1 . Diving in the ocean, marine biologist Erika Woolsey has seen how coral reefs (珊瑚礁) are being damaged by climate change. It has made her decide to find a way to share her experience —including those who can’t easily explore the ocean.

Through her non-profit, The Hydrous, Woolsey is using virtual reality to bring the ocean to everyone. Scientists, filmmakers and divers are taking people on immersive (沉浸式的) virtual dives, attracting attention to reef damage and expecting action to protect our sea. About 25% of marine species depend on coral reefs. However, climate change, pollution and overfishing have done harm to around half the world’s shallow water coral reefs.

Twenty years of underwater exploration has given Woolsey a detailed understanding of the dangerous situations facing reefs. “I’ve seen this first-hand shift. Healthy colourful coral reefs become what look like the moonscape step by step,” Woolsey says.

It is through this experience that The Hydrous team set out to recreate with their award-winning film Immerse. Intended to watch with a VR headset, viewers join Woolsey for a nine-minute guided virtual dive on the coral reefs, immersed in a 360-degree underwater view.

They swim alongside sea turtles and sharks before witnessing the worsening of the reefs. The experience often brings out strong feelings. “As soon as people take off that headset and look me in the eye, they want to tell me a story about their ocean experience,” Woolsey says. “It’s that human connection to our ocean that will solve our ocean problems.”

Woolsey hopes advances in camera technology will allow her team to take more and more people to places in the ocean that are under-explored and places further away from human civilization. They are developing a virtual experience that will put the people in the role of a marine biologist, carrying out biodiversity surveys underwater, and even transporting the viewers to space to monitor global sea surface temperatures.

5 . Lots of people have trees to look at from their bedrooms, but my perspective（视角）is different. My name is Miranda Gibson. I have been living at the top of a tree_______60 meters for 449 days now. Some people might wonder_______on earth I would choose to do this.

Stretching out below me is one of Tasmania's last areas of ancient forest---in an area that was proposed for World Heritage protection, yet remains under the_______of industrial logging（砍伐）. On 12 December 2011, machinery（大型机械）rolled into the forest and the destruction began. I couldn't_______the thought that these forests would be_______forever. So, on 14 December 2011, I packed up my life,_______of my job plans, and climbed 200 feet onto the top of this tree. I have been here ever since.

People often ask me what I do up here all day. It's busier than you would imagine. Like an office job, but with a splendid_______! I spend my days writing about this forest and its urgent（紧急的）need for_______on my blog.

Life in the treetops can be_______at times. I have times when I feel frustrated（沮丧）and wish I could________, to anywhere, just to have a change of scenery for a minute! There are also times when I feel terribly________. I miss my friends and family. My only connection to the outside world is my phone and computer, which I charge via solar panel.________these times, I find myself loving the experience. Living on the tree has been inspiring. I am willing to________up here for as long as it takes, but I honestly hope it won't be too________before I will be able to get down and put my feet on the ground in a forest that is no longer under threat—in a forest that will be________guarded for future generations.

6 . When he was 22, Rob Stewart traveled the world for four years. He wanted to call attention to the mistreatment of sharks. His 2007 film, Sharkwater, documents the cruel practice of removing sharks’ fins (鳍) for money and leaving the animals to die. In his latest documentary, Revolution, Stewart takes on an even bigger challenge: climate change.

The Canadian filmmaker says that climate change has harmed people and places everywhere: “It is stronger than any government or organization. If we educate people, they will make better decisions about protecting natural resources.”

According to a recent report on climate change, “The atmosphere and ocean have warmed, the amounts of snow and ice have reduced, and sea levels have risen.” These developments are endangering crops, wildlife, fish, and even people.

Stewart says that the consequences of climate change will be irreversible unless people take action, especially young people. “It’s up to kids to be the moral compass (道德指南) of society,” he believes, “and say, ‘Guys, this is not right.’”

Many kids took action after seeing Sharkwater. Elementary school students in the Northern Mariana Islands, for example, got their local government to ban the sale of shark fins.

Felix Finkbeiner, 17, of Germany, is also part of the “revolution” to save the planet. In 2007, Felix started a youth group called Plant-for-the-Planet, whose motto is “Stop Talking. Start Planting.” The group raises money to plant trees. So far, Plant-for-the-Planet has planted nearly 200 trees around the world. “Future generations are the ones who will be suffering the most from inaction (无作为),” Felix says. His goal is to plant millions of additional trees.

“When we started four years ago,” Felix tells Stewart in Revolution, “we thought we had to save the polar bear. We thought we had to save the environment. But soon after, we found out that it’s about our future, that we have to save our own future.”

7 . A company in San Francisco, California, has found a way to turn used plastic bottles into women's shoes.

Every day, millions of Americans drink water and other liquids from plastic bottles. More than 60 million of them are thrown away each day. Many of the plastic bottles end up in landfills or are burned with other waste products.

A San Francisco start-up company called Rothy's, however, turns this plastic waste into environmentally friendly shoes. Roth Martin is the company's co-founder. He explains how they turn plastic into soft material for women's feet. They take the plastic, clean it, and break it down into small pieces. Then they press them through a device that makes soft fibers. Those fibers are then combined together. This is done by a 3D machine. It is designed to reduce waste while making the shoes. The knitted stuff and the inner part of the shoe are then attached to the shoe's outer part, called the sole. This outer sole is also made from environmentally friendly material: responsibly sourced no-carbon rubber.

Rothy's shoes are sold online. They are flat shoes, with either a rounded or pointed toe. They come in different colors and designs. They cost either $ 125 or $ 145 per pair, depending on the design. After American actress Gwyneth Paltrow discovered them last year, the demand for the shoes grew. Martin says there is no shortage of material to fill that demand. “We're not going to run out of water bottles any time soon. So we have a limitless supply of material, and I think that is a good sign for our future.” When the environmentally friendly shoes wear out, customers can return them at no cost to a company that uses the recycled material to make other products.

For now, the shoes are only available to be shipped in the United States. However, the company says it will add international shipping in the near future.