Topic Reading-Vol.3367-6/30/2021

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Drones are helping to clean up the world's plastic pollution

Drones are convenient and efficient. They can shoot images, spray pesticides, carry small items, and survey areas whether manually or autonomously. So, how about using drones to map where plastic waste is? Since plastic waste is often washed up on the shore of beaches, discarded in remote places, or floating in the ocean, it is physically and economically difficult to identify where, what kind, and how much plastic waste exists. A newly developed way to make use of drones’ capability is to survey designated areas to locate where plastic waste is and identify the type and size of plastic waste through computer software and image recognition. Instead of humans walking around and capturing images manually, aerial surveillance does the job much more extensively, accurately, and quickly. Though this technology isn’t capable of analyzing microplastics, it does identify their source.

A lot of new technologies have become available recently, such as drones, robots, AI, and autonomous driving, which are waiting to be utilized more and better.

Enjoy reading the article and learn about this innovative way to use drones.

https://edition.cnn.com/2021/06/23/europe/ellipsis-drone-plastic-pollution-c2e-spc-intl/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.3366-6/29/2021

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

National Geographic says the world has a fifth ocean

Approximately 70% of the Earth’s surface is covered by one ocean, which is geographically divided into distinct named regions. The boundaries between these regions have evolved over time for a variety of historical, cultural, geographical, and scientific reasons. Historically, there are four oceans: the Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, and Arctic, composing 47%, 24%, 20%, and four percent of the ocean area respectively. Though the Southern (Antarctic) ocean has been recognized as the fifth ocean by many countries and organizations, the boundaries of the most recently named ocean haven’t been agreed upon unanimously yet. On World Oceans Day (June 8), National Geographic, one of the world's pre-eminent and most visible mapmaking groups, has officially named the Southern Ocean and drew the water border. Australia will never agree with the border as it considers everything south of the country the Southern Ocean.

No matter how it is called, the water around Antarctica is colder and less saline. There are different kinds of faunas from other regions of the ocean such as whales, seals, penguins, fish, and birds.

Enjoy reading the article and learn about the fifth ocean of the world.

https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/southern-ocean-fifth-national-geographic-hnk-scn/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.3365-6/28/2021

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Rainforests are under siege. Here's what you should know.

Last week on June 22, Amazon, the world’s largest online retailer, hosted its annual Prime Day for its prime members. On the same day, the world observed World Rainforest Day to raise awareness about the preservation of rainforests. Over half of the world’s primary forest is in Amazon rainforests, which includes parts of nine countries and covers nearly 40% of South America. It accounts for just over half the primary forests found across the tropics. It is also home to 10 percent of the world’s known species and represents over half of the rainforest on the planet. You may know that rainforests remove greenhouse gas from the atmosphere, and prevents it from warming the planet. In fact, rainforests account for 20% of ground photosynthesis, and therefore they produce oxygen and remove greenhouse gas from the atmosphere. The majority of the Amazon is in Brazil but unfortunately, the current Brazilian administration pays little attention to preserve this invaluable natural asset. As a result, the Amazon rainforest lost more trees by deforestation and wildfires in 2019. Since the Amazon is home to biodiversity and medical resources, the world will lose even more.

Enjoy reading the article and learn how invaluable the Amazon rainforest is for all living things on earth.

https://edition.cnn.com/2021/06/22/world/world-rainforest-day-facts/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.3364-6/27/2021

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

What it's really like to be an Amazon warehouse worker during Prime Day

Did you take advantage of Amazon’s Prime Day sales last week? The event is characterized by a number of sales and promotions exclusive to Amazon Prime subscribers, who have paid annual subscription fees to get free deliveries, prime videos, games, and music. Members may find heavy discounts and good prices on items they are interested in and take advantage of this annual sales opportunity. Amazon is happy to take as many orders as they could get to increase revenues. But this sales event doesn’t seem to be enjoyed by many of Amazon’s warehouse workers. They are tasked to work overtime, like 11 hours instead of ten. You may not think it’s too much to add but those warehouse workers are working under extreme pressure to keep up with Amazon’s strict work requirements. Though they are mostly fairly compensated, mandatory overtime poses both physical and mental pressures to the workers. And there are other sales events, such as Black Friday and Cyber Monday, that keep them extra-busy.

Enjoy reading the article and learn about the behind-the-scenes of Amazon’s Prime Day sales.

https://edition.cnn.com/2021/06/21/tech/workers-amazon-prime-day/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.3363-6/26/2021

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Can old traditions and tech help Singapore reach zero waste?

Singapore is known for its clean streets and its modern and tall buildings. It makes every effort to ensure that the streets are always kept clean with strict laws on vandalism, littering, public urination, and spitting on streets. In fact, the city-state’s overall recycling rate exceeds 50%. However, there still are things thrown away or put out to be collected on the streets. Who collects them? There are rag and bone collectors who pick up everything from newspapers, cans, used clothes, and electronic devices in Singapore. They use a hand-pushed trolley, collect items from the street, and sell them to traders or recycling firms. Though many of them are old, they have the knowledge and experience to do the job. Nowadays, thanks to the smartphone and apps, they can work more efficiently with collection companies. In fact, Singapore’s rubbish collection, waste disposal, and recycling services are all done by the private sector. They are eager to make use of new technologies to do their businesses more efficiently and sustainably.

Enjoy reading the article and learn about the last mile for waste collection in the cleanest city in the world.

https://www.bbc.com/news/business-57484499

Topic Reading-Vol.3362-6/25/2021

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Can we have democracy without political parties?

In elections, do you vote for the candidate or the party? Which opinions are more important to you or closer to yours, the candidates or the political party’s? In the US, while the gap between Democratic and Republican parties has been narrowing in national elections, there has been a steady increase in the share of US voters who claim no affiliation with either party. In fact, that share has risen to 38%, larger than the share of voters who identified with either party.

In a modern democracy, a political party is a group of persons organized to acquire and exercise political power. Party members usually have similar ideas about politics, and parties may promote specific ideological or policy goals. It is common for democratic elections to feature competitions between liberal, conservative, and socialist parties along with communism, nationalism, and religious parties.

Recently, issues like LGBTQ, abortion, racial and gender discrimination, immigration, environment, and even vegetarianism have become more important agendas than conventional political ideologies or priorities, and more people have become less supportive of traditional parties. Furthermore, those parties themselves have been arguing the legitimacy of the election and the opponent lately, which seems to have made themselves disreputable. Also, direct approaches like crowdfunding and tweets seem to have been giving opportunities for independent candidates who may not belong to the mainstream of the party. Maybe the time for a neo-modern political system to emerge.

Enjoy reading the article and think about what the national elections will be like in the next decade.

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20210607-can-we-have-democracy-without-political-parties

Topic Reading-Vol.3361-6/24/2021

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

7 tips for choosing your perfect coffee

Coffee can be brewed in different ways, such as boiling, steeping, dripping, or pressuring like expresso. Nowadays, dripped coffee seems the most popular way to serve coffee around the world besides espresso or instant/soluble coffee. Then, what kind of beans to brew? There are several factors to classify the type of coffee beans. First, the species. While Arabica coffee is richer in flavor with a smoother and sweeter taste, Robusta coffee has a stronger and bitter taste with more caffeine. Another way to classify coffee beans is whether they are blended or single-origin, just like blended or single-malt whisky. The former has a well-rounded flavor while the latter presents distinct characteristics of the region. The next type is how the beans are roasted. If beans are roasted longer, they become darker and bitterer, like French or Italian roast coffee. When beans are lightly roasted, they keep more flavor and acidity. To your surprise, dark roast coffee contains less caffeine as it is burned off as beans are heated. Then, you want to look at how the beans are ground or you grind beans yourself right before brewing. While whole beans stay fresher and longer, ground coffee goes stale quickly because more surface area is exposed to air. In addition to these characteristics, there are other factors that affect the taste of coffee, such as how you take your coffee, like with milk, cream, and sugar, when you drink your coffee, like in the morning or after a meal, and where you enjoy your coffee, like in the kitchen, office, or café, and your mood.

Enjoy reading the article and learn basic information you want to know when you buy coffee beans.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/articles/coffee_flavour

Topic Reading-Vol.3360-6/23/2021

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

The powerful new use for cocoa

The Republic of Côte d'Ivoire, or Ivory Coast, is a small country located on the south coast of West Africa. It is known as the world’s largest producer and exporter of cocoa beans. Most of the country’s population, a little over 26 million, is already connected to the national power grid. Currently, 70% of the nation’s energy is generated by natural gas and the rest by other fossil fuels. Ivory Coast is aggressively envisioning increasing renewable energy sources to over 40% and reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 28% by the end of the decade. And they seem to have found a good solution for both the environment and the economy.

When cocoa beans are processed, a significant amount of cocoa waste is produced, such as the bean shells, pod husks, and cocoa sweating, most of which is now thrown away. Now, they’ve started working on a biomass plant that will run on cocoa waste. In the biomass plant, the cocoa waste will be burned to generate electricity with significantly less greenhouse gas emissions. This new usage of cocoa waste is expected to generate not only cleaner energy but also economic value to local cocoa producers. It will also create new businesses and job opportunities to transport and process the waste.

As reported in Vol.3359, Ghana, Ivory Coast’s eastern neighbor, is planting five million seedlings to revive the rainforest. Though neither of the neighboring countries usually don’t get so much attention from the world, both of them are doing their share of the work for sustainable development.

Enjoy reading the article and learn about the new usage of cocoa beans.

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20210607-a-chocolatey-sustainable-alternative-to-fossil-fuels

Topic Reading-Vol.3359-6/22/2021

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

‘Action time’: Ghanaians plant 5m trees to fight forest depletion

It is a good start to plant new trees to make up for the loss of the forests. The Republic of Ghana is a small country in West Africa with a population of around 30 million. It envisions becoming the first African developed country by the end of this decade and a newly industrialized country in the following decade. The mineral-rich, especially the gold, country has been mining the ground that was once green forest. In fact, it has lost around the four-fifths of the rainforest in the last century. Informal small gold mining activities and lack of attention to the environmental benefits seem to have caused such massive deforestation. Now, the country has initiated a new drive to regenerate the rainforest by distributing five million free seedlings to people at all levels across the country, including the president. Whether the five million seedlings were an adequate quantity to revive some of the lost rainforests remains to be seen, but it is at least a good move to make everyone become conscious about their valued rainforest.

At any rate, planting trees is just the beginning. Growing and nurturing them is the next step. Then, enjoying environmental and economic benefits will make the project and effort sustainable for the future.

Enjoy reading the article about an African nation’s attempt to revive rainforest.

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/6/11/ghana-plants-5-million-trees-to-battle-forest-depletion

Topic Reading-Vol.3358-6/21/2021

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Humpback whale gulps and spits out Cape Cod lobsterman

The humpback whale is a species of baleen whale found in oceans and seas around the world. Adult humpback ranges in length from 12–16 m and weighing around 25–30 tons. A humpback opens its gigantic mouth, swallows the water, and eats krill and small fish in it. When a lobsterman jumped in the water off the coast of Cape Cod, Massachusetts recently, he was accidentally swallowed by a humpback whale in the water. Fortunately, the humpback soon realized that the man with diving gear wasn’t its favorite food and threw him in the air. The lucky lobsterman landed in the water and was rescued by his crewmate, who had been desperate to find him as bubbles coming out of the water around the boat. Sounds like a tale or movie, doesn’t it? While he was in the humpback’s mouth, he thought of his wife and two boys.

Enjoy reading this amazing story and learn sharks aren’t the only ones that you should worry about in the sea.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-57450685

Topic Reading-Vol.3357-6/20/2021

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

The buzzwords reflecting the frustration of China's young generation

China has been enjoying robust economic growth and social upgrade since the late 1990s became the second-largest economy in 2008 and the US’s archrival around 2020 in various fields. Many of those who worked hard, often called 996 (working 9 am to 9 pm, six days a week), have earned their reward, increased income, career advancement, the booming housing market, and once-luxurious treatments such as a car, smartphone, and even oversea travels. They of course had their challenges but they also had hope and opportunities. However, just like in the Western developed countries where the young tend to choose to live a more balanced or even minimalist lifestyle, some of the young Chinese people have adopted “a lying flat” attitude, not overworking but being content with attainable and realistic achievements. Indeed, they started experiencing different environments and finding fewer opportunities even if they’ve studied hard and graduated from prestigious universities. Also, as more than 9 million students will graduate from Chinese universities in 2021, the job market is so competitive that many job seekers are going to have to give up their dream jobs or desired career and take whatever job they could get. Naturally, they might feel meaningless to compete with others and rethink what success means to them. This trend is called “involution” and is also seen in other already developed countries like Japan and South Korea.

Enjoy reading the article and learn about what young Chinese people are frustrated about.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-57328508

Topic Reading-Vol.3356-6/19/2021

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Class 12 exams: India students face uncertain future amid pandemic

Just like China’s Gaokao, the national college entrance examination, India has board examinations for the 12th-grade students when they finish their final year of middle school. Since the scores of the exams have a huge influence on their admission to colleges and universities, the exams are held at the same time across the country to ensure fair opportunities for all exam takers. You can imagine that eager students must have been studying very hard to prepare for the exams. However, this year, the exams were canceled because of the Covid-19 pandemic. At first, the students were relieved from the pressure but soon they started wondering how their academic achievement would be evaluated and how colleges and universities would admit their applications. Now, students are going to be assessed by their schools which have never done such a sensitive task before. The government-controlled board of secondary education said they would come up with standard assessment criteria from all aspects so that all the students would be evaluated fairly. But can middle school teachers, who have never done such assessment for their students, make fair and viable evaluations for the college application? Will there be teachers who inflate the grades or give favor to some students?

Whichever the case might be, the 12^th graders missed a lot in their final school year, including classes, classmates, events, and now the most important exams.

Read the article and think about how difficult the year was for India’s high school students.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-57420647

Topic Reading-Vol.3355-6/18/2021

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Why it's the end of the road for petrol stations

Auto giants are all in a race to transform themselves from fossil-fuel-automobile manufactures to clean-energy vehicle providers. Some are aiming to switch completely by 2025 or a little later while e-car companies have already been selling electric cars only. When you think about buying a new car, which type will you buy, a phasing-out conventional car or an electric vehicle? You may think you’ll be driving the car until 2030 but by then, most of the new cars sold or subscribed will be electric or another kind of clean energy vehicles. Will there be enough gas stations then? Will there be any buyers for your old gasoline car then? What you’re your neighbors and friends be riding then? While more and more free charging poles are being installed in public parking spaces, retailers’ parking lots, and workplaces, gas stations have been and will be closed one after another because of the transition to e-cars and improved gas mileage. And soon, free charging poles may become a standard feature of parking lots like free Wi-Fi. Also, the fewer the gas stations are, the less price competition will be. Then, gas-car drivers may soon have to worry about the next charging spot as well as their wallets. All in all, gas stations are going to make a decision for their future, stay in the same business at low cost to survive as the competitors disappear, transform themselves to be a multi-service operator such as convenience store or service/repair shop, or sell it before it’s too late (if only there is a buyer).

Enjoy reading the article and think about when you will switch to a green car if you haven’t.

https://www.bbc.com/news/business-57416829

Topic Reading-Vol.3354-6/17/2021

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

American Airlines and Virgin Atlantic order electric air taxis from UK startup

VA-X4 is a piloted, electrically powered vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft designed by a UK enterprise. It is capable of carrying four passengers at a maximum speed of over 360 kilometers per hour for as long as 160 kilometers without disturbing noise like a helicopter. Even before a test flight, it has received 1,000 pre-orders from large airlines like American Airlines and Virgin Atlantic. Also, the company has been invested by a Special Purpose Company, or a blank-check company, and will become public soon. The VTOL is expected to transport passengers in and around major cities like London, including to and from the airports. It would be nice to enjoy a scenic and quick ride between a major airport and downtown instead of enduring busy traffic or carrying luggage to and from the train station.

The world, especially forward-looking governments, investors, and corporations are now planning and working on a green recovery after the pandemic. This quiet and carbon-free urban transportation vehicle may become one of such new initiatives.

Enjoy reading the article and seeing the video and think about when and where you’ll have the chance to ride a zero-emission VTOL.

https://edition.cnn.com/2021/06/11/business/vertical-aerospace-evtol/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.3353-6/16/2021

Topic Reading-Vol.3353-6/16/2021

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Plastic pollution: take-out food is littering the oceans

There are millions of convenience stores all over the world selling items that are packed in plastic packages, containers, or wrappers. And most of them are still taken out in plastic bags. Also, food deliveries are becoming popular in many cities around the world having been fueled by the Covid-19 pandemic and funded by investors who want to jump on the bandwagon. But this business model also is creating more single-use plastic consumption.

According to a new study, scientists claim that eight out of 10 litters found around rivers, oceans, shorelines, and seafloor were made of plastic, and over 40% of the plastic litter was from take-out food and drinks. They are mostly single-use plastic bottles, food containers, wrappers, and even bags. If you look at European rivers, as much as 80% of the litter released into the ocean is plastic, including both pieces and single-use, like bottles, food packaging, and bags.

Unfortunately, today’s convenience and economy are unfriendly and unsustainable for the environment. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were agreed upon by all UN member states. Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) investments are becoming more influential in financial investment. Unfortunately, most politicians are paying more attention to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and business people are pursuing higher Return on Investment (ROI), both of which are creating more single-use plastic litter.

How soon will the world set higher priorities on reducing Single-Use Plastic (SUP)?

Enjoy reading the article and learn about what is threatening the rivers and oceans.

https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-57436143

Topic Reading-Vol.3352-6/15/2021

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Sweet dreams! Wandering elephants take a snooze

These Asian 15 elephants left their home in Yunnan, southwest of China, and have been traveling over 500 kilometers north through towns and villages. They might have been searching for a new habitat for some reason but no one knows for sure yet. The problem is they’ve been eating crops and plants along the way and damaging buildings and knocking down trees. In fact, some vultures lost their habitats in the trees and had to migrate to other places. Since these wild elephants are protected by law in China, they are still free to travel. For now, they are heading north under warm temperatures. But if they migrated in far too north, they might find it too cold to live in winter.

Enjoy seeing this rare video that shows the way the elephants are taking a sound, uninterrupted nap together.

https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-57416368

Topic Reading-Vol.3351-6/14/2021

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

G7: 'Mount Recyclemore' of leaders made from electronic waste in Cornwall

The 47th G7 summit took place from 11–13 June 2021 in the United Kingdom attended by the leaders of the regular member states including the UK, US, EU, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and guests from Australia, India, South Korea, and South Africa (<= all but one are the commonwealth countries)

A sculptor was commissioned by musicMagpie, a British online retailer buying and selling refurbished electronics and second-hand computer games, consoles, books, films, and music, to create a sculpture that depicts those world leaders in a place in Cornwall, England where the G7 summit was to take place. The sculpture was made of electronic waste, which amounted to over 53 million tons worldwide in 2019, and increasing each year as more people join the world of electric and digital convenience. The question is if just those publicly-elected G7 leaders are influential enough to change the world? Which countries produce more electric devices and appliances than the G7 countries combined?

Enjoy reading the article and see the photo and think if the world needs another one in front of the UN headquarters in New York.

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-cornwall-57406136

Topic Reading-Vol.3350-6/13/2021

Dear MEL Topic Readers,
This animal survived 24,000 years frozen in the Siberian permafrost
The rotifers, or wheel animals, are kind of microscopic animals that live in freshwater environments. They are only around 0.1-0.5 millimeters long, eat dead bacteria and algae, and fall prey to many animals like fish, jellyfish, and starfish.
Recently, researchers discovered and revived some rotifers in a core of frozen soil in the Siberian permafrost. What is astonishing about these rotifers is that they had been kept in the ice for 24,000 years until they were awakened. Since the permafrost is frozen year-round, the creatures had been under cryptobiosis, the state of completely arrested metabolism. Even though cryptobiosis has been found among single-celled organisms, this case was remarkable because rotifers are a micro-size animal that has a mouth, body, anus, and foot.
If they survived 24,000 years, will we ever have a chance to revive a dinosaur or some kind of ancient animal in the future?
Enjoy reading the article and learn about this amazing discovery.

https://edition.cnn.com/2021/06/07/europe/bdelloid-rotifers-animal-survive-frozen-in-permafrost-scn/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.3349-6/12/2021

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Zimbabwe’s elephant culling plan stirs debate

The Republic of Zimbabwe is a landlocked country located in Southern Africa with a population of around 15 million. Besides minerals, gold, agriculture, tourism generates substantial revenues to Zimbabwe but that business has been hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic. Another headache for Zimbabwe is a growing population of wild elephants whose population is the second-largest in Africa after Botswana. The estimated number of elephants grew from 84,000 to over 100,000 during the last few years. It is good news because African elephants, both forest and savanna, are endangered species but bad news for Zimbabwe because the growing elephant population poses a risk to other animals and humans. Indeed, elephants eat and move a lot, which often gives devastating impacts on other inhabitants.

In order to raise funds to maintain the elephant population, the country sells hunting licenses to kill hundreds of elephants. The authority says the elephants also have to take care of themselves. But that doesn’t seem to be enough to protect the lives and interests of other species that are threatened by the increasing number of elephants. So, the government is thinking about culling elephants to cope with the increasing population and decreasing revenues. While a lot of efforts are being made to save the mammoth mammals, one country is left with no choice but to kill them. Are there any coordinated solutions?

Read the article and learn about the headache Zimbabwe is having now.

https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2021/6/5/zimbabwe-elephant-culling-plan-stirs-debate

Topic Reading-Vol.3348-6/11/2021

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

South Korea: From food wasters to recyclers

Food wasting to recycling, easy to say but difficult to implement. It requires strict regulations by the governments and continuous support by the citizens and businesses.

In South Korea, everyone is required to separate the food waste from the garbage by law. The garbage will then be collected with a fee. Once collected, some food waste is sent for composting, turned into biofuel, or dried and powdered to feed chickens. This recycling practice has been put in place for nearly three decades. This is a significant change before 1997 when most of the food waste was dumped into landfills, which caused unbearable odor and environmental nightmare. It took the government over 15 years to expand treatment facilities and educate people to build today's food recycling society. In fact, it was 2013 when food waste became a part of a pay-as-you-throw system. Now, people use either the standard pre-paid plastic bags or a machine that automatically measures the weight and charges the fee to dispose of their food waste. Whichever the method might be, everyone needs to do some work and pay some money to dump their food waste, which seems to be a good incentive to reduce food waste. But such food recycling is so costly that collection fees aren’t enough to support the system. So, in order to make the food recycling system sustainable, it seems that eating habits and serving practices need to be improved to reduce food waste.

Enjoy watching the video and learn about South Korea’s food waste recycling system.

https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-asia-57278292

Topic Reading-Vol.3347-6/10/2021

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

'More and more people don't want a traditional burial'

The Covid-10 pandemic has created millions of unexpected, sudden deaths and funerals. It also has given us the chance to recall that our life is not infinite. As new technologies arise and people become more environmentally conscious, new ways to treat the dead emerged. Some people want their ashes mixed in an artificial reef formation and sunk on the ocean’s floor. Others want their bodies decomposed and spread in a conservation forest. There is also a service that sends ashes into outer space.

Also, funeral services have changed dramatically. Because of the travel and gathering restrictions, only a few people can attend the service in-person. So, just like online meetings, web-casting funeral services have become common. As family members, relatives, and friends live in different places recently, attending funerals online is expected to become more popular even after the pandemic.

Read the article about these new ways to bid farewell to loved ones.

https://www.bbc.com/news/business-56926819

Topic Reading-Vol.3346-6/9/2021

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

United plans supersonic flights by 2029

The speed of sound is 343 meters per second or 1,236 kilometers per hour, which is called Mach 1.0. The typical cruising speed of a long-distance commercial passenger aircraft is around 900 km/h while top-level fighter jets can fly at Mach 2.5, or nearly 3,000 km/h. After the first commercial supersonic aircraft, Concorde was grounded in 2003 because of its poor economy and notorious sonic boom, no such supersonic commercial jet has been seen in the sky. Now, United Airlines wants to fly the first net-zero carbon supersonic flights by the end of the decade. The new sonic airliner is called “Overture,” which is designed by a Denver-based aero design company Boom Supersonic. It can travel at speeds up to Mach 1.7, about twice as fast as other airliners. Since fuel-guzzler will be accepted neither on the road nor in the air by 2030, it designed to fly on sustainable aviation fuel, or biomass-derived fuel, which is expected to reduce CO2 emissions by 20% to 98%. So, passengers could fly from London to New York only in three and a half hours instead of seven hours 50 minutes, or from San Francisco to Tokyo in six hours instead of 10 hours 50 minutes, without feeling guilty about CO2 emission. United Airlines is planning to build a fleet of 50 such sonic airliners. So, if you want to save a few hours and experience a supersonic speed, wait until the tickets go on sale, which is expected to cost a first-class airfare plus premium. By the way, there may be even faster flying opportunities by then, such as space flight, a trip to Moon, or even Mars. Which is your choice?

Enjoy reading the article and think about your future flying experience.

https://edition.cnn.com/2021/06/03/investing/united-supersonic-flights/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.3345-6/8/2021

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Homes set to be heated by sewage plants in future

It is a simple thought. Why not using the discharged heat from industries and incineration to warm buildings and homes? For example, data centers are discharging warm air constantly at a temperature of nearly 50c Celsius on cold winter days. If the warm air is captured and piped to other buildings and homes, it will save substantial energy to heat them and help reduce heat carbonization. The idea of district heating networks can be established in certain districts where there are many buildings that can get heat from nearby heat sources. Actually, London has already initiated a pilot project to harvest warmth from the Tube (subway) for a heat network. Since district heating requires area planning and development, inter-district cooperation is the key to success. And of course, the sooner the better as warm air is being discharged every minute unused.

Enjoy reading the article and learn about what district warming is about.

https://www.bbc.com/news/business-57261151

Topic Reading-Vol.3344-6/7/2021

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

North Korea says orphan children volunteering on mines and farms

The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) lies in the northern part of the Korean Peninsula, above the 38th parallel north Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). Ever since the establishment in 1948, the one-party republic has been ruled by sole dictators. The incumbent supreme leader is Kim Jong-un, a grandson of the nation’s founder Kim Il-sung. The country with a population of just 25 million, about a half of South Korea, is estimated to have over 1.2 million active military personnel, twice as many as its southern rival or nearly as many as the US whose population is 300 million more than North Korea. However, the country has been isolated diplomatically and economically, and its per-capita GDP and living standards are both the lowest level in the world. The secretive state has been known for its use of forced labor, men, women, and children to work in coal mining, factories, farms, and forests for long hours under unimaginably harsh conditions. In 2020, the administration shut its borders due to the coronavirus pandemic, including the one with China, its economic lifeline. Now, as the country seems to need more cheap labors to make up for the loss, the state media recently praised young volunteers, mostly teenage orphans, for their self-sacrifice to work voluntarily for coal mining. It seems like another propaganda to enlighten people to sacrifice more for the ruling party, nation, and supreme leader.

Read the article and watch the video to learn about this recent move by North Korea.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-57293167

Topic Reading-Vol.3343-6/6/2021

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Could humans really destroy all life on Earth?

Replacing fuel-engine vehicles with electric-motor cars or uploading photos instead of printing them won’t be enough to save the planet. These actions won’t solve the present and clear danger that humans and the environment are creating. Every human on Earth is producing more anthropogenic mass, human-made stuff, than their bodyweight every week. In fact, humans produce 300 million tons of plastics and use an unimaginable amount of concrete every year. Also, as we emit more carbon dioxide, it will increase ocean acidity. Because of the human activities to produce and consume more day by day, the oceans seem to be acidifying faster now than they did in the last 300 million years. Human activities are indeed depleting the Earth’s resources, stripping the emotional health of humans, and degrading the habitats. Setting goals for carbon neutrality, which many large companies are claiming, is neither enough nor effective to solve this deep-rooted problem because none of them wants to sell less. But that is what is exactly needed to avoid depleting the resources and killing ourselves. Yes. Produce, consume, and use less. Behavioral changes are needed such as reducing the number of photos uploading on Instagram, packing with less cardboard or plastic, and cooking just enough to fill the stomachs. Indeed, humans are the most influential force on the planet. We are the ones to change.

Enjoy reading the article and think about what you can reduce or stop doing.

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20210520-could-humans-really-destroy-all-life-on-earth

Topic Reading-Vol.3342-6/5/2021

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

How overwork is literally killing us

How many hours do you usually work a week? The most typical work hour is eight hours a day, five days a week, so it’s 40 hours a week. If you work six days a week, the figure increases to 48 hours, and if you work nine hours for six days, it’ll be 54 hours. That seems to be as long as you should be working a week for a long time to avoid increasing pressure on your body, brain, and heart. Studies by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Labor Organization (ILO) point out that long working hours are killing three-quarters of a million people from coronary heart disease and stroke. In fact, the figure is higher than the number of people who are dying from the flu or Malaria each year. The problem is that while heart diseases are hard to recognize or detect, they are fatal to your career and life.

Read the article and review your work schedule to balance your work and wellness.

https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20210518-how-overwork-is-literally-killing-us

Topic Reading-Vol.3341-6/4/2021

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Amazon offers 'wellness chamber' for stressed staff

Looks like a confinement room in the middle of a warehouse. However, it is not meant for punishment but for relaxation. There are hundreds of thousands of workers working 24/7 in Amazon’s fulfillment centers (FC). They work with machines, robots, and colleagues to receive, stock, pack, and ship boxes all over the places. Though they aren’t exposed to skin-burning sunlight or freezing outside temperatures like construction workers, they get stressed doing the same work every day. So, one of the most valued companies unveiled “Wellness Chambers” in their fulfillment centers to relieve or ease the stress their precious workers get from their work. Well, meditation facilities, equipment, and practice are becoming common among IT companies whose employees are working under constant stress and pressure. So, why not for their warehouse workers? Do the employees have to book in advance or wait in line to use the booth? Unfortunately, the details aren’t provided as the company deleted the post after being ridiculed by netizens.

Please be reminded that Amazon fulfillment center workers have recently gotten or will get a pay raise beyond the federal minimum wage requirement levels in addition to the company-wide bonus.

Enjoy reading the article and learn about Amazon’s attempt to ease workers’ stress.

https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-57287151

Topic Reading-Vol.3340-6/3/2021

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Covid: Russia starts vaccinating animals

Humans aren’t alone to be infected by the coronavirus. In fact, Covid-19 is thought to have originally come from a wild animal, it was then transmitted to humans. In Denmark, the virus was then passed on to farmed mink last year, before jumping back to a small number of humans. That is why Denmark culled all its mink - up to 17 million animals - because of the spread of coronavirus last year after detecting mutations in strains of coronavirus found in mink. Danish authorities worried that a mutated form of coronavirus found in mink could potentially hamper the effectiveness of a future vaccine.

Now, Russia has started vaccinating animals, such as dogs, cats, apes, and mink. Since pet animals are family members, they of course want to have their pet animals vaccinated for both humans and animals’ sake. For mink farm owners, having their mink vaccinated is as essential as getting casualty insurance. While most people in the world haven’t gotten vaccinated yet, some people are traveling to the US for a vaccination vacation (Topic Reading-Vol.3338-6/1/2021) and others are having their pets vaccinated.

Human ingenuity, consciousness, wealth, and health are all questioned when it comes to who gets vaccination next.

Enjoy reading the article and learn about Russia’s animal welfare initiative.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-57259961

Topic Reading-Vol.3339-6/2/2021

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

It's getting more likely the world will reach a climate tipping point in the next five years

Though not as hot as the 2016 record year, 2020 was the second warmest year on record. The global average temperature of the year was 1.2 degrees above the pre-industrial baseline. Now, post-pandemic economic recoveries have already be seen in some countries, more greenhouse gasses are being emitted. The World Meteorological Organization, WMO, has recently warned that the world is going to have one or more warmest years in the next five years, one of which is likely to reach 1.5 degrees above the baseline. Will the Paris Climate goal, which is to limit the temperature increase within two degrees above pre-industrial temperatures met by 2050?

Since increasing temperatures cause more melting ice, higher sea levels, more heatwaves, and other extreme weather, there will be significant impacts on food security, health, the environment, and sustainable development. While the world is working on achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) committed at the United Nations, many countries are setting higher priorities to contain and recover from the coronavirus. The good news is that investments in renewable energies and greener transportation are being accelerated around the world. The balance between human consciousness and emotion affects other creatures and the environment of our planet.

Enjoy reading the article and learn about this historical challenge to human beings.

https://edition.cnn.com/2021/05/27/world/climate-temperatures-increase-wmo-intl/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.3338-6/1/2021

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Vaccine tourists are coming to America

The USA seems to have made a 180-degree turn in terms of Covid vaccination. Half a year ago, the US marked more coronavirus cases than other countries each day. It was probably because of then administration's gross negligence of medical necessities caused by the coronavirus. But now, it is one of the most advanced nations in terms of broad-based vaccination implementation. Restaurants, schools, and theaters are about to back in business. Airplane seats are being filled and hotel rooms are being booked. People are ready for long-awaited parties, concerts, and summer vacation. Then they became very generous and welcoming to those who want to be vaccinated from abroad. Yes, they are giving foreign visitors coronavirus vaccine shots, no question asked! Recently, the US has been getting an increasing number of travelers from Latin American and Caribbean countries where vaccination has to wait for months if they get any. Of course, those vaccination travelers are rich people who can afford to pay for the air, accommodation, and other expenses. They say they could help their fellow citizens get vaccinated sooner if they get vaccinated somewhere else. Does it sound convincing to others who can’t afford such a trip?

Anyway, this vaccine tourism seems to last as long as the inequality on vaccine distribution continues in other parts of the world.

Enjoy reading the article and think if you want to book a flight for an early vaccination, if you haven’t gotten one.

https://edition.cnn.com/2021/05/26/americas/vaccine-tourism-usa-latam-intl/index.html