2 . When we talk about protecting the environment and sustainability, we focus on factories and industries that produce cars, household objects, and materials used in production. However, the carbon footprint of the fast fashion industry is sizeable and should not be overlooked.

Fast fashion has seen quite the rise recently, with stores spreading far and wide all over the world. They mass-produce one collection after the other, always on trend, and always encouraging consumers to follow the said trend. However, what about the impact this kind of business model has on the environment?

The clothing industry is the second-highest polluter of water. Factories of fast fashion poured poisonous chemicals into clean water supplies because clothing production is a land-and water-intensive industry, responsible for 10% of all carbon release globally. Even after the clothes are produced in factories, they can still affect the environment. For example, polyester (涤纶) can release plastic microfibres into the water system, which contributes to the already existing plastic problem.

The fashion industry is indeed causing great harm to the environment; moreover, the clothes being made are not meant to last. In most cases, the quality is not there, and the clothes are only used a few times before being discarded. Before the rise of fast fashion, clothes were made to last and were not meant to have the high turnover that clothes have.

There are many designers who are committed to mass-producing their clothes in sustainable ways. Some big brands are also trying to make improvements in the materials they use and the mass-producing process, but big efforts are needed if we are going to see a change. What we as consumers can do is shop consciously and consider how the clothes have been made and whether we truly need that piece or not.

3 . For Christina and her team, planting trees isn’t the only goal. She hopes to employ residents, especially youth, to get their hands in the dirt and see how they can grow change.

Groundwork Bridgeport hired a team of youth and trained them to provide ongoing care for trees in the community (社区). They serve the neighborhoods where they live, monitoring the trees, providing basic care, and connecting with their neighbors. Their “patrolling” is improving each tree’s longevity while giving them valuable experience and a good payment.

“We’re using data and technology to be able to find even down to the specific city block of where trees are needed the most,” said Amy Lester, Ventures Project Coordinator, Arbor Day Foundation. With a NatureQuant NatureScore® of 10, the east Bridgeport neighborhood was flagged as desperately needing trees. NatureQuant is a tech and research company that helps the Arbor Day Foundation determine where trees are needed most in urban spaces.

The most recent program that happened in partnership with the Arbor Day Foundation was a tree giveaway. Fifty trees were given to residents of the neighborhood identified by NatureQuant.

Residents showed their support for the effort by coming out in full force. They know what the trees mean to their community, to their health, to the next generation of those growing up in east Bridgeport.

4 . Travelling allows us to see landscapes we wouldn’t be able to explore otherwise. Sometimes, the beauty is so attractive that we’d like to extend our stay to immerse (沉浸) ourselves in it, or simply have a version of it we could carry with us back home. Inspired by questions about personal land preservation and wondering how the hurried pace of travel can be slowed, Kathleen Vance launched her Travelling Landscapes series. With it, she creates miniature (微小的) landscapes inside antique suitcases and trunks.

“In first creating the Travelling Landscapes series, I was thinking about accessibility to nature and exploring the concept of ‘untouched natural sites’,” Vance says. “The perfect landscapes I sculpt are visual connections from my personal memories of travels and focus on waterways as a primary element. I consider these a reminder of how precious our natural resources are, and how necessary it is to protect these vital elements for life.”

The initial pieces of Travelling Landscapes were created in 2005 and each contained soil, water, and grasses native to the area it described. “It was created as a ‘site displacement’ sculpture, in which I removed the soil and plants from a designated stream and transplanted them into a container,” the artist says.

The well-travelled beauty wouldn’t come alive if it weren’t for the use of antique luggage in her work. These additions further the message she’s trying to put out into the world. “I use primarily antique luggage for this series as it denotes not only this concept of containment, but travel, preciousness, and possession,” Vance points out. “I consider each case carefully, investigating its prior history, its owner, and for which type of travel it was designed to be used. All these indicators help to inform the landscape that I create.”

Throughout her expressive body of work, Vance tries to connect people to local aspects of nature that are overlooked or underappreciated, opening new channels to bring nature into our daily lives.

7 . James Rainey reads trees like most people read signposts. The senior ecologist is using a small hand camera to identify a lichen (地衣) that is surrounding the base of wild pines (松树) in a deep narrow valley on the west coast of Scotland. He is looking for ecological clues of species associated with the ancient Caledonian Forest, which once covered most of the Highlands.

Wild pines have been growing in Scotland continuously since the ice age, offering a globally unique ecosystem supporting rare wildlife. But now less than 2% of the original growth survives, with just 14 individual Caledonian pinewood sites now officially recognized. “To meet the demand for more wood, many wild pines in Highlands have been removed to make room for commercial forestry,” says Rainey. “This was often done in ancient woodlands and was really damaging to the remaining trees.”

But restoration is still possible, especially since some old trees still survive along with the ancient woodland soil and seedbank—seeds stored in the soil, which can grow once the heavy shade of commercial conifers (针叶树) is removed.

The ecological investigator uses three clues of evidence to discover where these pinewoods first stood. “First there’s the historical evidence, like old maps and texts. Then comes the landscape context: is the pine associated with planting around a big house, or is the setting more natural? And finally I use the ecological evidence: wild pine usually grow alongside old birch trees, which indicates ecological continuity,” explains Rainey.

Rainey has identified 23 pines in this area, all rooted in places least accessible. Their needles have been taken for genetic testing to confirm their family trees. “This would have been filled with trees but is now empty — these are the most critical areas in need of regeneration and we want the whole of the ancient woodlands to recover, not just the pines,” he said.

8 . “For thousands of years, humans have raced to be the first to climb a peak, cross a frontier, or document a new species or landscape. Now in some cases, we’re racing to be the last,” said New York Times’ Paige McClanahan.

In recent years, a growing industry has been stimulated by climate change — last-chance tourism. According to Eco Sustainable Solutions, a UK-based organic recycling and waste processing company last-chance tourism is a kind of tourism geared toward seeing the last of something due to climate change. As temperatures and water levels rise, this could mean seizing the last chance to see the Great Barrier Reef, an Arctic glacier and a remote island that is sinking.

As millions of tourists rush to imperiled destinations, some are taking advantage of the increasing demand to spread environmental awareness. One tourist spot, the Sea of Ice in France, opened an exhibit in 2021 to educate visitors on glaciers and climate change. This educational push seems to be having an impact, as a 2023 survey showed that 80% of the visitors would try to learn more about the environment and how to protect it while 77% said that they would reduce their water and energy use.

However, the last-chance tourism industry may become kind of our concern. As more and more people flood into these areas in a panic to see them before they are gone, they in fact contribute to the increased greenhouse gas emissions and over tourism, leading to their destruction. Just as many scholars put it, last-chance tourism is a paradox (悖论).

Although tourists may acknowledge the broader risks and importance of climate change, it’s even more important to connect the responsibility of the individual tourism to the future of our planet. It’s not just about understanding the need to stop climate change; it’s even more important to avoid making it worse.

10 . Off the coast of northeastern Queensland, Australia, near Magnetic Island in Florence Bay, the Great Barrier Reef corals (大堡礁珊瑚) are having a baby boom (激增).

“Every year there are more anrd more coral babies,” says Hillary Smith, an ecologist at ames Cook University in Australia.

That’s thanks to a simple but effective strategy for cleaning the region’s coral reefs: “seaweeding”. Like weeding (给……除杂草) a garden, seaweeding involves pulling big handfuls of large algae (水藻) off reefs and taking them away.

Experts say getting climate change under control is key to keeping the world’s reefs healthy. But meanwhile, local efforts such as seaweeding can help corals grow and reduce the effects of climate change.

The health of coral reefs around the world is dire: By 2050, 95 percent of the world’s coral could experience heat stress, according to a 2020 report by the Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network. Algae is a big problem: Already, algae cover has increased on two-thirds of reefs around the world, and one study published in 2021 showed that half the world’s coral reefs have died since the 1950s. Removing seaweed from reefs requires a great deal of work but is not complex, making it a good project for citizen scientists eager to help restore (恢复) reefs.

When the project first began in 2018, Smith says researchers weren’t sure if removing seaweed would benefit the reef or if removal might have the opposite effect in some way. But now, “It’s all looking really positive for the reef,” she says.

Volunteers are ready and waiting to help near Townsville and at other affected Australian reefs, says the Earthwatch Institute’s Fiona Wilson.“We need lots of willing hands to remove seaweed. It takes weeks of time,”she says. “But obviously recovery of the Great Barrier Reef is a passion for many people, so we draw volunteers.”