Worried about the climate?【小题1】. Here are some examples to get you started.

•Count the birds and the bees

Get closer to nature by becoming a citizen scientist. You could be counting birds in your garden, butterflies, insects and flowers, or even reptiles and hedgehogs.【小题2】. It’s a fun group activity, and your data can help scientists better understand the impact of human behaviour on natural habitats.

•【小题3】

Media headlines can be alarming when it comes to the climate and nature crisis or ignoring the issues completely. Hosting a local discussion can allow space for reflection, debate, ideas and collaboration (合作) to take action on global issues at a local level.

•Set up a library of things

Internet shopping has made it too easy to buy new stuff at the click of a button.【小题4】? First, it’ll clutter (凌乱地塞满) your house，then it’ll clutter the planet. Setting up a library of things can encourage local people to share everything from tools to instruments, cooking gadgets to toys.

•Start a climate emergency centre

【小题5】. That’s why more and more climate emergency centres are popping up in derelict (废弃地) shops on high streets and in shopping centres. A climate emergency centre can be a space for events such as an exhibition on plastic waste or a workshop to learn how to make eco-cleaning products. It can also be a way to motivate more people to take action.

For years scientists have been worried about the effects of air pollution on the earth’s natural conditions. Some believe the air inside many houses may be more dangerous than the air outside.

Most scientists agree that every modern house has some kind of indoor pollution. People began to notice the problem in the early 1970s. When builders began making houses and offices, they did not want to waste energy. To do this they built buildings that limited the flow of air between inside and outside. They also used man — made building materials which are now known to let out harmful gases.

As the problem became more serious, scientists began searching for a way to deal with it. They discovered a natural pollution control system for building green plants.

Scientists believe that a plant’s leaves absorb the pollutants (污染物). In exchange the plant lets out oxygen through its leaves. Studies of different plants show that each absorbs different chemicals. So the most effective way to clean the air is to use different kinds of plants.

Gold mining has rapidly increased across the Amazon in recent years, especially along the Guiana Shield, where it is responsible for as much as 90% of total deforestation (森林砍伐). Now, an international study has provided detailed information on the regeneration (再生) of forests in Guyana after gold mining.

The team found that forest recovery rates on abandoned mines are amongst the lowest ever recorded for tropical forests. At some sites there was nearly no tree regeneration even after three to four years since mining had stopped.

The study shows that tropical forests are strongly affected by mining activities, and have very little capacity to re-establish themselves. The mining process has removed almost all nitrogen from the soil, a critical component to forest recovery, and in many cases directly contributed to the presence of mercury (汞) within neighbouring forests and rivers. Active mining sites have on average 250 times more mercury concentrations than abandoned sites.

Not only does this have serious consequences for our battle against global warming by limiting Amazonian forests' ability to capture and store carbon, but there is also a larger implication of polluting food sources especially for local communities who rely on rivers.

Active management and enforcement of laws is clearly needed to ensure recovery and to safeguard communities. However, the current economic crisis is significantly increasing the demand for gold, given its role as an economic stabiliser. With current gold price estimated to rise in the coming months, many miners are already rapidly responding to this increase in pricing. And the weakening of environmental laws and policies is also leading to further deforestation.

The study analyzed soil samples to determine recovery and chemical changes caused by mining. Their results suggest that forest recovery is strongly limited by severe mining-induced depletion (损耗) of soil nutrients, especially nitrogen, rather than by mercury contamination. The high rate of mercury, however, does have serious implications for negative impacts on food security, water supply and local biodiversity.

Mr Gavin Agard, Commissioner of the Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC)said: “This scientific work will greatly improve Guyana's baseline and understanding of the forest degradation impacts of mining. The findings and recommendations from this study will significantly impact policy and management strategies for forest restoration and rehabilitation in mined-out areas.”