Tariq Qaiser, an architect, is trying to protect mangroves (红树林). The trees could save Pakistan’s largest city Karachi, sitting on the Arabia Sea, from natural disaster. He comes to Bundal Island several times a week to document the illegal cutting of mangrove trees. Very often, “You can’t hear a single bird because the chain saws (锯) are so loud. The trees are cut down illegally for firewood,” he says, shaking his head. Besides, developers clear the mangroves to make room for construction.

Karachi has a hot climate, and its concrete buildings and paved roads make it even hotter. Offshore, there are islands where mangroves grow. They could be the key to slowing climate change. Mangrove forests pull carbon dioxide out of the air, holding four times as much of the planet-warming gas as other forests can. They support diverse ecosystems. As sea levels rise with global warming, the trees could play a big role in protecting coastal cities like Karachi from flooding. Karachi’s mangroves are disappearing. But its numbers are rising in other parts of Pakistan. With replanting efforts, the country has tripled (三倍于) its mangrove coverage over the past 30 years.

Qaiser’s work may have worked. Recently, a court in Karachi declared Bundal Island’s mangroves to be protected forests. But unforested parts of the island remain unprotected, and developers want to build there. City officials say this could provide much-needed housing and bring in billions of dollars. They claim that some of that money could be used to plant mangroves in other parts of Pakistan.

Ecologist Rafiul Haq appreciates Qaiser’s “extraordinary work” educating the public about mangroves. But he wishes Oaiser would look at the bigger picture. “Only 7% of Pakistan’s mangroves are in Karachi,” Haq says. He thinks it’s wrong to focus on the losses in 7% of the country while ignoring the success in 93% of it. But Qaiser believes it’s important to protect every bit.

Ford is turning McDonald's coffee waste into headlights

Ford is recently including coffee chaff — coffee bean skin that comes off during the roasting process — into the plastic headlights housing (大灯外壳) used in some cars. It has asked McDonald's, which doesn't roast its own coffee, to connect it with suppliers.

In recent years, as consumers become more concerned about plastic pollution and carbon emissions, companies have made sweeping commitments to reduce their impacts on the environment. They've also been developing new, sustainable materials to build consumer products.

Traditionally, Ford uses plastic and talc (滑石粉) to make its headlights housing. The coffee version is more sustainable because it's lighter and doesn't use the talc which, as a mineral, isn't renewable. Coffee chaff, on the other hand, is widely available, and much of it goes to waste. Eventually, Ford hopes to use the material for more parts.

Ford decided to work with coffee chaff a few years ago. But it's been experimenting with organic materials for over a decade. The auto company has been using soy-based foam (泡沫) in its cushions since 2011. It also uses waste from wheat, coconut, tomato and other plants in its cars in order to help meet some of its sustainability goals, which include using more renewable materials. Once the Ford team figured out how coffee chaff could be used to build car parts, it reached out to McDonald's because of the restaurant chain's scale and its sustainability goals. Like Ford, McDonald's also wants to bring renewable and recycled materials into its products. The partnership between Ford and McDonald's is an example of how brands with different projects can work together.

“We've conventionally thought of cooperation as within the food industry,” said Lan Olson, senior director of Global Sustainability at McDonald's. “The Ford partnership can help McDonald's see what kind of larger impacts are possible, when it works with a company in another field. This is just scratching the surface of trying to understand what's possible,” Olson said.

Life is a series of choices whose consequences we cannot always foresee. Harry Saleem, an obese man with too much money and power, faced a choice. Outside his office waited his personal doctor who has brought him significant news about the only medicine that could save his life. On the other side of the world, one of his engineers waited for his decision on an important matter of business.

His secretary urged him several times to bring the doctor in but received only an indifferent reply from the billionaire: “No, let the fool wait.” “Business comes first!” Growled Saleem who was still obsessed with making money, despite the health problems caused by his huge weight. He raised a fat finger, and one of his staff hurried to switch on a large television set whose screen flashed to life, and Saleem’s engineer appeared. The man talked by satellite directly to his master although they were thousands of miles apart: “It’s all ready to blow, Mr Saleem,” he said. “Just say the word.”

His engineer was standing above Pakan Valley in South America which had been a rain forest just a few months ago, but then Saleem’s men came, cutting down all the valuable trees and forcing the villagers to move out. Across the bottom of the valley, a dam had been built which would provide power for the planned factories which would bring Saleem vast profits. Therefore, he saw no reason to delay and ordered the engineer to press the button. The camera panned away into the distance, and then a cloud of dust rose up, followed shortly by a dull explosion. A roaring river changed its course, and water flooded into the doomed Pakan Valley.

”Good, that’s that. Turn it off. Now get that doctor in here,” he commanded. The doctor came in with a worried look and started to examine his wealthy patient. “You’re doing very well, Mr Saleem,” he said finally. “The new medicine is saving your life but the only difficulty is getting more of it.” “Can you get more? Money is no problem,” Saleem said. “Tell me what you need, and we’ll get it.”

”The main ingredient of this medicine came from a newly discovered plant—a small, green orchid,” the doctor explained. “We’ll need many of them to make enough medicine. They are very rare. There’s only one place in the world where they grow.”

“Where?” demanded the businessman, impatiently.

The doctor smiled. “Well, lucky the orchids come from some land which you own, sir, so there won’t be any difficulty finding them. They’re from a place in South America known as Pakan Valley.”