Climate change and habitat loss from big agriculture are combining to decrease global insect populations, with each problem making the other worse, a new study finds.

While insects may bother people at times, they also are key in pollinating (授花粉) plants to feed people, making soil more fertile. Scientists have noticed a dramatic drop both in total insect numbers and diversity of insect species due to harmful chemicals and high pollution.

Big single-crop agriculture that leaves less habitat and leafy food for insects plus higher temperatures from climate change are huge problems for insect number drop, but a new study in the journal Nature based on more than 750,000 samples of 18,000 different species of insects says it’s not just those two threats acting on their own. The interaction between habitat loss and climate change does smash insect populations.

“In his case, the habitat loss and climate change can often be worse than if they were acting on their own, as one can make the impact of the other worse and vice versa (反之亦然). We’re missing part of the picture if we are only looking at these things individually,” said Outhwaite, an ecologist at University College London. For example, single-crop agriculture often reduces tree shading, making it hotter in a given spot. On top of that comes climate change. Then insects that need heat relief or need to move north for cooler climates can run into problems with lack of proper habitat because of large farms.

What makes this study important is that it’s the first to link climate change and industrialized agriculture together in explaining harm to insects. The study used so many different samples and species around the world, which gives its findings more credibility.

A giant sunfish, about nine feet long, was caught on camera by kayakers off the coast of California. Ocean sunfish and southern sunfish are the world’s biggest bony fish, and they are both found in the Pacific Ocean. Adult ocean sunfish may reach more than 4,000 pounds, which is the same weight as an adult male rhinoceros (犀牛).

During a trip off the coast of Laguna Shore on December 2, Rich German and his friend Matthew Wheaton came across the massive sunfish just a few hundred yards from the beach. They then dialed 911. According to German, who talked to the media, this was the biggest sunfish that any of them had ever encountered.

Sunfish are a genuinely global species that can be found all over the world, but they spend their whole lives in the open ocean. Therefore, encounters like these are few and far between.

German captured images and footage of the sunfish. An underwater close-up shot of a sunfish as it wanders past the camera is included in one of the short films. “It was a one-of-a-kind and really interesting event,” German said of the most recent encounter, which he described as “another indication of why we need to conserve the ocean and the incredible creatures that call it home.”

Beyond its particular shape without the caudal fin (尾鳍), the species also surprises us with its impressive size, up to 3.10 meters long, which allows it to have few natural enemies. However, as a great lover of jellyfish (水母), its greed for food often leads it to confuse plastic bags with its favorite dish, making seawater pollution one of its main threats alongside overfishing.

Behind its impressive size, the sunfish is a harmless swimmer who today faces many threats. The sharp decline observed among its populations is due not to other sea animals of which it would be the food but to human activities which participate in destroying its habitat.

Dog owners walked about 23 minutes longer each day than non-dog owners. In a new study, dog owners took 2, 760 additional steps-compared to people who didn’t have a dog at home. But here’s the real good news: That extra exercise could help adults meet their recommended weekly totals for physical activity.

The research, published in BMC Public Health, focused on adults 65 and older, who tend to be less active than younger people. The study included 43 dog owners and 43 non-dog owners, all of whom were monitored (监控) continuously for three week-long periods. When they compared the two groups, the researchers found that dog ownership was connected with a large, potentially health-improving effect.

Dog owners walked about 23 minutes longer each day than non-dog owners, 119 minutes against 96 minutes on average. They also took an additional 2, 760 steps, and had eight fewer continuous periods of sitting down. Most of that extra walking was done at proper pace, 100 or more steps a minute. Dog owners walked at this pace for 32 minutes a day, against just 11 minutes a day for non-dog owners.

The World Health Organization (WHO) suggests that adults get at least 150 minutes of physical activity a week. This increased walking time alone could satisfy that requirement, say the researchers - so it makes sense that 87 percent of dog owners in the study met these guidelines, versus just 47 percent of non-dog owners.

Co-author Nancy Gee says that pet ownership may help older adults get more activity or keep their current activity level for a longer period of time. “This could improve their chances of a better quality of life, improved cognition (认知), and perhaps, even a long life, ” she said. Here at Health, we’ll add that caring for pets has been shown to have plenty of other physical and mental health benefits as well.