3 . Common water plant could provide a green energy source. Scientists have figured out how to get large amounts of oil from duckweed, one of nature’s fastest-growing water plants. Transferring such plant oil into biodiesel (生物柴油) for transportation and heating could be a big part of a more sustainable future.

For a new study, researchers genetically engineered duckweed plants to produce seven times more oil per acre than soybeans. John Shanklin, a biochemist says further research could double the engineered duckweed’s oil output in the next few years.

Unlike fossil fuels, which form underground, biofuels can be refreshed faster than they are used. Fuels made from new and used vegetable oils, animal fat and seaweed can have a lower carbon footprint than fossil fuels do, but there has been a recent negative view against them. This is partly because so many crops now go into energy production rather than food; biofuels take up more than 100 million acres of the world’s agricultural land.

Duckweed, common on every continent but Antarctica, is among the world’s most productive plants, and the researchers suggest it could be a game-changing renewable energy source for three key reasons. First, it grows readily in water, so it wouldn’t compete with food crops for agricultural land. Second, duckweed can grow fast in agricultural pollution released into the water. Third, Shanklin and his team found a way to avoid a major biotechnological barrier: For the new study, Shanklin says, the researchers added an oil-producing gene, “turning it on like a light switch”by introducing a particular molecule (分子) only when the plant had finished growing. Shanklin says, “If it replicates (复制) in other species-and there’s no reason to think that it would not — this can solve one of our biggest issues, which is how we can make more oil in more plants without negatively affecting growth.”

To expand production to industrial levels, scientists will need to design and produce large-scale bases for growing engineered plants and obtaining oil — a challenge, Shanklin says, because duckweed is a non-mainstream crop without much existing infrastructure (基础设施).

4 . For millions of years, sea turtles (海龟) have been making the great journey from Costa Rican beaches to the ocean.

Female sea turtles come to shore to nest (筑巢) on the same beach where they were born. Scientists are not sure how sea turtles remember where they were born, but they believe that sea turtles can use the Earth’s magnetic field (磁场) to help them find their way back. Mother sea turtles usually nest every two to three years, but they might lay two or three nests in one year.

Unlike most animals, the temperature inside the nest determines whether the turtles will be male or female. Warmer nests produce more female turtles. It can take from six weeks to two months for baby turtles to appear from the nest. Once they sense cooler nighttime temperatures, they will begin their perilous journey towards the sea. The little turtles’ journey to the ocean isn’t a leisurely walk on the beach. In fact,on some beaches, only 10 percent of them make it to the ocean.

Natural hunters are not the only threat to sea turtles. Humans and their activities have also severely reduced the number of sea turtles in the oceans. Fishing activities, boat traffic, artificial (人工的) lighting, and pollution are making the trip from beach to ocean difficult. Due to a variety of these threats, six out of seven sea turtle species worldwide are considered endangered or threatened.

While sea turtles may face several threats to their survival, there are many opportunities for humans to help them. For example, avoid fishing in waters that are known to have sea turtles. If you do accidentally hook (钓) a turtle, do not remove the hook. Instead, call local wildlife authorities to help with removal. Lights draw baby turtles away from the ocean. Turn off your lights at night when you are near a sea turtle nesting area. Another way to help sea turtles is to reduce your plastic use. Plastic litter is among the number one causes of deaths of sea turtles. Last, get involved with sea turtle protection efforts.

5 . The following are some unsung heroes bringing a unique viewpoint and approach to the global challenge of environmental conservation.

Greta Thunberg, a young environmental voice from Sweden, has not only caught global attention but transformed it into a powerful movement. Through her “Fridays for Future” initiative, Greta encourages students worldwide to advocate for climate action, calling for the urgency of addressing climate change. Her touching speeches at international forums, coupled with a refusal to accept inaction have made her a symbol of youth-driven environmental advocacy.

The late Nobel Peace Prize winner from Kenya left a permanent mark through her pioneering Green Belt Movement. This grassroots initiative empowered communities, particularly women, to fight against deforestation through tree planting. Maathai’s legacy lives on in the millions of trees planted across Africa, reflecting her belief that sustainable development starts at the grassroots level, with communities actively engaged in preserving their environment

Isatou Ceesay, an environmentalist from The Gambia, has emerged as a pioneer in the fight against plastic pollution. Recognizing the detrimental impact of plastic waste on local communities and ecosystems, Ceesay founded the “Women’s Initiative Gambia”. Through creative recycling initiatives, she empowers women to repurpose plastic waste, promoting economic independence within communities.

Ma Jun began his career as an investigative journalist, but has quickly risen to become an outstanding Chinese environmentalist, known for his pioneering work in water pollution control. As the founder of the Institute of Public and Environmental Affairs(IPE), Ma Jun developed the China Water Pollution Map, an interactive online tool that tracks water quality data and exposes pollution sources across the country.

7 . Time is running out for coral reefs as the climate gets hotter. So scientists are searching the globe for corals that are better at enduring heat, Now, new research shows how those “super corals” can survive: less roommate drama.

Reefs depend on a crucial partnership between the corals and the algae (海藻) that live in the corals’ tissue, The algae make food for the corals using sunlight and in exchange, get a nice spot to live. But when oceans heat up, that relationship goes bad, and the corals kick the algae out, Without their roommates, corals can die, turning a ghostly white, bleached (白化) color.

Still, some corals seem to resist bleaching better than others, A new study shows that those corals depend on algae that are better at tolerating heat. Researchers hope that pinpointing these abilities will help develop new conservation tools to preserve the world’s reefs as temperatures rise. About 1/4 of all marine life rely on coral reefs in some way, along with half 1 billion people around the world also depend on reefs for their food and livelihoods.

“Heat stress can kill a lot of corals really fast,” says Kate Quigley, a research scientist at James Cook University and the Minderoo Foundation in Australia. “I hope that nature does have some mechanisms to get us through the next few years while we get our act together.”

While the hope is that those algae could also aid in reef conservation in the future, researcher Patrick Buerger says it’s likely that it wouldn’t help all coral species. And even the toughest corals can only endure so much. Currently, the world is on track for just under 3degrees Celsius of warming by 2100, a level that would wipe out nearly all coral reefs.

“The action has to be on climate change,” he says. “This is a short-term solution that might buy some time for corals to adapt. But the main focus has to be on climate. There’s not a silver bullet to the problem.”

8 . Did you buy too much bread before heading out for a holiday? Did you give up the vegetables that are going bad?

In an effort to help eco-conscious consumers, a Geneva nonprofit is speeding up its plan of street-side, free-access public refrigerators that restaurateurs, at-home cooks and others can use to give away food that’s about to go bad. It’s part of a bigger effort by communities in Switzerland and other European countries to do their part for the environment while helping to cut down on food waste.

The nonprofit Free-Go has placed refrigerators and shelves in Geneva where passersby can get fruit, vegetables, bread and other perishables(易变质食品) to take home for free.The program costs about $40,000 to run each year and enjoys the support from the city government. It began a year ago with a single fridge outside a community center in western Geneva and it now has four fridges, strategically placed around town. A fifth one is planned before year’s end.

Free-Go is experimenting with scheduled pickups at apartment buildings to make it easier for residents(居民) to participate in the program. It has also set up a“hotline”that restaurateurs can use to call for the collection of unused food. Free-Go says giver s of food from the private sector, such as restaurants, must make a promise to ensure the given food is safe to eat.

Free-Go says about 1 billion tons of food go to waste every year around the world—using up energy and other resources in the farming and transportation process. Similar food-sharing activities are in place in the capital, Bern, after the idea was imported from Germany.

According to Foodsharing.de, a community group in Germany that started more than a decade ago, more than a half-million people in Germany, Switzerland and Austria have made “the food-sharing initiative an international movement”and have helped save 83 million tons of food from going to waste.

10 . The beautiful city of Montreal, Canada, is these days receiving negotiators, scientists, environmentalists and political leaders from all corners of the world to agree on a framework to halt and reverse nature loss by the end of this decade. One of the heated discussions in Montreal is about conserving 30 percent of the world’s land, freshwater and oceans by 2030.

The history of mankind as of the end of the 20th century has been a story of development at the expense of nature. Now, in order to restore nature, we need to mobilize the citizens of the world for win-win solutions to the crisis.

First suggestion, if we want to create harmony between man and nature, we need to win the hearts and minds of the local people. One of the shining examples is Rwanda, which, though a small, landlocked (内陆的) country in Africa, has one of the most immensely beautiful landscapes I have seen anywhere in the world. It has been incredibly successful in increasing the number of previously threatened gorillas. If you’re a tourist, you pay a significant amount of money to see Rwanda’s gorillas. And that creates a fantastic economy for the taxi drivers, the hotel staff, the teachers and the tourist guides in the neighborhood of Volcanoes National Park. That means that no one in the neighborhood will kill a gorilla for bush meat (野味). The local residents there are the first line of defense for the gorillas, because it is a crucial source of income and a big job creator in the region. It’s a win-win solution.

Second suggestion, we need to ask businesses to participate. In the past, business was a force of destruction for nature. Jobs came from destroying the beautiful landscapes on Earth. In other words, we created economic development by destroying nature. Now, in the 21st century, we can create economic growth and restore nature at the same time. Indonesia stopped deforestation last year, thanks to a combination of good government policy and good business practice. RGE, a paper, pulp (纸浆) and palm oil company, develops huge harvests.

Third suggestion, we need to work with citizens at large. In India, the chief minister of conservation a reason the island of Sumatra and protects as much of the green trees as it the big state of Madhya Pradesh is planting one tree every day to inspire 80 million people in his state to do likewise.