1 . Laundry day isn’t exactly fun for most people, but it can be quite unpleasant for the Earth. Washing clothes can release microplastics that are accumulating in the world’s waterways at alarming rates.     1     . Here are some expert-backed strategies to turn laundry day greener.

·Choose efficient machines

The machines you use have a significant effect on the amount of energy and water you save or waste.     2     , while newer, high-efficiency washers use less water and energy with lower temperatures and higher spin speeds. Therefore, it makes more sense economically and environmentally to upgrade machines.

·     3    

Avoid small loads, but don’t crowd a machine, which can make it work harder. And take a look at the amount of detergent(洗涤剂)you’re using. The extra detergent will be harder to clean out, extending washing and drying times.     4    

·Read up on green products

Companies large and small have met consumer demand for products with no harsh chemicals.     5     . Don’t buy products with lots of chemicals you can’t identify or pronounce. And don’t forget the packaging. Powdered or solid products are easier to package and ship than liquids.

2 . During the COP27 climate conference (会议) in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, an important deal on “loss and damage” was reached. This was a big step forward because at COP26 conference in Glasgow, Scotland, there were no talks on loss and damage at all. The plan is that richer countries will pay money into a special fund that will be used to help poor countries.

Loss and damage means the damaging impact of climate change on developing countries. For nearly 30 years, poorer countries have been asking richer countries for money to help to protect communities from the effects of climate change. Richer countries have produced the most greenhouse gases, but poorer countries are often the worst affected by extreme weather conditions because they are less well equipped to face extreme climate events.

Brazil’s newly elected President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva made a speech about preserving the largest rainforest on Earth, the Amazon. During the last 50 years, more than 17% of the Amazon rainforest has been destroyed to make way for farms and towns. However, in his speech, Lula promised that there would be zero deforestation (伐树) in the Amazon by 2030. The conference didn’t just focus on world leaders. It brought together more than 45,000 people to discuss how climate change is affecting their lives. Climate refugees (难民) also had their voices heard. Tshilombo from the Kakuma refugee camp in Kenya said, “Refugees don’t only flee because of war or conflict. It’s also about drought, the effects of climate change.”

Some countries weren’t happy with the overall outcome of COP27 because decisions weren’t made on cutting the use of fossil fuels, such as coal, gas and oil, etc. The UK Government’s Alok Sharma said, “I’m incredibly disappointed.”

However, this deal was a great achievement for developing countries. Sherry Rehman, the climate minister for Pakistan, said, “I am confident we have tuned a comer in how we work together to achieve climate goals.”

Wuyi Mountain, as a national nature conservation area, is well-known for its clear water and beautiful peaks. There is little doubt    1    it attracts millions of tourists from home and abroad annually.

But I’m concerned that the increasing number of tourists has had a negative impact    2    the environment. Garbage    3    (throw) around. Enterprises producing tourism-related products burn fossil fuels,    4    (cause) smog in the air. Restaurants release oily water into the river, making it dirty and smelly. “What should I do to help restore the    5    (harmony) ecological system here?” That is what I have been thinking about. Therefore, on behalf of the students of our school, I put forward the following suggestions.

To begin with, the government is supposed to adopt     6    (policy) to restrict the volume of tourists. Next it can carry out inspections into enterprises    7    (regular) and fine those who fail to solve pollution problem properly.

In addition, it is also the government’s responsibility    8    (seize) every opportunity to educate people to reduce their carbon footprints. It’s believed that if the government takes appropriate actions and    9    (put) environmental reforms in effect, we won’t have to be trapped in this environmental chaos. Only then can Wuyi Mountain head towards    10     sustainable future.

5 . Meat is crucial for feeding the planet, leading scientists have said, as they warned it is not more environmentally-friendly to go vegan (素食).

Prof. Geoff Simm, Director of Global Academy Agriculture and Food Security at the University of Edinburgh, said, “I think livestock (家畜) farmers do feel they are being demonized (妖魔化).” Often the argument is made that going vegan would minimize land use, but the modelling studies that have been done demonstrate that’s not the case. We feel that while livestock production has a range of economic, social and environmental costs and benefits, the costs have perhaps been receiving far more attention recently than some of the benefits. Meat has massive social benefits. It’s an important source of dietary protein, energy, highly bioavailable micronutrients (微量营养素), even small amounts of animal-sourced food have a really important effect on the development of children, in the developing world on their cognitive and physical development and they are really important.

Prof. Mike Coffey, from Scotland’s Rural College, added, “It’s completely unnecessary to go vegan. If everybody went vegan it would be devastating for the UK environment. Animals bred for food help boost biodiversity.”

Researchers are currently attempting to breed more environmentally friendly cattle, which grow faster and eat less, which could further reduce the sector’s carbon footprint by reducing the amount of methane (甲烷) released by cows.

Prof. Coffey said that the difference in methane emissions from best and worst cattle was about 30 percent and that if all UK farmers used the most efficient animals this could reduce carbon emissions by nearly a third. But Prof. Coffey said the next stage will be trying to measure the methane given off by different breeds of cattle to find which are the lowest emitters. Prof. Coffey said that soon shoppers could be able to check meat labels to find out how much environmental impact their food has had. He added, “My expectation is that at some point in the near future there will be product labels that relates to the efficiency or carbon impact of the food.”

Professor Andrea Wilson, also of Edinburgh University, said more research was needed into the impact of veganism (绝对素食主义). She added, “We know a lot about the livestock sector because people have looked at it. We actually know very little about the vegan sector. The danger is we demonize one and jump too quickly to the other.”

6 . Many kinds of turtles (海龟) found in the Philippines are endangered. But now, the turtles have one less threat. Many people who used to collect their eggs to eat or to sell are now working to keep turtles safe.

Those people are called poachers (偷猎者). Now, however, protection organizations are teaching former poachers how to safely collect the eggs and protect them before they hatch (孵化). The people who do this are paid about 37 cents per egg. That is four times more than they would earn from selling them illegally.

One of the former poachers is Johnny Manlugay. “I’ve learned to love this work,” he said, adding that he did not know it was illegal to eat turtle eggs and their meat. He now collects the eggs carefully and brings them to a group called Coastal Underwater Resource Management Actions (CURMA), which takes the eggs and puts them under the sand in a safe place. When the baby turtles hatch, they are directed to the water.

The turtles are called “pawikan” in the local language. They are at risk not only from poachers, but also climate change and habitat loss.

Carlos Tamayo is one of CURMA’s leaders. “We talked to the poachers, and it turned out poaching was just another means for them to earn a living,” he said. “They had no choice.”

Cabagbag is over 40 years old. His wife and seven-year-old son sometimes help him collect turtle eggs. Since October, they have taken over 1,000 eggs to CURMA. Cabagbag said that once he received training and learned that the turtles were endangered, he stopped poaching.

When the baby turtles hatch, many visitors come to watch them run down the beach and into the water. Cabagbag said seeing the turtles get safely into the water brings him a feeling of joy.

Water shortage is one of the     1     (great) crises facing us today, with two thirds of the global population living in areas     2     water is scarce(稀缺的) for a month or more every year. There are two contributing factors to this problem: increasing global demand     3     water, and unsustainable means by which these demands are being met. Yet, despite global water usage already increasing threefold(三倍) over the last fifty years, it     4    (predict) that there will be a further 60%-100% increase in water usage by 2050.

This is not just     5     matter of turning the tap off when you brush your     6     (tooth), cutting your showers down to 3 minutes, or sharing the washing-load with your flatmates. In fact, daily activities of human make up less than 4% of our total water consumption, with the     7     (remain) 92% falling into two ‘invisible’ categories: the industrial production of household items, and the production of food. Astonishingly, 69% of our total daily water consumption comes from the     8     (grow) and production of food alone.

    9     (unfortunate), there is no single go-to refererence book for the exact number of litres used in the production of any individual food item. This is a hard pill to swallow, for we have other factors     10     (consider) when weighing up the benefits of every food choice: taste, cost and convenience.

8 . How to limit your environmental impact while travelling

Travelling unlocks a world of endless possibilities and adventures, allowing us to hike through breathtaking landscapes, encounter kangaroos and deer in their natural habitat, and witness the power of volcanoes.     1     Increased plastic waste and noise pollution can damage ecosystems. Thankfully, there are ways to limit our impact on the environment.

Try to travel by land instead of air. While air travel can often be quicker, it is typically one of the most polluting forms of transport.     2     For example, if you’re heading to Las Vegas from Los Angeles, driving for around four hours emits (排放) around 75% less CO₂ compared to the one-hour flight (provided you have several friends with you).

    3     A typical hotel uses about 73,000 gallons of water per year. As laundering towels (洗熨毛巾) is an energy-and-water-consuming process, many hotels often put up signs asking you to re-use your towels. By doing so, you’ll reduce your environmental impact.

Make the most of safe tap water (自来水). Drinking tap water may come as a shock to many travelers. But when you’re in countries where tap water is safe to consume, avoid bottled options. Not only are they more expensive, but they have a higher level of pollution compared to treated tap water.     4    

Respect the local environment. When visiting different destinations, we should recognize the importance of protecting the natural beauty. We mustn’t throw rubbish everywhere.     5     Additionally, supporting local conservation (保护) efforts, such as participating in community-led clean-up projects, can make a positive impact on the local environment.