When you don’t clean your plate, microbes feast. And Americans are awfully good at feeding microbes, some 222 million metric tons of food a year. That’s a quarter of our food. Much of that wasted food ends up in garbage dumps, turned by microbes into methane, a powerful greenhouse gas and one of the culprits behind global warming. Now government officials in Massachusetts would like to ensure that restaurants, universities, hospitals and other large don’t exacerbate that problem. The idea is to make sure all that wasted food doesn’t end up in landfills but instead becomes either compost or energy. The same microbes that turn food into methane in a landfill can turn food into methane in a biodigester, and that methane can then be used as a fuel. More importantly, from the Bay State’s , it will keep the state’s landfills from filling up. Of course, the methane from landfills can also be , and often is. And, as the Pilgrims knew, it would be even smarter not to waste the food in the first place. But let’s give thanks for another helping of new ways to curb climate change.
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Solution
When you don't clean your plate, microbes feast. And Americans are awfully good at feeding microbes, wasting some 222 million metric tons of food a year. That's a quarter of our food. Much of that wasted food ends up in garbage dumps, turned by microbes into methane, a powerful greenhouse gas and one of the primary culprits behind global warming. Now government officials in Massachusetts would like to ensure that restaurants, universities, hospitals and other large institutions don't exacerbate that problem. The idea is to make sure all that wasted food doesn't end up in landfills but instead becomes either compost or energy. The same microbes that turn food into methane in a landfill can turn food into methane in a biodigester, and that methane can then be used as a fuel. More importantly, from the Bay State's perspective , it will keep the state's landfills from filling up. Of course, the methane from landfills can also be harvested , and often is. And, as the Pilgrims knew, it would be even smarter not to waste the food in the first place. But let's give thanks for another helping of new ways to curb climate change.
You will hear a recording. Type the missing words in each blank.
Some ecotourism offers visitors close with different species. But new research suggests that these activities may not be so great for the animals. Researchers tagged stingrays in Stingray City in the Cayman Islands to their movements and behavior. Compared to stingrays outside of the tourism area, those in Stingray City switched their activity from night to day, when tourists handed out food, and mated year round instead of seasonally. The stingrays also had more bite , which suggests increased aggression towards one another. The study is in the journal PLoS ONE. Past research has found increased and more intra- and inter- species aggression among animals that have been fed by humans. Interactive tourism is a growing business. But researchers say that more study is needed to the health and safety of humans and animals alike. Ecotourism may be good for a given species, as humans become engaged in its . But for the individual members of that species tasked with with people, it may not be a walk in the park.
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Solution
Some ecotourism offers visitors close .... encounters... with different species. But new research suggests that these activities may not be so great for the animals. Researchers tagged stingrays in Stingray City in the Cayman Islands to .....monitor.... their movements and behavior. Compared to stingrays outside of the tourism area, those in Stingray City switched their activity ....patterns.... from night to day, when tourists handed out food, and mated year round instead of seasonally. The stingrays also had more bite .....marks.... , which suggests increased aggression towards one another. The study is in the journal PLoS ONE. Past research has found increased ....stress... and more intra- and inter- species aggression among animals that have been fed by humans. Interactive tourism is a growing business. But researchers say that more study is needed to ...ensure... the health and safety of humans and animals alike. Ecotourism may be good for a given species, as humans become engaged in its .....survival.... . But for the individual members of that species tasked with .....dealing.... with people, it may not be a walk in the park.