Gu Wei Di Qi
Bio
Stories (87/0)
The rivers that 'breathe' greenhouse gases
At first glance you would assume the New Territories were one of Hong Kong's greenest areas – the region that borders the Chinese mainland and makes up the bulk of Hong Kong's territory seems a world removed from the bustling streets and dense cluster of skyscrapers that tower over much of the city centre. By contrast, the New Territories are mostly rural and home to large swathes of farmland, rolling greenery, wetlands, mountains, parks and rivers.
By Gu Wei Di Qiabout a year ago in FYI
The remarkable power of Australian kelp
re than 45,000 years ago, by the shore of present-day Tasmania, a local person picked up a large piece of thick, dark brown seaweed. Its impervious tissue and resilient flexibility sparked an idea, and they realised that this giant piece of seaweed could solve one of the day's nagging problems. The piece of kelp was fashioned into a small rubbery bag, its edges perforated with a stick to give it structure, and plant fibres twisted around the stick to make a handle. From then on, the kelp was used as a versatile water carrier.
By Gu Wei Di Qiabout a year ago in Earth
How human waste can protect Malawi's forests
At Mulanje Prison in southern Malawi, convict Felix Chimombo wakes up early every morning to prepare food for his fellow inmates. With a handful other prisoners, Chimombo's responsibility is to make sure that by 7:00 AM, they have prepared food for 200 or so inmates at the prison. The prison previously used an average of two cubic meters of wood to prepare the day's food, an arduous process that could last for five hours.
By Gu Wei Di Qiabout a year ago in Lifehack
Why Peru is reviving a pre-Incan technology for water
Pre-pandemic, in the austral winter, I drove north out of Lima, up into Peru's highlands to the village of Huamantanga (wa-mon-TONG-a). I was traveling with scientists who were studying local farmers' use of a 1,400-year-old technique to extend water availability into the long dry season.
By Gu Wei Di Qiabout a year ago in Earth
The nature reserve with a 500-year plan
As I walk along a winding trail through Zealandia, an ecosanctuary in New Zealand's capital city of Wellington, I smell the wet earth from last night's rain, hear birds cackle and sing, and feel a slight chill from the cool breeze. Then, I see it: a streak of yellow landing on a tree branch high above. It's a stitchbird – a sparrow-sized songbird whose Māori name, hihi, refers to the rays of the sun.
By Gu Wei Di Qiabout a year ago in Petlife
The Scandinavian way to zero-carbon construction
Quiet, clean and green are not words you would typically use to describe a construction site. But the site at Olav Vs gate, one of the busiest streets in the heart of Norway's capital city, Oslo, was special. In a first of its kind in the world, all the machinery used on site – excavators, diggers and loaders – were electric.
By Gu Wei Di Qiabout a year ago in FYI
The gender biases that shape our brains
My daughter is obsessed with all things girly and pink. She gravitated to pink flowery dresses that are typically marketed for girls before she even turned two. When she was three and we saw a group of children playing football, I suggested she could join in when she was a bit older. "Football is not for girls," she replied, firmly. We carefully pointed out that girls, though in the minority, were playing too. She was unconvinced. However, she's also boisterous and loves to climb and jump, attributes often described as boyish.
By Gu Wei Di Qiabout a year ago in Families
How scientists predict famine before it hits
For several weeks back in 2018, Yadira Martínez González suddenly had to feed 15 additional mouths. Her husband's relatives, who had emigrated from Colombia to Venezuela decades ago, returned as part of an exodus of millions leaving a crumbling country.
By Gu Wei Di Qiabout a year ago in Earth
The genetic power of ancient trees
In 2005, several of the centuries-old ponderosa pine trees on my 15 acres (0.06 sq km) of forest in the northern Rocky Mountains in Montana suddenly died. I soon discovered they were being brought down by mountain pine beetles, pernicious killers the size of the eraser on a pencil that burrow into the tree.
By Gu Wei Di Qiabout a year ago in Earth