Yousuf and his family left their home in eastern Afghanistan eight years ago. They went to the city of Kabul to escape war, but they could not escape sadness. Five of Yousuf's children died in the Afghan capital, not from violence, but from air pollution.

Kabul has become one of the most polluted cities in the world. On many days, a mix of smog and smoke lies over the city. In some cases, families burn whatever they can to keep warm in cold weather. The air in their own homes then poisons them. Many years of war have worsened the damage to Afghanistan's environment. At the local Children's Hospital, doctors say they have seen the number of patients with pollution-related health problems increase. Saifullah Abassin, a doctor at the hospital, says his hospital ward(病房) can hold 10 patients but often has three times that number.

“Thirty years ago, it was a wish for people to come to Kabul and breathe its air,” said Ezatullah Sediqi, deputy director for the National Environmental Protection Agency. “But in the wars since, we lost all our urban infrastructure(基础设施) for water, electricity, public transportation, green areas, all these things.”

Kabul's environmental department has started a program to control old vehicles, one major source of pollution. City officials have called on people to use fuel instead of burning garbage for heat. But there are other steps officials need to take, such as passing a plan to stop unplanned development and creating more green spaces.

Children from four Buckinghamshire primary schools visited Epilepsy Society to plant a hedge (树) as part of a Piant-for-the-Planet project. The children from these schools were planting a hedge in the garden of the Queen Elizabeth House at the charity in Chalfont St Peter. Plant-for-the-Planet gives children across the globe the opportunity to learn about the threats (威胁) of global warming lo the environment, and then put their new knowledge into practice as they plant new trees.

The day was organised by Bob Sherren who showed the children how to plant the planet-friendly line of trees in protective chambers (防护室) to shield them from hungry wildlife as they settle in their roots. Bob said, “The day really was ‘Thinking Globally, Acting Locally’ put into action. The children learned about the importance of planting trees as a way of helping to bring about climate justice for many living in poorer nations and of course enjoyed planting the trees too.” The eventual hedge, which will grow to full size over ten years behind the Queen Elizabeth House, is made up of trees such as oaks, silver birches and so on.

Bob added, “The children were also able to help people living at Epilepsy Society because they will gain some well-needed privacy from the hedge in time. The natural wildlife benefits too from the fruits and nuts that a hedge made from native species can provide as well as the possibility for any number of nesting sites.”

Emma Darlington, Epilepsy Society’s volunteer officer, said, “I think it’s so important to encourage the younger generation that the future is in their hands and that they can make a difference, whether it is through taking part in projects like this or spreading awareness. We hope they learn a little bit about the work we do at Epilepsy Society too-the trees they planted will be enjoyed by everyone here for years to come.”

The populations of common animals are just as likely to rise or fall in number in a time of accelerating global warming as those of rare species, a study suggests.

Until recently, scientists were still accumulating data on how animal populations were shifting over time globally across the different regions of the planet.

Making use of the newly available data, a team of University of Edinburgh researchers studied nearly 10000 animal populations recorded in the Living Planet Database between 1970 and 2014 to provide a new perspective on animal population change. These include records of mammals, reptiles, sharks, fish, birds and amphibians.

The team found that 15 percent of all populations declined during the period, while 18 percent increased and 67 percent showed no significant change. Amphibians were the only group in which population sizes declined, while birds, mammals and reptiles experienced increases. The overall decline in amphibians makes them a priority for conservation efforts, researchers say, as their loss could have knock-on effects in food chains and wider ecosystems.

Gergana Daskalova, of the University of Edinburgh’s School of GeoSciences, who led the study, said, “We often assume that declines in animal numbers are prevalent everywhere. But we found that there are also many species which have increased over the last half of a century, such as those which do well in human-transformed landscapes or those which are the focus of conservation actions.”

Dr. Isla Myers-Smith, also of the School of GeoSciences, who co-authored the study, said, “Only as we bring together data from around the world, can we begin to really understand how global change is influencing the biodiversity of our planet.”