The world's largest iceberg is floating toward South Georgia in the southern Atlantic Ocean. Scientists fear the iceberg could crash into the island and block major feeding areas for a large population of penguins and seals. If the iceberg hits the island, it could prevent the penguins and seals from reaching food supplies.

The huge iceberg is named A68a. It broke away from Antarctica's Larsen C Ice Shelf in 2017. Satellite images show the iceberg has remained in one piece. It is estimated to be about 150 kilometers long and 48 kilometers wide. It is traveling at one kilometer per hour and is on a path to hit South Georgia in around 30 days.

This is the time of year when seals and penguins spend a lot of time caring for their young. The distance that parents have to travel to find food is crucial. That means they have to go a lot further or go around the iceberg to find sources of food.

Ecologists say an iceberg crash would also disturb materials settled on the seabed, possibly polluting the surrounding seas. As the iceberg melts, it would also release large amounts of fresh water into the ocean. This could affect krill （磷虾）populations that are a major source of food for the island's wildlife. The iceberg could remain for up to 10 years and change the area's whole ecosystem. These are globally significant populations of these species. If these species fail in this particular area, then the numbers globally are going to go down quite dramatically.

Professor Geraint Tarling, an ecologist at the British Antarctic Survey, said, "The breaking off of icebergs from Antarctica is a natural process. But the process is changing with climate change. What we're seeing with models and some observations now is that this is happening at an increasing rate. And so, this might become more of a usual thing in the future."

Keeping curious kids from disrupting wildlife

Interacting with the wild, naturally curious kids tend to collect seashells at the beach or keep small wildlife as pets. 【小题1】 So how to help kids protect the wild while enjoying spending time outsides? Here are alternatives for some of the most common outdoor behavior no-nos.

Take an interest, not things. Kids show interest in picking flowers, rocks, or shells outdoors. They’re part of wildlife's habitat and play an important role. 【小题2】 Let kids explore with a magnifying glass (放大镜)instead of their curious fingers. Let whatever they find outside stay outside.

【小题3】 It seems a fun idea to throw pieces of bread to ducks. Animals have unique dietary needs that are different from humans. Eating human food can make them sick or become dependent on human food. Bears are an example of animals that often have to be killed after developing a taste for human food.

Admire animal afar, not disrupt nearby. The urge to take a photo with a squirrel, bird, or slow-moving turtle can be strong for kids. 【小题4】 Instead, remind kids to stay away and show them how to use a camera's zoom button, or just admire with their eyes.

Take well-worn paths, not off-road romps (嬉戏). Kicking piles of leaves, stepping on bushes, and walking through forested areas can unintentionally scare wildlife. If surprised animals defend their homes, everyone could get hurt. Nobody likes having a guest come in and destroy their home and act rudely.【小题5】

Life on this planet, in all its wide diversity, is disappearing more quickly now than it was at any time in human history, and about 1 million species of plants and animals face extinction, a new research from the IPBES, an organization of the United Nations, has found.

The IPBES published a full report about the new research. The future for the species that we share the planet with — and on which we depend — is dire, according to the report.

On land, the number of animals has decreased by an average of 20 percent, mostly in the last 120 years. Moreover, 1 million square kilometers(386,000 square miles) of tropical forest have been lost since 1980. In the ocean, about a third of corals and marine mammals(海洋哺乳动物) face possible extinction.

Humans have played a major role in these declines, from the way in which we use the land and oceans, such as farming, fishing to logging and mining. The chemicals we use pollute the air and water. Global warming caused by population explosion, air pollution, ecological destruction and so on has forced some species to leave their traditional habitats. All of these have left their mark on Earth’s biodiversity, the report says.

Many experts said that the report demonstrates the need for urgent action. “The IPBES report makes it clear that our response to protecting natural systems must be stronger than ever,” John Robinson said. “The IPBES report on the global state of biodiversity is shocking but not entirely surprising,” said Andrew Norton. “The question is how many evidences and repeated warnings it will take to wake us up to the urgency and act.”