from over 530 million vessel (船) positions recorded by Automatic Identification System(AIS). They looked at the change in shipping between 2013 and 2017 across ten different vessel types. In total the study area covered 1.1 million km², including waters off Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany,Iceland, Ireland, The Netherlands, Norway, Portugal. Spain, and the UK.

Lead author, James Robbins said: “This change is likely to put more pressure on the marine (海洋的) environment, and may influence the protection of at-risk species. Renewed monitoring effort is needed to make sure that protective measures are enough to save species under threat in a changing environment.”

Some of the greatest shipping increases were found in areas close to the Spanish coast. The Espacio Marino de la Costa da Morte saw a rise of 413 percent in vessel activity. It is an area used to protect seabirds.

Dr. Sarah Marley, Visiting Researcher at the University of Portsmouth, said: “Shipping is the most widespread human activity in our oceans, carrying a set of threats-from unnoticeable effects like underwater noise pollution to serious results when ships hit whales.”

Professor Alex Ford. from the University’s Institute of Marine Sciences, said: “Given the well-documented effects that shipping can have on the marine environment, it is necessary that this situation continues to be monitored-particularly in areas used to protect vulnerable (脆弱的) species which may already be under pressure.”

10 . For most of human history, the stars shone brightly in a dark night sky. But today, cities and towns, increasingly lit by artificial light at night, dramatically reduce the visibility of stars.

Satellite data suggests that light pollution has been increasing in many parts of the world over the last decade. However, satellites miss the blue light of LEDs (发光的二极管), which are commonly used for outdoor lighting, resulting in an underestimate of light pollution.

An international citizen science project called Globe at Night (环球夜景) aims to measure how everyday people’s view of the sky is changing. The data shows that the night sky got, on average, 9.6% brighter every year. For many people, the night sky today is twice as bright as it was eight years ago. The brighter the sky, the fewer stars you can see. If this trend continues, a child born today in a place where 250 stars are visible now would only be able to see 100 stars on his/her 18th birthday.

The main factors leading to increasing brightness of the night sky are industrialization and the growing use of LEDs for outdoor lighting. The loss of dark skies threatens our ability as astronomers to do good science. But everyday people feel this loss too. Starry night skies have inspired artists, writers, musicians and philosophers for thousands of years. Light pollution also has a bad effect on the daily cycle of light and dark that plants and animals use to adjust their lifestyle. Two-thirds of the world’s key biodiversity (生物多样性) areas are affected by light pollution.

Individuals and their communities can make simple changes to reduce light pollution. The secret is using the right amount of light, in the right place and at the right time. Making outdoor lights shine downward, using lights that give out more yellow-colored light instead of white light and putting on light timers can all help reduce light pollution. A view of about 2,500 stars in a truly dark sky might convince you that dark skies are a resource worth saving.