3 . Animal appear to predict earthquakes by sensing electricity in the air — the first study to find reliable evidence of the phenomenon has shown.

Cameras revealed an “amazing” drop in the number of animals up to 23 days before a major quake hit their rainforest home at Yanachaga National Park in Peru. Lead scientist Dr Rachel Grant, from Anglia Ruskin University, said, “The results showed that just before the earthquake, animals’ activity dropped right down.”

On a normal day the cameras placed around Yanachaga National Park record between 5 and 15 animals. But in the 23 days before the earthquake, the number of animals dropped to five or fewer per day. No animals were photographed at all on five of the seven days immediately before the quake.

Another study showed that animal activity remained normal in the park over a different period when seismic (地震的) activity was low. Co-author, professor Friedemann Freund, said, “The cameras were located at an altitude of 900 meters. If air ionization occurred, the animals would escape to the valley below, where there were fewer positive ions ( 离子). With their ability to sense their environment, animals can help us understand small changes that occur before major earthquakes.”

Other evidence suggested that before the earthquake, the air around the high mountain sites filled with positive ions that can be produced when rocks are placed under stress. Positive ions have been known to cause ill effects in humans as well as animals. Scientists believe the animals were made to feel uncomfortable by the positive ions, leading them to avoid the area. They are thought to have escaped to lower ground, where the air was less ionized. The findings may help experts develop better short-term seismic forecasts.

5 . Steel plays a significant role in the automobiles we drive and the transportation infrastructure that connects us. However, it also contributes to 7% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions. In recognition of this, 45 nations made a pledge in 2021 to strive towards nearly zero-emission steel production within the next ten years.

However, how is it possible to produce the steel required for society with zero emissions?

A new study shows that if we are truly committed to reaching zero emissions, we must be prepared for a scenario where the amount of steel we can produce is lower. Japan has set a target for a 46% reduction in emissions from steel by 2030, and zero emissions by 2050. So far, the roadmap for achieving this relies heavily on future innovations in technology.

In the study, Dr. Takuma Watari, a Japanese researcher argues that there is no silver bullet. He says that current plans to cut carbon emissions underestimate how difficult it will be to develop CCS and hydrogen technologies and deploy them widely: “These technologies still face serious technical, economic, and social challenges, and have yet to be implemented at scale.

According to Dr. Watari, “zero-emission steel production is possible by 2050, but in limited quantity and quality compared to current total production. This is due to the limited availability of zero-emission compatible resources and downcycling practices of scrap steel.”

The implication is clear. It is not enough to rely on a technological silver bullet materializing to transform the supply of steel. We also need to look seriously at strategies to reduce demand by shifting our culture of steel use and improving our material efficiency.

Dr. Watari concludes that we do need to invest in technological innovations, but we cannot simply wait for them to appear. Instead, steel users need to prepare for a world where there is less steel available: “We do not deny the need to invest in innovative production technologies. Rather, what we want to highlight is that we should look for far more strategic options, instead of simply relying on silver bullet production technologies.”

6 . The invasive (入侵的) species, also called introduced species or foreign species, is any nonnative species that significantly changes or damages the ecosystem it invades. Such species may arrive in new areas through natural migration, but they are often introduced by the activities of other species. Human activities, such as those involved in global commerce and the pet trade, are considered to be the most common ways in which invasive plants, animals, microbes, and other organisms are transported to new habitats.

Most introduced species do not survive extended periods in new habitats, because they do not possess the necessary adaptations to adjust to the challenges posed by their new surroundings. Some introduced species may become invasive when they possess a built-in competitive advantage over native species in invaded areas. They change native food chains and in some cases even get to the top of the food chains, which means the ecosystem lacks natural enemy capable of keeping them in check. Under these circumstances, new arrivals can get the chance to reproduce in large numbers.

The ecological damage that tends to follow such invasions often reduces the ecosystem’s biodiversity and causes economic harm to people who depend on the ecosystem’s biological resources. Invasive species may be so good at catching preys that victim populations decline over time, and many victim species die out in the affected ecosystem. Other invasive species, in contrast, may prevent native species from obtaining food, living space, or other resources. Over time, invasive species can effectively replace native ones, often forcing the localized extinction of many native species. Invasive plants and animals may also serve as disease carriers that spread parasites (寄生虫) and viruses that may further do harm to the invaded area.

HEFEI- Three Dalmatian pelicans (卷羽鹈鹕), or Pelecanus crispus, were spotted at Chaohu Lake for the first time, the fifth    1    (large) freshwater lake in the country.

The rare birds    2     (photograph) on Wednesday by a local biological resources survey team and two birdwatchers.     3    number of Dalmatian pelicans, a national first class protected species, is quite small in China.    4    , it is rare to see three of    5    (they) at the same time, according to Yu Lei, a bird expert on the local biological resources survey team.

“This wading bird, which feeds on fish, has a high level of alertness and requires a good    6    (live) environment. The fishing ban in the lake and the improved environment are reasons behind the    7    (appear) of these pelicans,” said Yu, adding that they migrated here    8    (spend) the winter.

More than 80 birds, such as little swans and cormorants, were also spotted on Wednesday at the lake. Hefei City,     9    the lake is located,    10    (take) a number of measures to strengthen the protection of 10 major wetlands around Chaohu Lake in recent years, including banning fishing, land reclamation and waste dumping in the protected zones.

10 . When it comes to going green, intention can be easier than action. Case in point: you decide to buy a T shirt made from 100% organic cotton. But that green label doesn’t tell the whole story — like the fact that even organic cotton requires more than 2,640 gal. (10,000 L) of water to grow enough fiber for one T shirt. Or the possibility that the T shirt may have been dyed (染色) using harmful industrial chemicals. If you knew all that, would you still consider the T shirt green? Would you still buy it?

It’s a question that most of us are ill-equipped to answer. That’s because the global economy development has outpaced our ability to comprehend the consequences — for ourselves and the planet. We are not prepared to understand the increasing impact of industrial chemicals on our children’s health or the climate. And we lack the data to understand the full impact of what we choose.

But what if we could calculate the full lifetime effect of our actions on the earth and on our bodies? Not just carbon footprints but social and biological footprints as well? What if we could think ecologically? That’s what psychologist Daniel Goleman describes in his forthcoming book, Ecological Intelligence. He compiles (汇编) the environmental and biological impact of our every decision and delivers that information to consumers in a user-friendly way. That’s thinking ecologically — understanding the global environmental consequences of our local choices.

Ecological intelligence is ultimately about more than what we buy. It’s also about our ability to accept that we live in an closely connected world with limited resources. Goleman highlights the Tibetan community of Sher, where for thousands of years, villagers have survived severe conditions by carefully conserving every resource available to them. The Tibetans think ecologically because they have no other choice. Neither do we. “We once had the luxury to ignore our impacts,” says Goleman. “Not any more.”