1 . Plastic, which is now common, contains endocrine-disrupting chemicals, or EDCs (内分泌干扰物), that has been linked to increased risk of many chronic diseases. Parental exposure to EDCs, for example, has been shown to cause metabolic (新陈代谢的) disorders, including obesity and diabetes, in the later generations.

Led by Changcheng Zhou, a professor of biomedical sciences in the School of Medicine at the University of California, the researchers investigated the impact of fathers’ exposure to a phthalate called dicyclohexyl phthalate, or DCHP (邻苯二甲酸二环己酯), on the metabolic health of first generation (F1) and second generation (F2) in mice. Phthalates are chemicals used to make plastic more durable.

The researchers found that fathers’ DCHP exposure for four weeks led to high insulin (胰岛素) resistance and impaired insulin signaling in F1. The same effect, but weaker, was seen in F2 .

“We found fathers’ exposure to EDCs may have intergenerational and transgenerational detrimental effects on the metabolic health of their later generations, ”Zhou said. “To the best of our knowledge, our study is the first to demonstrate this.”

In the case of fathers’ exposure in the study, intergenerational effects are changes that occur due to direct exposure to a stressor, such as exposure to DCHP of fathers (F0 generation) and his F1 generation. Transgenerational effects are changes passed down to later generations that are not directly exposed to the stressor (for example, F2 generation).

“This suggests that fathers’ DCHP exposure can lead to sex-specific transgenerational effects on the metabolic health of their later generations,” Zhou said.

Zhou stressed that the impact of exposure to DCHP on human health is not well understood, even though DCHP is widely used in a variety of plastic products and has been detected in food, water, and indoor particulate matter.

“It’s best to minimize our use of plastic products,” Zhou said. “This can also help reduce plastic pollution, one of our most pressing environmental issues.”

2 . The Indian government declared an “emergency situation” in New Delhi on Sunday as air pollution hit dangerous new highs and people had the selfies(自拍) to prove it.

Officials announced a series of measures to fight against smog in the capital city, including halting construction projects, closing a coal-fired power factory for 10 days and washing the dusty roads. The citizens，meanwhile，took “smog selfies” as they walked through dirty air which could taste and smell. Some selfie photographers joined hundreds of protesters in downtown New Delhi to demand that the government deal with the deadly smog.

New Delhi, already one of the world’s dirtiest cities, is experiencing its worst smog in nearly two decades. The city saw levels of PM2.5 of more than 900 micrograms per cubic meter on Saturday. That’s more than 90 times the level that the World Health Organization considers safe and is 15 times higher than the Indian government’s standards.

Particulate(微粒的) matter comes from vehicles, coal factories, burning trash piles, dust and other sources. New Delhi’s severe pollution was initially blamed on the widespread bursting of firecrackers during the festival Diwali. But images published by NASA last week suggested that crop burning in the neighboring states of Punjab and Haryana could be the reason for the increasing levels of PM2.5. New Delhi’s chief minister, Arvind Kejriwal, said that farmers in those states begin burning straw at the start of every winter to clear their plants for planting wheat.

The pollution can lead to lung cancer, heart disease and related illnesses, particularly in growing children. Kejriwal said people should avoid going outdoors until the pollution levels drop and should work at home as much as possible. Of course, they should put down the selfie sticks, too.

3 . The ocean is home to more than 200,000 known species and as many as 2 million that we have yet to discover. And, it is also home to 24.4 trillion pieces of microplastics. In 2022, researchers spotlighted how bad marine microplastic pollution, is getting: The total amount of microplastics on the bottom of oceans has greatly increased. in the past two decades.

Microplastic particles don’t just end up at the bottom of the ocean. Animals are eating them — at least 1,500 species have been reported to ingest plastic. And a lot of it. For example, whales in New Zealand’s Hauraki Gulf consume roughly three million microplastics daily, according to research published in Science of the Total Environment, which analyzed whale waste to see how much microplastics were present.

“Other research has shown that if plastics are small enough, they can cross the gut(肠道) wall and get into internal organs though the long-term effects are still unclear. Plastics can also release chemicals that are harmful to digestive system,” says Kahane-Rapport. “This is concerning, and while we do not yet understand the long-term health-effects, it is likely not a good sign for whales and their prey(猎物) to eat a man-made material like plastic.”

This is obviously bad for whales, but it also has effects on humans and the ocean at large. We are also part of these food chains and are consuming microplastics regularly. They are in our bottled water, in our table salt — they are even in our house dust and in the air we breathe. And we still don’t know what the health effects are. Meanwhile, the impact on whales — and what it indicates — is troubling on many fronts. “Whales are ecosystem engineers,” says Kahane-Rapport. “They can spread the nutrients that they consumed and serve as ecosystem guards — when whales are not healthy, other parts of the system will suffer.”

Kahane-Rapport says more research is needed. “The next research step will be to determine how much plastic the whales excrete(排出) and how much is left in their bodies. Following that, we would be able to determine the direct health effects on their tissues.”

6 . Despite Kyle Tianshi being only a 15-year-old US high schooler, he has published five sci-fi novels. His fifth book Eventide was released in July. However, this may not be his most impressive achievement as Kyle just received the “Hero Award”, a $20, 000 grand prize. It is the top honor in the California Youth Sustainability Awards. The competition aims to encourage and support young community leaders who are making a difference for sustainability in their communities by taking action for the planet.

Kyle, a sophomore from the Cambridge School in the US, received the honor for his portable invention called NEREID. The device can detect microscopic particles (粒子) in water by using a laser and microscope. These particles can be harmful to people and the environment.

Kyle came up with the idea for the invention based on his experience growing up in San Diego, California, US. People had no access to unpolluted drinking water and his parents asked him not to drink tap water. Kyle spent about $60 buying the tools needed to analyze the tap water: a laser, a microscope and a micro-computer. “It’s incredibly powerful for the price,” Kyle said. Then he used their family’s garage as his laboratory, doing research on the pollution of drinking water caused by micro-plastics.

Kyle hopes to bring to market a low-cost alternative tool for detecting micro-plastic pollution levels in drinking water. In this way, he can offer help to people who don’t have access to water filtration (过滤) systems. He has applied for a patent.

Kyle said his sister Emily, a freshman at Stanford University, inspired his interest in environmental research. She was recognized nationally for developing a water collection device. They have founded the Clearwater Innovation program to advocate for clean water through social media platforms and organize community cleanup events.

7 . Coming upon a clear - cut in an old forest is a shocking experience. Tees large and small are collapsed one above the other in pile, and the ground is covered with the tracks of heavy machinery. Such was the scene when forest activist Zack Porter and I hiked a newly built logging (伐木) road in Green Mountain National Forest.

Clear - cutting in the American forests has long been widespread. But now, the Forest Habitat Creation Project represents new reasoning which is hotly debated - that clear - cutting benefits native creatures. The thinking is that clear - cutting done wisely can mimic natural disturbances, for example, from insect invasions or from storms overturning older trees that produce what ecologists call Early Successional Habitats - places where young trees and bushes get the upper hand and animals that depend on such habitat thrive.

The project also states that forests “can only be saved by being destroyed” - by keeping them young. Timber (木材) interests are enthusiastic about the approach because it lets them profit from cutting trees while claiming the significance of conservation. Hunting groups favor it because a younger, less thick forest makes it easier to find the game and birds they're tracking.

Nevertheless, Porter says, “Allowing some of the oldest standing trees in New England to be removed is equal to dereliction of duty on the part of the government, who sees the forests as commodities (商品).” “Forests can produce clean water, clean air, carbon storage, and biodiversity that we need,” he continues as we walk among lovely mixed hardwoods and evergreens that are cut down for logging. “We shouldn't be removing them for short - term gain.”

In this sense, Zack Porter's description of logging for wildlife for short - term gain - the short - term gain of favoring habitat for species people today want to see and hunt - is reasonable.