1 . The current population of oysters (牡蛎) is only a small part of their historic levels.     1    . To help maintain existing habitats, the state requires licenses for the harvesting of shellfish and controls where and when the harvesting activity can take place. South Carolina’s Department of Natural Resources has also planned to recycle and replant oyster shells.

    2    . They serve as anchors to which babies can attach themselves. Returning shells to the state’s rivers ensures that any larvae (幼虫) looking for a home can find something to which they can be attached.

The critical nature of oysters in the ecosystem is difficult to overstate. Along the Atlantic shoreline of the United States, the Eastern Oyster is considered a foundation species. Oysters gather together as part of their natural life cycle, forming reefs that provide the habitat for fish, crabs, and other small ocean creatures.     3    .

In addition to being the bedrock of many underwater communities, oysters also help maintain the cleanliness of South Carolina’s coastal waters. Dirty water comes in from the ocean and gets filtered by oysters. Water goes back out cleanly.     4    . Tourists want to go to beautiful and clean beaches, come out on boat trips, and see dolphins.

South Carolina is working hard to rebuild coastal reefs that will support and sustain future oyster populations. It’s worth keeping in mind that every shell removed from the river could be the base for the next year’s new oysters.     5    , it’s going to be a long time before we get enough recruitment (增长) in the oyster population to keep it sustainable.

Noisy Earth

When we think of pollution, we usually think of harmful toxins in the environment. For example, air pollution is    1    air that can be dangerous to breathe. But there is another kind of pollution which can be just as harmful to living things as other types of pollution.

Noise pollution consists of loud sounds in the environment that are    2    . Just like other types of pollution, noise pollution is caused by humans and is mainly a problem in urbans. Car alarm sirens, construction work and the roar of engines are just a few examples of noise pollution.

Why should we be concerned about noise pollution? According to a World Health Organization report, noise can cause serious health problems. It may    3    people of sleep and causes heart disease and hearing loss. These problems are    4    hazards for people who work in noisy places. Musicians, mechanics, police officers, and airport workers all have to put up with noise pollution.

Physical health problems are just some of the effects of noise. Noise also affects learning ability and memory. Noise poses a threat to animals in nature as well, which can cause them to die from lack of food. For example, some types of birds cannot find food in areas that have bad noise pollution. Whales, for example, produce sounds in order to     5    with each other. Noises in the ocean from ships and other human activities can    6    whale communication. The noises can also affect the ability of whales to find a    7    , which could reduce whale populations. In addition, researchers discovered that noise pollution can cause physical harm to those marine animals. They found several dead giant squids off the coast of Spain. In this respect,     8    from the guns of naval ships in the area tore holes in the squids’ statocysts. Statocysts are organs behind the squids’ eyes that help them maintain    9    . Damage to the statocysts made it impossible for the squids to swim, eat, or reproduce, and they died.

Countries around the world recognize that noise pollution is a real problem. Many government agencies already control noise from trucks and buses. Noise barriers covered with plants along the highway    10    reduced noise for nearby apartment dwellers. With these health and safety regulations and increased awareness, we may be able to live in a quieter world.

9 . To create “Washed Up: Transforming a Trashed Landscape”. Alejandro Duran gathers plastic trash that is washed up on the beaches of Sian Karan, Mexico’s largest federally-protected reserve. The site is also a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Yet every day, plastic pollution from around the world is washed up onto its shores. These materials inspired Duran to create a series of environmental art pieces, which he re-cords with photos and videos.

Duran was born in Mexico City and is now based in Brooklyn. He said that he had been collecting materials and creating photographs for the past five years, and the work was ongoing. “The project will tell me when to stop.”

Each piece can convey a vastly different mood, from the calm greens of soda bottles to the playful rainbows of toothbrushes. “I’m making art,” said Duran. “It comes from the context and my moods. You can’t say only something dark.” The work reflects and plays with natural forms, exploring how humans influence the environment. The colorful and playful images can be much attention-grabbing. “Beauty is a hook (钩子) to attract people’s attention,” said Duran.

In addition to promoting awareness of the plastic pollution problem, Duran is also involved in educational programs and helps to organize beach clean-ups. He has also made a study of the types of products that are washed ashore in Sian Ka’an, and has identified objects from 50 different countries. Although there’s no way to know where or how these objects were dropped into the sea, their labels show the global nature of the problem.

10 . Make Our Wardrobe Special

It may be the beginning of a new year, but by January it certainly feels like it should be the end of winter. Unfortunately, we still have a couple of cold grey months to get through. One bright spot in January, however, are the post holiday sales. I treat these sales as a chance to find something warm, comfortable and stylish to get me through the next few months, and future winters.

Here’s what I purchased last year: a cozy, vintage-looking, faux-fur coat. It met all of my criteria for a good purchase. It’s well made and will last me for many years. It’s a timeless style that won’t date. It works with everything else in my wardrobe. I can dress it to be either very smart or very casual. It’s practical and warm as well as stylish. And last but not least, it makes me feel great when I wear it.

I view the January sales as a great chance to pick up things you genuinely need while retailers offer hefty discounts to clear their shelves before spring. To make sure you’re not buying something impulsively that you might later regret, ask yourself a few questions: Will you wear it at least 30 times in a year? Is the price worth it or should this same money be better spent on something you’d wear more frequently?

If you don’t trust yourself to stick to a budget, leave the credit cards behind and take cash only when you shop in a store. The most important step before you walk into a shop is to look at your wardrobe and assess where there are gaps. Is a pair of boots completely worn out? Do you need a more modern style of jeans? Is a jumper beyond mending and repair? Try to replace those items rather than buying another blouse simply because it is heavily reduced in price. It has never made sense to me to spend a lot of money on something such as a dress to attend a wedding, rather than putting that money towards a great camel coat that would get far more wear. Make your everyday wardrobe special.

I haven’t always been as thoughtful and conscious about my purchases as I currently am. However, when I consider that the fashion industry is the second most polluting on the planet after oil and gas, I feel compelled to make much more principled purchases now. So this is my New Year’s resolution for myself and also my challenge to you: buy only what you need, buy only what you truly love, and consider every purchase carefully, just as our parents and grandparents did before cheap, disposable fashion took over retail. Let’s make our wardrobes special in 2022.