1 . In the late 19th century Yellowstone became the first great National Park, described as America’s “best idea.” But the park was devastating for the Native Americans who had lived or hunted within their borders and who were displaced.

The U. S. has taken one small step to compensate by returning the National Bison Range to its Native owners as a first step. Next, at the 2021 UN Biodiversity Conference, the government should ensure new conservation plans support Indigenous (本土的) and local communities for their conservation achievements.

In 2016 biologist Edward responded to the biodiversity crisis by calling for half of Earth to be left to wilderness, birthing the“30×30”campaign to protect 30 percent of Earth’s land and sea surface by 2030. Backed by many scientists, major conservation organizations, the target is likely to be adopted by the CBD.

Critics argue that the “30×30” initiative, aimed at conservation, could become a tool for exploitation (剥削). They claim it may unjustly burden those least responsible for environmental issues like climate change and biodiversity loss. There’s concern that powerful entities could use the proposal as an excuse for seizing land from disadvantaged groups. Indigenous territories, which host 80% of Earth’s remaining biodiversity, are particularly at risk of being targeted in the name of protection. Tragically, the very communities that bravely protect nature against exploitation could face displacement, with estimates suggesting up to 300 million people could lose their homes.

There is a way to do global conservation right. Indigenous communities are as good as or better than governments at protecting biodiversity and already conserve a quarter of Earth’s land surface. The CBD needs to ensure that they get secure rights to their territories, as well as the resources to defend them.

The National Park could lead the way in this effort by helping rescue nature and its most passionate defenders from the militarized (军事化) conservation model it pioneered one and a half centuries ago. That is a crucial step toward a relief for the incredible life forms that share our planet, as well as their Indigenous guardians.

2 . Feeling down about money? Do you know you could have thousands of pounds worth of junk hiding in your drawers? Well, here’s some fantastic news to brighten your day: your unwanted tech could be a goldmine, with potential earrings ranging from £1,300 to £6,330.That’s right — that neglected hairdryer, forgotten electric toothbrush, or unused smartphone sitting in your cupboard could be your ticket to some extra holiday cash, a dream summer vacation, or a special weekend treat!

Recent research from Recycle Your Electricals reveals a shocking 880 million unused working electrical items gathering dust in UK households, averaging 31 items per household. The potential earnings? A suriprising £36.7 billion for older, lower, and unbranded items and an astonishing £178.5 billion for newer, higher branded items. It’s an incredible new opportunity!

It’s not just about making money; selling your old electricals is also great for the planet. Waste electricals are the fastest growing e-waste stream, with few people realising that they contain some of the most precious materials on the planet, like gold, aluminium and lithium. So whether you choose to sell or donate your working items, or you recycle the broken ones, it’s going to be good for the environment.

It’s time to unlock that money. Start by taking stock of all your electricals and research their market value by considering factors like brand, age, and condition. Wipe down surfaces, remove dust, and ensure everything is in working order. Remember, a picture is worth a thousand words— a detailed description with high-quality photos speaks louder. Select the platform that suits your item and target audience. Above all, security first. Ensure all personal data are securely wiped. If meeting in person, choose a safe, public location. Alternatively, use secure shipping methods with tracking for added peace of mind.

3 . Early one morning, servers at an Egyptian restaurant began their usual preparations for the day. They laid out rows of desserts. But the offerings weren’t for customers. Instead, within an hour, staff from an organization called Tekeya had arrived to take away 135 portions of perfectly eatable dishes. The desserts — made a day earlier — weren’t considered fresh enough to eat.

Throughout Egypt, which boasts a rich culinary (烹饪的) history, such views aren’t uncommon. Now, though, with a global reflection on the food chain and its role in the climate crisis, attitudes in Egypt are slowly changing.

The restaurant is one of around a dozen across the Egyptian capital that Tekey’s staff visits each day in a quest to stop fit-for-consumption food from being dumped. Restaurants pay a small annual fee that allows them to alert Tekeya’s staff whenever they have unsold food. Personal users of Tekeya’s app can then buy that food at half price, or either the restaurants or the users can request Tekeya to deliver the food to a food bank or charity of their choosing. In total, up to 40 plates are saved from going to the trash each day.

“I’ve seen several platforms helping fight food waste across Europe. It’s uplifting to find one that does the same here in Egypt, ” says the manager, who has been using the app for three years.

In 2019, Menna Shahin had an idea particularly inspired by a festival, which brings about both celebration and waste. “I would put so much thought into how to deal with food responsibly without harming the environment, and how to minimize my excess (过度的) usage,” Ms. Shahin says. “I thought to myself, why not assist everyone to deal with their excess food wisely?”

Ms. Shahin ended up co-founding Tekeya along with her husband, Max Hartzen. By Tekeya’s second year, some 10, 000 discounted meals were ordered during one month, with users choosing to donate roughly a quarter of those to charities.

4 . Following a sustainable diet, also known as a “planetary health diet”, includes whole grains, fruits, nuts, green vegetables, and olive oil, can be a win-win for your health and the planet, according to a new research.

The new research conducted by scientists from the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health has revealed that people who eat more environmentally sustainable food have a 25percent lower risk of mortality (死亡) compared to those with a less sustainable diet, like eggs, the red and processed meat. The findings show that the participants with a good planetary health diet had a reduced risk of all causes of death measured in the study.

The study involved over 100,000 participants in the USA, with a 30-year check-up period. According to Linh Bui, the PhD candidate at Harvard, the research team integrated data on the health outcomes of specific foods and their environment al impact, creating a Planetary Health Diet Index (指数), and gave the participants scores based on their diets. Using this, they assessed the relationship between the scores and the participants’ health outcomes. “The results confirmed our previous hypothesis (假设) that a higher Planetary Health Diet score was associated with a lower risk of death,” said Bui. The people with the highest Planetary Health Index scores had a 25per cent lower overall risk of death than those with the lowest scores.

The environmental impact of the foods was evaluated by factors such as water use, land use, package, pollution, and greenhouse gas emissions. The researchers hope that the eco-index can be used as a simple tool for policy makers and public health services to improve human health and tackle the climate crisis.

However, they acknowledge that the index does not take into account certain challenges that people may have in following a sustainable diet, such as health conditions of the subjects and what cultures they come from. They hope that further research will address these barriers,   as well as relationships between foods and diseases tailored to particular countries.

5 . On Friday, students around the world will walk out of their classrooms and gather in joint protests to highlight the global crisis created by climate change. The goal? To get elected officials and industry leaders to actually act to stop the coming disaster.

Climate change poses a terrible threat to humanity, and politicians aren’t doing enough to find solutions, protest organizers wrote on the Global Climate Strike website. Greenhouse gas emissions (排放) are a primary driver of global warming, but leaders have been irresolute about abandoning fossil fuels, even as global temperatures continue to climb.

Strikes and protests by students in more than 2,500 locations aim to show that the younger generations won’t stand easily by while their future — and their planet — hang in the balance. The strike follows a summer of extreme weather linked to climate change: strange global heat waves, wildfires and ice loss from glaciers (冰川). In July, three studies found that the global climate is changing more quickly than it has in the past 2,000 years.

Sixteen-year-old Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg, who is currently visiting New York City, is one of the strike’s key organizers. Thunberg will speak at a Friday demonstration at Foley Square there at 12 p. m. local time, after which protesters will march to Battery Park. Thunberg will also address the UN Climate Action Summit on September 23. The emergency meeting is being organized so that world leaders can present “concrete, realistic plans” for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, with the goal of reaching zero emissions by 2050, according to a UN statement.

Thousands of protests are planned for Friday — just three days prior to the summit—and collectively, they will be the biggest climate action in history.

6 . There is widespread agreement that climate change threatens our existence. But in our rush to address this challenge, our efforts mustn’t heighten another, more immediate one: the global decline of biodiversity. We are losing species at 1,000 times the natural rate. If we stay on this track, we risk losing up to half of them by the middle of the century.

Sadly, the singular focus on solving climate change has led to people ignoring biodiversity. The alarming result is that many climate efforts unintentionally quicken nature’s destruction. Take the huge need for solar farms for an example. If not located properly, they’ll impact ecosystems and habitats. In Virginia, for example, more than half of solar facilities are being built on forested land rather than areas such as rooftops or parking lots. The state’s push for solar development could lead to the deforestation of nearly 30,000 acres annually.

There is a real risk that badly planned renewable infrastructure (基础设施) will have a greater impact on biodiversity than existing fossil fuel infrastructure. Thus, we need to chart a path that doesn’t address one environmental challenge by creating others.

Indeed, with practical choices, we can do the opposite, using nature to address climate change. Consider carbon removal. Research shows between 2001 and 2019, forests around the world seized more than twice the amount of carbon dioxide that they emitted (排放) —absorbing more than the combined annual emissions of the US and UK. Nature is also critical in setting the adaptation necessary to prepare for increasingly severe weather shocks, such as the role of mangroves (a kind of tree) in absorbing floods.

Governments must think differently, employing better infrastructure planning at all levels. A report from The Nature Conservancy shows careful siting can reduce the effects of the clean energy infrastructure by 70%compared with siting as usual practices. For instance, solar farms can be put on already degraded land.

It would be a tragic irony if, in our efforts to tackle climate change, we end upbringing a big and immediate crisis in the natural world.

7 . The environment has never been more in need of a helping hand from us. Schools, in particular, are in a great position to educate future generations and make sure that good environmental habits are learned and adopted from an early age. So, ranging from energy efficiency to recycling, here are our tips to make your school more eco-friendly and sustainable.

☆    1    

Sending waste to landfill to slowly rot away isn’t the best use of the world’s resources. Plus, the space available for landfill is rapidly running out. Instead, boost recycling by providing appropriate and appealing facilities with clear signage (标识).     2    .

☆Turn off the lights and fit energy-efficient light bulbs

Saving energy used for lighting is one of the easiest things that we can do.     3    . Turn off lights when they’re not needed. Signage asking people to turn off the lights can act as a useful reminder.

☆Go paperless

    4    , with paper now being seen as outdated in many cases. This is good news for the environment, but it sometimes needs people to change how they do things. Look into options for creating and using fewer paper-based administration systems at school and think twice before printing or photocopying all those A4 pages, for example.

☆Reject plastic water bottles

Recent television programs and campaigns have raised the issue of waste plastic towards the top of the environmental agenda. In some ways, this isn’t surprising because, again, it is relatively easy for everyone to make a difference to the environment with minimal effort.     5    . Just stop buying brand-new water bottles that are used once and then recycled, and reuse existing bottles and containers instead.

9 . Deserts could be the best places on Earth for harvesting solar power. They are spacious, relatively flat, and never short of sunlight. So researchers imagine it might be possible to transform the world’s largest desert, the Sahara, into a large solar farm, capable of meeting four times the world’s current energy demand.

While the black surfaces of solar panels absorb most of the sunlight that reaches them, only around 15% of that incoming energy gets turned into electricity. The rest is returned to the environment as heat, affecting the climate. If these effects were only local, they might not matter in a thinly populated desert. But the area of the installations in the Sahara would be vast, covering thousands of square miles. Heat released from an area this size will be redistributed by the flow of air in the atmosphere, having regional and even global effects on the climate.

A 2018 study used a climate model to assess the effects of building massive solar farms in the Sahara. The model revealed that when the size of the solar farm reaches 20% of the total area of the Sahara, the heat released by the darker solar panels creates a big temperature difference between the land and the surrounding oceans that ultimately lowers surface air pressure and causes wet air to rise and condense (凝结) into raindrops. With more rainfall, plants grow and the desert reflects less of the sun’s energy since vegetation absorbs light better than sand and soil. With more plants present, more water is evaporated (蒸发), creating a better environment that causes vegetation to spread.

So, a large solar farm could generate enough energy and at the same time turn one of the most abominable environments on Earth into a habitable place. Sounds perfect, right? Not quite. In a recent study, we used an advanced Earth system model to closely examine how Saharan solar farms interact with the climate. It showed there could be unintended effects in remote parts of the land and ocean.

We are only beginning to understand the potential consequences of establishing massive solar farms in deserts. Solutions like this may help society reduce the use of fossil energy, but Earth system studies like ours underscore the importance of considering the numerous coupled responses of the atmosphere, oceans, and land surface when examining their benefits and risks.