1 . The World Health Organization warns that millions of people are dying every year from indoor air pollution. Nearly three billion people are unable to use clean fuels and technologies for cooking, heating as well as lighting.

These findings show that the use of deadly fuels in inefficient stoves, space heaters or lights is to blame for many of these deaths.

WHO officials say indoor pollution leads to early deaths from stroke, heart and lung disease, childhood pneumonia and lung cancer. Women and girls are the main victims. These diseases can often result from the burning of solid fuels. These fuels include wood, coal, animal waste, crop waste and charcoal.

The United Nations found that more than 95 percent of households in sub-Saharan Africa depend on solid fuels for cooking. It says huge populations in India, China and Latin American countries, such as Guatermala and Peru,are also at risk.

Nigel Brace is a professor of Public Health at the University of Liverpool. He says researchers are developing good cook-stoves and other equipment to burn fuels in a more efficient way.There are already multiple technologies available for use in clean fuels.There is really quite an effective and reasonably low-cost alcohol stove made by Dometic (a Sweden-based company) that is now being tested out. LPG (Liquefield Petroleum Gas) cook is obviously widely available and efforts are under way to make those efficient. Another interesting development is electric induction stoves. WHO experts note that some new, safe and low-cost technologies that could help are already available. In India, you can buy an induction stove for about $8.00. And in Africa you can buy a solar lamp for less than $1.00.

But this,the agency says, is just a start. It is urging developing countries to use cleaner fuels and increase access to cleaner and more modern cooking and heating appliances/devices.

5 . Although a rich literature exists documenting the negative relationship between air pollution and physiological (生理的) health, little has been done to examine the role of air pollution in psychological heath. In the study, titled “Air Pollution Reduces Interpersonal Trust” researchers used three different experimental designs to test their theory that air pollution would reduce one's level of trust in others.

In Study 1, participants were presented with landscape photos that showed either polluted scenes or clear scenes. Those who viewed photos of polluted scenes reported lower scores when completing a questionnaire measuring social trust.

In Study 2, researchers used a “big data” approach, collecting mass information from social media platforms and analyzing it in connection with weather monitoring data. Their analysis showed that polluted conditions were associated with reduced expressions of positive emotions on social media sites, while clearer conditions were associated with stronger positive emotional expressions.

Finally, in Study 3, participants who were asked to read social media posts about poor air quality reported less social trust than those who read posts unrelated to pollution. This makes sense---as air pollution causes negative emotions, people are more likely to focus on others' negative characteristics and find them less trustworthy.

The effects of this study are far-reaching. By reducing trust in others, this study suggests that air pollution can have negative effects on social unity and harmony. Considering widespread air pollution throughout the globe, any effect between pollution and human psychology should be given serious attention.

6 . Nobody wants to snack on plastic bags or soda rings, but according to a recent study from the University of Neweastle, we could be consuming roughly a credit card's worth of plastic every week.

Microplastic, which are less than a quarter-inch size and come in various shapes, have polluted the natural world and infiltrated(渗入)our bodies. The first clue to microplastic exposure in humans came around 2013, when scientists discovered plastic particles in seafood prepared for consumption. But in 2019, when the University of Newcastle study was published, the scientific community understood that the problem was considerably broader. Microplastics shed off clothes and tires and have been found in beer, honey, table salt and other food items. We breathe in plastic staying in the air and drink plastic floating in our drinks. It's no stretch to conclude that our exposure is significant. What we don't know is what this means for us.

The amount of evidence collected on this subject is growing rapidly, according to Scott Coffin, a toxicologist(毒理学家). Studies done on mice and rats have found that plastic in their bodies can severely damage cells and cause stress.

Because microplastics are too small to clean up, the only solution is to stop plastic waste at the source. And doing so would take a thorough adjustment, given that plastics are deeply embedded in our economy and lifestyle. Stopping using them would fundamentally affect countless industries, including textiles(纺织业), transportation and manufacturing.

"I think we need to have more studies coming out that are directly related to human health before we see a lot more concern from the general public," Scott said. "It takes a lot to convince people that something that is really convenient for them to use is something they should sacrifice."

The question of microplastics and human health needs more attention—from the scientific community ,the general public, the government and funding groups. The issue isn't being ignored, but it's not being prioritized either.

8 . Ladies and gentlemen，I returned to this year in a time machine.In the year 2500，we are able to travel through time to any year in the history of the earth.This year is your last chance to change your lifestyle to save the earth.

Beginning in the middle of the 20th century，a few people were worried about polluting the earth’s water and air，but most people did not change their way of life.Instead，they continued to pour dangerous chemicals and other waste into lakes and seas，to drive more and more cars and trucks，and to cut down trees.

By the year 2200，the earth’s water was completely polluted.People could no longer drink water，and they had to use other types of liquids.

So，by the year 2300，there were so many people that food became scarce.There was no water to grow food and all of the fish in the lakes and seas died because of pollution.Terrible wars broke out between the rich and the poor.Scientists were working very hard to find another planet in space where humans could live.

By the year 2400，the air was too polluted for humans to breathe.So we had to leave the earth.But only the rich were able to leave.Where did we go？Nowhere.The scientists did not find another safe planet，so now we must travel around the universe in our spaceships.We are still looking for a place to call our home.

So，it is up to you to change the history.There is still hope.You must change your lifestyle now，before it is too late.

10 . The World Health Organization says that 92 percent of the world’s population lives in areas of high air pollution. Experts say much of that pollution comes from vehicles fueled by diesel. Many cities in Europe have called for ending the production of diesel cars. They hope to replace them with electric vehicles as battery life for those vehicles improves.

London is one of the most heavily polluted cities in Europe. Levels of harmful gases in the city are regularly higher than limits set by the European Union.

Martin Williams, with King’s College London, says pedestrians often do not realize how close they are to air pollution sources because they cannot see them. “One of the difficulties of getting the message across to the public at large these days is that air pollution, although it’s a major public health problem, is actually invisible. Not like the smogs of the 1950s and 60s when not only could you see it, you could barely see anything else.”

Williams adds that toxic gases from diesel cars have led to public health concerns. He says people across Great Britain have died too early because of the pollution. “The main problem that you are breathing in are the particulates, the soot largely from diesel exhausts, which is the primary problem as far as public health is concerned. The other pollutant that’s more recently become an issue is nitrogen dioxide, again largely from diesel.”

Areeba Hamid is with the environmental group Greenpeace. She says, “It’s quite clear that the car industry is feeling the pressure of a public health crisis owing to air pollution in big cities in particular and the aftermath of the diesel-gate’ scandal, which is the reason why it’s looking to produce new electric models.”

Experts say electric cars could offer the answer to air pollution in major cities. They add, however, that the electricity should be created using renewable energy.