2 . Researchers in Australia have identified enzymes (酶) in the body of certain beetle larvae (甲虫幼虫) that can degrade or break down plastic. In a study published in Microbial Genomics, they write that these “superworms” could help reduce plastic waste in the future.

“Superworms are like mini recycling plants, cutting up the polysyrene (聚苯乙烯) with their mouths and then feeding it to the bacteria in their stomach,” said Chris Rinke from the University of Queensland in Australia. “The breakdown products from this reaction can then be used by other microbes to create high-value chemicals.”

In the study, scientists divided beetle larvae into three groups, feeding one group wheat bran, one polystyrene and one nothing. Over three weeks, they monitored their growth. “We found that superworms fed a diet of just polystyrene not only survived, but even had marginal weight gains,” said Rinke. “This suggests the worms can get energy from the polystyrene, most likely with the help of their stomach bacteria.”

On the other hand, the plastic-fed worms gained much less weight and were overall much less healthy than the bran-fed ones, though better off than the starvation group. After three weeks, some larvae were also set aside to grow into beetles, according to the study. About 93% of the bran-fed larvae formed adult worms, while about 67% of the plastic-fed larvae and 10% of the starved larvae formed adult worms.

The researchers investigated the superworm’s stomach bacteria to find the specific enzymes linked to plastic degradation, writes Fionna M. D. Samuels for Scientific American. The enzyme that degrades the polystyrene appears to live with the stomach bacteria, not the worm itself.

Polystyrene is one of the most common plastics used today. But it’s not very chemically reactive, and breaking it down with industrial recycling methods takes high heat. So, researchers have been looking for plastic-degrading enzymes and bacteria for years.

Further research will still need to be done to figure out how to employ these worms, bacteria and enzymes in recycling facilities.

Yours,

Li Hua

7 . Two hours west of a perfectly sunny summer’s day in Clackamas, Oregon a foggy breeze awaited me on the Lincoln City coast. After a year of volunteering remotely with Ocean Blue Project, today is a long-awaited beach cleanup.

I didn’t expect to take away more than just trash from the beach cleanup. At first glance, the beach appears clean. However, beach cleanups require much more attention than a quick look over. Within just a couple of hours, 71 of us volunteers managed to pick up 171 pounds of debris. Actually, we’ve got much more than that.

Beach cleanups connect us to nature and provide an escape from the world for a little bit. They also provide a learning opportunity outside of the participation part. When you sit over a pile of—let’s face it—garbage, you pick out one by one the pieces left behind by others. You see first hand the impact we’re having on our environment and account for what is left behind the most. Each cigarette butt and plastic bottle sets the tone for how we should be approaching our everyday lives, which is to stop pollution.

Personally, the time spent by the ocean and away from my phone fills me with peace and calmness as I focus my attention only on the moment, looking for the little devils trying to pollute the ocean. With a pound or two less out of the ocean, I always feel a bit more optimistic about the world to come.

This boots-on-the-sand way of making a difference grants me a feeling of accomplishment and purpose. Rather than pondering the dire task of saving the planet or researching and writing ways to do so, I get to physically make a difference. And there’s nothing that can replace that instant gratification of making positive change for your community and your planet.

After the cleanup, my eyes are now expertly trained to spot loose trash and inorganic materials anywhere I step. Imagine what a huge difference we could all make collectively if we simply stopped and picked up that water bottle or wrapper off the ground instead of passing it by.

8 . A country that is carbon neutral is basically no longer giving off, or “emitting”, the dangerous greenhouse gases, simply called “carbon emissions”.

Carbon emissions are closely tied to the burning of “fossil fuels”, like coal, oil, and gas. To become carbon neutral, it’s necessary to stop creating power and heat in ways that pollute, and instead use more “renewable” methods, such as getting energy from the sun, wind, and water. New Zealand already gets about 80% of its energy from renewable sources. From the government’s point of view, to become carbon neutral, that is not enough. So it plans to increase this. Additionally, it aims to begin using more electric cars and trucks. It will also be spending $14. 5 billion to make it easier for people to get around by walking, biking, or using public transportation. Meanwhile, it has a goal of planting 1 billion trees.

Methane (甲烷) is one of the worst greenhouse gases. Surprisingly, methane from cows and sheep makes up about 34% of New Zealand’s polluting gases. However, New Zealand’s plan to go carbon neutral doesn’t cover methane from cows and sheep. It aims to reduce this kind of pollution, too, but not so much. The plan calls for cutting back on the gas by 24% to 47% by 2050. The leader of New Zealand’s Green Party, James Shaw, was responsible for much of the plan. He was clearly successful: it passed 119 votes to 1.

New Zealand has progressed from debating whether climate change is real to discussing what to do about it and is one of the few countries where going carbon neutral has become the law. Scientists say more of this sort of action is still needed right away. A report has been released by 11, 000 scientists, and they believe more countries will face the climate emergency positively. This is the first time that such a large group of scientists have used the word “emergency” to describe climate change.

9 . I first came to Berwickshire for a job-to be the Ranger for the Berwickshire Marine Reserve.I was then Senior Ranger for St Abb’s Head National Nature Reserve and I set up my own business, In Our Nature, offering wildlife journeys,walks,talks and courses in 2020. There’s so much I love about Berwickshire.Its stunning scenery. Its variety of landscapes and habitats and range of amazing wildlife, both above and below the water. Its friendly people. In places you can feel like you are a million miles from anywhere, when in reality you’re just an hour’s drive from Edinburgh.

The thing that supports everything on the Berwickshire Coast is its varied and fascinating geology(地质).The jewel in the crown is Siccar Point. With its world-famous non-conformity(均变)，it’s considered the birthplace of modern geology. The geology not only shapes the landscape, but it also impacts on the wildlife, forming varied habitats from steep sheltered valleys and towering cliffs to sheltered sandy bays.

There’s nothing I like more than being out in nature and sharing my passion with others, so starting up In Our Nature was a no brainer. In the warmer months I offer tours on land and sea to help folk enjoy the amazing wildlife and scenery of the Berwickshire Coast. In the darker months my online courses help people learn about wildlife in the hope that it will increase their enjoyment of the marine and coastal environments they spend time in.

My favourite spot on the Berwickshire Coast has got to be a place called Petticowick. The views up the coast and inland to the Mire Loch are second to none. It’s a place where you can marvel at geology which covers unimaginable periods of time. You can listen to and watch thousands of seabirds that return to the cliffs to breed each spring. Or witness all the amazing activity of the breeding seal colony on the beach below during the early winter.