It was late August when I got a call from a grandmother. She lives in Seeley Lake, Montana, and she has heard we have air purifiers (净化器) with high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) air-cleaners that can help with smoke. She needs one for the baby’s room. I explained we didn’t have any and told her how to purchase one.

She coughed and went silent with disappointment before asking how much they cost. Almost every person I talk to in Seeley Lake has this cough. “The family doesn’t have much money,” she said, but she promised to order a filter for the child. Small filters—ones that can clean a bedroom of up to 75 square feet—cost about $70 each.

The next day, the wildfire that had been burning for weeks in the Lolo National Forest, northeast of town, moved closer to the woman’s neighborhood, and the county sheriff’s office evacuated (疏散) the area. I wondered whether the air-cleaner would be there when the family returned home. I knew the smoke would be.

As an air-quality specialist with the Missoula City-County Health Department in Montana, my job is to understand air pollution, control it as much as possible, and help people protect themselves from its effects. I focus on smoke management: issuing permits for outdoor burns and updating residents about what to expect from the smoke when wildfires send it our way.

Never had we seen so many wildfires so close to home for so many weeks. There are six classes on the Environmental Protection Agency’s Air Quality Index (指数): good, moderate, unhealthy for sensitive groups, unhealthy, very unhealthy, and dangerous. Seeley Lake’s air reached dangerous class in 18 days last summer.

Last year was troubled by wildfires around the country. The fires that struck Northern California alone killed 44 people and caused more than $9 billion in damage. But this isn’t just a recent problem, nor is it limited to the West. Wildfires hit 49 states in 2017, including a swath from Florida to Virginia. More than 9 million acres burned nationwide, compared with the yearly average of 6.5 million acres.

Ways to Save the Ocean

It’s no doubt that the ocean needs our help.【小题1】Only through building collective power can we force states and corporations to take responsibility for the damage they’ve caused to the planet.

Still, however much we understand that reducing and recycling is not enough, small actions can help us save the ocean. With this in mind, we’ve rounded up some simple actions we can all take to save the ocean.【小题2】There are also other ways to save the ocean.

Commit to a plastic-free lifestyle. So, in order to help save the ocean, many people are committing to a plastic-free lifestyle. The United Nations (UN) has even encouraged the public to think about how they deal with plastic and the ways they can live without it, or replace it:【小题3】If you really need to use plastic, recycle it responsibly.

Turn your food waste into compost (混合肥料). Composting food waste is an easy way to reduce methane (甲烷). Not only does compost reduce methane production, it can also help you fertilize your personal garden.【小题4】When you go shopping, stick to a prewritten grocery list and buy unwrapped products.

【小题5】Try investing in energy-efficient appliances, eating locally sourced food, walking or riding a bike, conserving water, and shutting of flights when you aren’t using them. Sure, these are small actions—especially when compared to the big carbon footprints of big-name corporations—but these changes can add up.

Doing “clean” exercise

When you go for a run outside, chances are that you'll find litter all around you. Do you just go past it, or do you stop and pick it up? If you choose the latter, you're part of the latest fitness trend that's sweeping the West: plogging.

【小题1】

Running - especially marathons - is often associated with good causes. And plogging, which combines environmentalism with fitness, has become the new poster boy for the environmentally-friendly runner. All a plogger needs is a trash bag, and ideally a pair of gloves to protect their hands.

【小题2】 ,but it sheds light on(使清楚显现) serious environmental issues. “When I usually walk through the streets of New York, the sight of newspapers, lost hats, and shattered (打碎的) glass doesn't bother me,” Matthew of Men's Health magazine wrote. “【小题3】.”

While collecting garbage, ploggers learn to classify and dispose (处理) it correctly too. Laura Lindberg, a plogger who lives in New Jersey, US, always keeps a note of what she's collected in her mind. This way, she knows what can stay in her trash bag and what can go in a nearby recycling bin.

According to the Swedish fitness app--Lifesum, a 30-minute plogging session(一次) burns around 288 calories, compared to 235 calories burned from just jogging. 【小题4】. “You get the added benefit of carrying a few extra pounds, and you're bending over and doing squats (蹲伏), which is a move that's fundamental (重要的) to your everyday life. You’re getting a full body workout,” he told finance website Moneyisb.

【小题5】. Your body and the environment will thank you.