3 . Pets are like our family members and their good health is very important to all pet owners. Just as the pollutants in the air affect our health, they can affect our pets too.

    1     57% of dogs exposed to higher pollution levels developed brain diseases and showed signs of neuro(神经)problems. While a more recent study found that cats with breathing problems were more likely to live in households with higher indoor air pollution.

Air purifiers (净化器) have been brought into use in recent years. They work to remove harmful chemicals from the air.     2     But are they safe for pets? How can we ensure that they aren’t harming our furry friends?

    3     The physical safety of using a mechanical device around pets is what we have to pay attention to. There is an existing risk of our pet becoming trapped in the electrical wire of our air purifier. Air purifiers are designed to be used in the home around children and their internal mechanisms should also be safe from small tails of our pets and other parts of their bodies.    4    

Whether the air purifier improves or damages the health of our animals is also something we have to consider. The air purifiers are safe for pets, but only if they do not produce any ozone byproduct (臭氧副产品) .     5     We should always stay away from the ones that produce even minimal quantities.

Picking the wrong air purifier type can quickly make things worse for our pets. On the other hand, picking the correct air purifier can lead to a big increase in the quality of life for them.

4 . Many of us might not give a second thought to dropping a small piece of litter. After all, if it is so small, it cannot possibly be that harmful, can it?     1     With the growing use of plastic bags and the rising number of smokers, there is more litter being produced than ever before.

Although cigarette ends are small, they are bad for the environment. Worldwide, about 4.3 trillion cigarette ends are littered every year. As well as ruining the beauty of the environment, they contain poisonous chemicals.     2     In this way, they affect water quality and endanger plants and animals in the water. Cigarette ends can take up to 25 years to break down, and the poisonous chemicals add up to a large amount with so many littered. So, if people want to smoke, they should clear up the ends properly in a rubbish can.

    3     They are easily blown by wind and float in water, so they can travel long distances. They find their way to rivers, parks, beaches, and oceans, killing many birds, mammals, fish, and sea animals each year worldwide. They can last for hundreds of years in the environment. We should not let plastic bags become litter. We should use fewer plastic bags, and reuse and recycle what we have already used. One way to reduce the use of plastic bags is to charge for them. Shops used to give plastic bags for free.     4     Some shops also have a “bag-for-life” plan. They sell stronger bags that can be reused, and they replace them for free if the bags ever break.

Waste is a big problem for the environment, so we need to do something. Not littering at all or cleaning up “small waste” saves money spent on clearing off litter properly.     5    

5 . The amount of plastic pollution in the oceans is rapidly increasing. This is problematic, as at least 700 kinds of ocean animals—including sharks, whales, seabirds and turtles—can become caught in the stuff or mistake it for a tasty snack.

While we know that some ocean animals seem to catch plastic because it looks like jellyfish or some other food sources, less research has been carried out into what plastic smells like to ocean animals. But now, a study from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has found the coating (涂层) that naturally builds up on ocean plastics causes the rubbish to give off the smell of food.

The researchers took 15 turtles, each around five months old, and placed them in a lab aquarium. They then piped in smells of clean water, clean plastic, turtle food, and plastic that had been soaking in the ocean environment for five weeks. The turtles showed no reaction to the smells of clean water or clean plastic. But when facing ocean soaked plastic or turtle food, they stuck their noses out of the water and showed increased activity.

“This finding is important because it’s the first proof that the smell of ocean plastics causes animals to eat them,” said Dr Kenneth J Lohmann, who took part in the study. It’s common to find a turtle with its stomach full of plastic materials. There are also increasing reports of sea turtles that have become ill and stuck on the beach due to their taking in plastic.”

According to the researchers, areas of the ocean with much plastic may trick turtles and other animals into thinking that there are plenty of food sources, when the opposite is true. “Once these plastics are in the ocean, we don’t have a good way to remove them or prevent them from smelling like food,” said Lohmann. “The best thing we can do is to keep plastic from getting into the ocean at all.”

The environment pollution becomes more and more seriously today. We may have little clean water to drink in the future because of water has been polluted. And when trees are cut down, some animal disappear. There is more and more dirty smoke in the air. People’s health has been affecting by air, noise and water pollution. Much people have died of diseases caused by pollute. In order to live a better life, it’s time for us protect our world. We should recycle and reuses resources in our life, which saves money and reduces pollution. Don’t use plastic bags. And we must plant more trees and stop people cutting them down. In the near future, we will have an unique and clean world with your efforts.

7 . The next time you are tempted to order takeout or buy food and drinks on the go, you might want to hold off. The results of a major new study may be enough to startle you to adjust your consumption habits, as they reveal significant amounts of global plastic litter linked to takeout food products.

The study analyzed 12 million pieces of litter collected from oceans and rivers, shorelines, the sea floor, and open waters. Researchers found that 80% of items were plastic, and nearly half (44%) was related to takeout food and drinks—specifically, single-use bags, plastic bottles, food containers, and food wrappers. Other items included plastic caps and lids and disposable cutting tools. Lead study author Dr. Carmen Morales said, “I was shocked to find out that bags, bottles, food containers and cutting tools together with wrappers account for almost half of the human-made objects on a global scale.” Deserted fishing nets and ropes were another problem researchers noted, although more so in the open ocean, not along or near shorelines.

Based on their analysis, the researchers made three suggestions: First, replace takeout food and drink containers with materials that are more readily biodegradable; Second, introduce bans on avoidable plastics; Third, use deposit refund schemes to incentivize reusable products.

Until that day comes, however, it’s up to us as consumers to change the way we choose products in order to avoid unnecessary plastic packaging—and there is a better time to get started than now, as Plastic-Free July kicks off. If you have not yet heard of it, Plastic-Free July is an annual month-long challenge to reduce one’s use of single-use plastic and to discover alternatives to purchasing, consuming and transporting food (among other items). Keeping this new study in mind, here are some practical suggestions for reducing takeout-related single-use plastics in one’s day-to-day life.