1 . Against huge odds, Shikuku Ooko is fighting to save the last remaining ancient forest. When he was in his early 20s, Shikuku Ooko was deeply taken with the Afro-Alpine forests of central Kenya. So much so that he decided to buy 15 acres of woods next to Mount Kenya National Park & Reserve. More than 30 years later Mr. Ooko’s home is one of the few plots still filled with native trees and plants. In contrast, much of the national park has been heavily logged.

The Mount Kenya region is remote and delicate, which makes it difficult to safeguard. Though the Kenya Forest Service has made sustainably managing all public forest plantations its second priority, the burden of conservation has fallen on the shoulders of local individuals such as Mr. Ooko.

In recent years, herders (牧民) have even built animal pens within legally protected areas. “It’s a bit of an annoying sight,” Mr. Ooko says, “when foreign visitors have to pay a high fee to enter the park but then come across huge herds of sheep and cattle in the delicate environment. The laws protecting that environment are in place, but they are insufficiently enforced because rangers (护林员) at each gate are limited.”.

When he’s at home in Naro Moru, Mr. Ooko advocates for tree planting, particularly among kids. “It’s something I grew up doing,” he explains. “When I was young, my dad would give all of us 10young trees to plant and take care of. Somehow, he knew the connections between trees and climate changes.”

It’s a practice Mr. Ooko has kept alive despite continuous challenges with climate and cattle; it is not uncommon for sheep and cattle to destroy the young trees that he and his young friends have planted. “We just keep going,” he says. “It’s something I value, and I think we should plant more.”

2 . Climate change is causing more areas to turn into deserts. This issue is affecting the lives of 250 million people as land that used to be good for farming becomes dry and unproductive. Around one-third of the world’s land is impacted, including regions in Africa, southern Europe, Asia and America.

Sand to Green is a Moroccan company that can transform a patch of desert into a sustainable (可持续的) and profitable plantation in five years, according to Wissal Ben Moussa, its co-founder and chief agricultural officer. The solution is using agroforestry (农林业)to create a new kind of agriculture that is sustainable and that can be resilient (有适应力的) in front of climate change.

The system can be set up close to any source of salty water, which Sand to Green cleans using energy from the sun. It then grows different types of fruit trees and plants together in the same area—a method called mixed planting—and waters the plants’ roots directly with the cleaned water, to reduce water loss to the air. The soil is regenerated using what Sand to Green calls “green manure”, a mixture that includes compost, biochar(生物炭)and microorganisms that help the soil “wake up”. Biochar is a form of charcoal that can help dry soil hold on to water.

In a five-hectare trial in southern Morocco that’s been running since 2017, Sand to Green has tried out a variety of plants in search of the best performers. Among the intercropping herbs (草本植物) that have been successfully trialed are rosemary, geranium, vetiver and citronella, which Ben Moussa describes as “very low-maintenance and very high-profit”.

Sand to Green is now working to scale up to a 20-hectare commercial site, also in southern Morocco. It says a site of that size would cost around $475,000 to set up and would start bringing financial returns in about five years.

According to Ben Moussa, with this system they create biodiversity, which means better soil, healthier crops and a bigger yield. The plantation can generate 1.5 times more yield, thus making more money than a farm that grows only one type of crop in the same space.

3 . Where does food waste go? In most countries around the world, it goes into landfills (垃圾填埋场). But not in South Korea. The country banned food waste in landfills nearly 20 years ago and today, it is turned into animal feed, fertilizers and fuel.

Around the globe, 1.4 billion tons of food is thrown away every year. The waste goes into landfills where it can pollute the land and water as well as releasing methane — a greenhouse gas — into the air. In fact, food waste is the third-largest source of methane in the US.

The system that is in place in South Korea keeps almost 100 percent of unused food out of landfills. While other cities and local governments have put similar plans in place, it is not done anywhere else on a country-wide basis.

There are two reasons why South Korea passed laws to carry out mandatory (强制性的) recycling of food waste. First, the country’s cooking tradition of numerous small dishes resulted in large amounts of uneaten food. This food waste went into landfills. But the country’s mountainous geography didn’t allow for enough landfills to be built. That’s why the government forced recycling of paper and plastic in 1995 but food waste continued to be buried in landfills. But it was the neighbors of these landfills that demanded that another solution be found due to the very unpleasant smell from rotting food. The government banned organic waste from landfills in 2005. Another law that was passed in 2013 banned dumping liquid food waste in the ocean.

The system is not free but most of the cost is absorbed by the country. People can buy yellow recycling bags that are picked up on the roadside and some local governments have placed autonomous food waste collectors that require residents to pay a weight-based fee by using cards.

The food waste is collected from the bins every day except Sunday. Some of it is used to make animal feed or fertilizers and some is used to make fuel.

4 . Abdullah was born in Terengganu, a state on the eastern coast of the Malaysian Peninsular, known for its beautiful tropical islands. Growing up on the coast, he felt a close bond with the ocean. After being adopted as a child, he would escape from his strict home to the seaside to free himself.

The local adults would consider him a strange diving instructor, “who spent his days in the water and spoke to corals (珊瑚) as if they were people”. For a long time, he worked unknown to the public and at times in poverty. But it was this closeness to the sea that led him to study the marine (海洋的) environment, and later, earn a scholarship in Oceanography at the Florida Institute of Technology. With the travels across the globe that this research involved, Abdullah learned about the extensive degradation (退化) in the marine ecosystem. He was enthusiastic about the need to take action to restore the damaged and dying coral reefs.

Abdullah set up Ocean Quest Global in Malaysia in 2010, an environmental organization focusing on coral reef protection. It was buoyed by volunteers working throughout Southeast Asia and the Indian Ocean. Its founder has spent most of his life on the coral reefs of Malaysia, observing their behavior and life cycles, and conducting his own research.

In less than a decade, Abdullah’s organization had expanded to several countries like Thailand, Brunei, and the Philippines. It has over 800 trainers across the world, working on 180 islands, roost of them in Thailand. Most recently, the organization has been actively working on the restoration of Maya Bay on Ko Phi Phi Leh Island, Thailand. It is also building the first subtropical coral nursery in Egypt, reports the diving industry portal, ADEX Ocean Vision.

7 . Consumers who want to help the environment can do so most effectively by reducing consumption. Wrapping paper alternatives can reduce the need for various resources to be consumed.    1    No matter what the gift is, there is a wrapping paper alternative to make the gift-giving experience even more special.

One extremely low-cost wrapping paper alternative is to use the Sunday comics. These are bright, colorful, and fun, and will probably be passed around and read as the receiver opens the gift. Children and adults alike will appreciate this attractive wrapping paper alternative. Clear cellophane (玻璃纸) can also be used over the comics newspaper.    2    

Re-used gift wrap, if not damaged, is another free wrapping paper alternative. Torn edges can be cut off and high-quality ribbon will last through many uses. Newsprint roll ends are often given away by newspaper offices and can be decorated with markers, paints, rubber stamps, or stickers.    3    With their permission, you can use their artwork as a wrapping paper alternative.

Any wrapping paper alternative can be made unique by adding decorations that are readily available.    4    Flowers, or stems of a fragrant plant add a special touch to the wrapped gift.

    5    For people with a lack of time or creativity, there are also commercial and available alternatives to gift wrap such as wrapping paper with recycled content or environment-friendly wrapping paper. A thoughtful consumer can wrap gifts in a variety of attractive ways without harming the environment.

8 . Climate change is one of the biggest issues we face on the planet. It may be pretty tough to convince other people and make a difference.     1    . There’re many others making the same efforts. Also, there are so many things you can do to help raise awareness and work with others.

Learn as much as you can about climate change.     2    , you have to know the research. Read through climate and science websites so you can see the most recent research about how it’s affecting our planet. That way, you can always tell people accurate information and find additional resources to help convince other people.

Participate in a climate strike or protest (抗议). A lot of organizations plan marches or protests to show how many people in your area think climate change is a major issue.     3    . Communicate with others you’re protesting with to connect with like-minded people and learn more about the next steps you can take.

Join a climate organization. If you’re still in school, see if there are any student associations or clubs about climate change. Otherwise, check online or on social media to see if there are community groups in your area that you want to volunteer with.     4    

Contact your government to prioritize (优先考虑) the issue. Your local and state politicians have the power to make changes on a legal level to help fight against climate change. Contact their offices over the phone or by mail, and ask them what solutions they’re preparing.     5    , urge them to look into plans and solutions so they know it’s important to you.

9 . In recent years, Ethiopia has become a leader in solid waste management in Africa. Last year, the country transformed a rubbish site into a new waste-to-energy plant. The plant incinerates up to 1,400 tons of solid rubbish every day, supplying the capital with 25 percent of its electricity need.

Despite the great progress, challenges remain in Ethiopia. Laws and policies for the management of harmful wastes are still at an early stage and not effective in preventing illegal dumping (倾倒) of waste.

To help Ethiopia meet these challenges, the Waste Management Program that has been founded is supporting the country with a three-year project to improve institutional ability of sound management of harmful wastes.

In the initial stages, a project management unit will be formed. This unit will be responsible for reviewing and assessing Ethiopia’s present law frameworks, which does not specifically target the importation, production, transport, use and disposal (处理) of harmful wastes. Once legal gaps (漏洞) are identified, the project will seek to update existing law frameworks.

This project will work to promote the participation of women in policy development and decision-making processes. This will help make sure that existing policies and programs, as well as future institutional changes, are assessed with particular attention to women.

Many people in Ethiopia are not aware of the criminal influences of environmental violations and the need to report such crimes to the police. To solve this problem, Ethiopia will be conducting a series of activities, including creating awareness-raising programs. Ethiopia will also set up a national cooperation system for waste management. Authorities will also make budget in national and regional planning to make sure that these policies can survive even after the project’s completion.

The depth and breadth of these actions will make sure that this project has a lasting influence. In so doing, the recent progress Ethiopia has made in waste management will be not only kept, but become the basis for an environmental policy for years to come.