According to statistics, 358bee species live in the Netherlands, but more than half of them are part of the Dutch red list — a catalog listing endangered species. To support the insects, the city of Utrecht Council, together with advertising agency Clear Channel, has transformed 316 bus stops across the city into “bee bus stops”. They are like ordinary bus shelters, but small gardens have been added to the roofs. The gardens are filled with grass and wildflowers chosen to attract bees.

The city authorities put the project out to tender (投标). In the tender, they outlined the requirements and encouraged applicants to develop a nature-inclusive design that offers ecological benefits to the city. Finally, they signed an agreement with Clear Channel, who won the tender and setup 316 bus shelters. The project didn’t cost the city government anything. The operators are responsible for the upkeep of the stops citywide, using income from advertising.

The bus shelters have brought about great changes in the city. Green roofs catch fine dust, store rainwater and provide cooling in the heat. They also ensure biodiversity in the city. There are also 96 bus stops fitted out with LED lighting and bamboo benches. The base plate is also made from recycled concrete. The advantages of the bus stops have not gone unnoticed by the media. But what particularly has caught the media’s attention is that these eco-friendly shelters make people happy and enthusiastic, and encourage them to do something for nature.

This unique Dutch city even has a program for residents who can transform their own roofs into green roofs for bees. Residents interested in this can apply for government allowances. Click here for more information and details.

A storm hit Houston, Texas, on Tuesday. It brought heavy rains and rising flood-waters. By Tuesday night, some parts of the city had received 10 inches of rain. Police and firefighters helped people move to safe places. They also saved people from cars and buses that were stuck on roads.

Certain areas around Houston were hit really hard. In just four hours, more than seven inches of rain fell in Sugar Land in the southwest of Houston. Cars could not pass through any of the areas main roadways. On Twitter, Sugar Land city officials asked people to get to high ground.

Tuesday’s rain hit parts of Texas that Hurricane Harvey had already damaged almost two years ago. Hurricane Harvey in August, 2017 was the second most costly hurricane in US history. It caused $125 billion worth of damage in Texas. In the Houston area, 36 people died and about 150,000 homes were flooded.

A spokesman for the Harris County Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management spoke with the Houston Chronicle. The spokesman said that this week’s rain is “not in any way a Harvey-level event.”

But the worst may not be over yet. People will have a break from the heavy rain on Wednesday. According to the National Weather Service, the Texas Gulf Coast will continue to experience heavy rain later in the week. “Today should be our quietest over the next few days for rainfall,” said Don Oettinger, a National Weather Service meteorologist (气象学家).

Houston Fire Chief Samuel Peia warned, “As there is too much water on the ground, these are perfect conditions for flash floods, so we hope people are careful of what they’re doing and encourage them to stay home. There’s no sense in putting yourself, firefighters or anybody in danger needlessly. ”

Countries around the world celebrate International Women’s Day (IWD) on March 8. The United Nations says the theme of this year is DigitALL: Innovation and Technology for Gender (性别) Equality.

The UN says that from the earliest days of computing, women have contributed to information technology. But it says those contributions have been little recognized or valued. The international organization says 37 percentage of women do not use the internet. It also says 259 million fewer women than men have access to the internet. Yet, women make up very close to half the world’s population. The UN says women are largely underrepresented in science, technology, engineering and mathematic careers. “Bringing women into technology results in more creative solutions and has greater potential for innovations that meet women’s needs and promote gender equality,” says the UN’s website.

For this year’s International Women’s Day, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in a statement, “Let us work together to build a more inclusive, just, and prosperous world for women, girls, men, and boys everywhere.” The IWD has its roots in the social and labor movement in the United States. It began in New York City on March 8, 1857, when female workers marched in protest (抗议) of unfair working conditions and unequal rights in clothing factories. The workers called for a shorter workday and better pay, the National Archives says. On March of 1908, women workers again marched through New York City to protest child labor and poor working conditions, and demand women’s right to vote.

The first recorded celebration internationally was on March 19,1911, in Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland. At that time, over a million people came out to support women’s rights. After World War II, several countries started to celebrate women’s day on March 8. Two years later, the UN officially announced that date as International Women’s Day in 1977. Some countries, including China, Russia and Uganda, also recognize it as a public holiday. Past UN celebrations have included the issues of climate change, rural women and HIV/AIDS.