The Lifecycle of a T-shirt

    We all probably have a lot of T-shirts, but do you ever stop and think about the influence of a T-shirt on the planet? You'd probably be surprised to learn what's involved in the lifecycle of just one T-shirt.

    There are 5 major stages: material, production, shipping, use and disposal. The material stage involves farming, irrigating, fertilizing, harvesting and ginning. While cotton is a natural fiber (纤维) and not as harmful to the environment as manmade fibers, it still takes a toll in the material and production stages. Commercial cotton farming uses a large amount of water, and the use of pesticides (杀虫剂) is widespread across the globe, especially in cotton farming. Studies have shown that farmers spend around $4.1 billion on pesticides annually, of which 25% was spent on cotton crops in the US.

    Once the cotton is grown and harvested, so begins the production stage: spinning, knitting, bleaching, dyeing, cutting, sewing, etc.——these processes also use a great deal of water and energy. Commercial dyes and bleaches are harmful pollutants and can eventually pollute groundwater.

    After the T-shirt is produced, it enters the transportation stage. This often involves overseas shipping. Take a look in your closet. Chances are that most of your cotton garments (衣服) are made in China or India. Garments can be shipped via plane, ship or truck…, all of which spill CO₂ into the atmosphere. Calculations show that CO₂ emissions from light trucks alone amount to 1.15 pounds per mile.

    Once the T-shirt reaches the retail market, it is purchased. This stage may seem like the leastenvironmentally damaging part. But consider the number of times you've washed and dried your favorite T-shirt. Washing machines are certainly becoming more efficient. However, the average American household does 400 loads of laundry per year, using about 40 gallons of water per load. Such excessive water use is combined with the large amount of energy used by dryers.

    The final stage of life is disposal. This releases harmful emissions, or involves a landfill where cotton takes years to break down. Current US records show that an estimated 15% of clothes and shoes are recycled, which means that consumers send a shocking 85% of these materials to landfills.

    We all need new clothes every once in a while, but let's all try to keep in mind what goes into the production of clothing... It has a real impact on the planet.

    There are a lot of things you can do to help reduce your impact. Reuse and recycle clothes. If they're too worn out to wear, cut them up and use them as cleaning rags. Donate them to charity or another organization that recycles textiles. When possible, make an effort to buy organic cotton. Turn down the thermostat on your washer, and line dry your clothes when the weather will allow it.

    Leaving Hanoi on a fiercely hot summer day,after an hour by air,Luang Prabang gradually appears below our airplane wings.From a few hundred meters above,my first impression of this UNESCO-listed heritage（遗产）is an area of green land and mountains,surrounded by snaking rivers.

    Encircled by mountains,the former royal capital of Luang Prabang is more than just the country's picture-perfect showpiece.

    Travelers will be attracted to Luang Prabang by the city's timeless peacefulness with its shiny Buddhist temples, French colonial architecture and friendly people.

    Tourists visiting Luang Prabang shouldn't miss the chance to see one of the most sacred（神圣的）Lao traditions, tak bat,or the Buddhist almsgiving ritual（仪式）,which dates back to the 14th century.

    As the sun rises in Luang Prabang,hundreds of Buddhist monks depart from their temples to gather their daily offerings,which most commonly are rice,fresh fruit and traditional sweet snacks.The daily alms gathering begins on the main street before spreading to all the side streets.

    Our group of six got out of our comfy beds at 5 am to join other local residents and tourists to offer alms to the monks.We kneeled by the roadside in front of the 3 Nagas Hotel on the main street with big baskets of steamed sticky rice,waiting quietly until monks of all ages passed by to accept our gifts.

    The daily ritual gives you a wonderful opportunity to experience an ancient Lao tradition.However,there are some strict rules if you wish to join the event.

    Firstly,shoulders,chests and legs must be covered in modest clothing as a mark of respect.You should also remain a suitable distance from the monks.Photographs may be taken,but from a distance and never use a camera flash.The ritual has to be performed in silence.Talking to or touching the monks at any time,even when making an offering,is not allowed.

    Another must-do morning activity is to visit the local market,where you can see the generosity that Mother Nature offers this dreamy land.While walking through the morning market,located within a long and narrow hamlet,I was excited to see all kinds of products from the nearby river and jungle: some ill-fated squirrels lying next to fresh bamboo shoots,different kinds of wild mushrooms and vegetables displayed on banana leaves and giant river catfish in baskets.

    Although Luang Prabang is small,there are many things to see here.Active travelers can get up close and personal with Laos' gentle giants at the elephant conservation camp or take in some scenes of riverside life with a cruise or kayak excursion on the rivers.Two waterfalls that are perfect for picnicking in the foothills nearby,and classes are available in traditional crafts.

    Three boys were enjoying themselves in their hometown of Bovina, Mississippi .However, their lives were turned upside down when they discovered the jawbone of a Mastodon (齿乳象).

    Brothers Shawn and Caid Sellers and cousin Michael Mahalitc found the prehistoric bone in a piece of earth that was recently plowed (犁、耕)."I thought it was a log," Caid said. "I tried to pick it up and it was really heavy and I saw teeth on it." The bone weighed about 50 pounds. They eventually got the bone to their home and fitted it in their tub (浴盆), but it took their collective strength, might and a golf cart, to carry the large Mastodon bone.

    "They didn't expect to find that," Michael's mom said. "Now that they have, I believe that they will be more aware of their surroundings and what they're digging up when they are digging and playing."

    "We've gotten a lot of petrified (石化的) wood and Civil War relics from the area and that's what I thought it was," the brothers' mother said. "This is our first set of teeth we've found. So we thought it was their imagination. We were quite surprised to see that it was not their imagination."

    They were exploring near the brothers' home. Lo and behold (真想不到), they saw what they thought resembled a fossil. It was the curator of paleontology (古生物负责人) of the Mississippi Museum of Natural Science, George Phillips, who first identified the bone as a "very mature individual."

    The Mastodon was a mammal who lived during the prehistoric times. They had long tusks and trunks, like elephants. They were clearly different from their modern-day counterparts, as well as woolly mammoths (猛犸).

    One day after school, I went to the teacher's office to see my teacher, but nobody was there. As I was about to leave, I noticed a piece of paper on the floor. I picked it up and saw the words "FINAL-TERM EXAMINATION" at the top. I put the paper into my school bag secretly and ran out of the room.

    After I came back home, I took out the paper quickly. It was the exam paper of my worst subject, History. I felt excited. My heart beat fast. I took out my History book and started working on the answer. I had never answered any questions so seriously.

On the day of the History exam, I went into the exam hall confidently. When the paper was sent to me, I dreamt of getting the highest mark in the whole grade and could not help smiling. "My History teacher always encouraged me to work hard and get better grades, but I let him down time and time again. This time I will give him a big surprise," I thought.

    When the teacher said we could start, I turned the paper over. To my great surprise, all the questions were different. Later I felt nervous. In the end, I almost left the paper undone. After the exam. I ran to the toilet, took out the paper and carefully read it from the top. Oh! It was last year's exam paper. I read all the questions but I hadn't read the date.

    This is a lesson in which I know I have to put my feet on the ground. I regretted doing such a silly thing. After that, I told my teacher the truth and I promised to be honest. From then on, I worked harder than ever before.

    Few facts about modern life seem more undeniable than how busy everyone seems to be. Across the industrialized world, large numbers of survey respondents tell researchers they're overburdened with work, at the expense of time with family and friends.

    But the total time people are working, whether paid or otherwise, has not increased in Europe or North America in recent decades. What's more, the date also show that the people who say they're the busiest generally aren't.

    Part of the answer is simple economics. As economies grow, and the incomes of the better-off have risen over time, time has literally become more valuable: Any given hour is worth more, so we experience more pressure to squeeze in more work.

But it's also a result of the kind of work in which many of us are engaged. In the past, farming work was subject to weather limits, white at present people live in an "unlimited world," and there are always more incoming emails, more meetings, more things to read, and digital mobile technology means you have a few more to-do list items.

    With time pressure weighing us down, it's hardly surprising that we live with one eye on the clock. But psychological research demonstrates that this time-awareness actually leads to worse performance. So the ironic consequence of the "busy feeling" is that we could handle to-do list less well than if we weren't so rushed.

    Arguable worst of all, the feeling of rush spreads to affect our leisure time, so that even when life finally does permit an hour or two for recovery, we end up feeling that leisure time should be spent "productively," too.

    If there's a solution to the busyness epidemic(流行病), other than the universal 21-hour workweek, it may lie in clearly realizing just how reasonable our attitudes have become. Historically, the ultimate symbol of wealth, achievement and social superiority was the freedom not to work. Now, it's busyness that has become the indicator of high status. "The best-off in our society are often very busy, and have to be," says Gershunny. "You ask me, am I busy, and I tell you: "Yes, of course I'm busy because I'm an important person!"

    Too often, we measure our worth not by the results we achieve, but by how much of our time we spend. We live crazy lives, at least in part, because it makes us feel good about ourselves.

    Attractions in Wisconsin

    Wisconsin Historical Museum

    30 N. Carroll Street on Madison's Capitol Square

    Discover Wisconsin's history and culture on four floors of exhibits. Open for public program. Admission is free.

    Open Tuesday through Saturday, 9:00 am -- 4:00 pm.

    (608) 264-6555 www.wisconsinhistory.org/museum

    Swiss historical village

    612 Seventh Ave., New Glarus

    The Swiss Historical Village offers a delightful look at pioneer life in America's heartland. 14 buildings in the village give a full picture of everyday life in the nineteenth-century Midwest.

    Tue.—Fri., May 1^st —October 31^st , 10:00 am—4:00 pm. Admission is $20.

    (608) 527-2317 www.swisshistoricalvillage.com

    Artisan Gallery & Creamery Café

    6858 Paoli Rd., Paoli, WI

    One of the largest collections of fine arts and crafts (手工艺品) in Wisconsin. Over 5000 sp. ft. of exhibition space in a historic creamery. While visiting, enjoy a wonderfully prepared lunch at our café overlooking the Sugar River. Just minutes from Madison!

    Gallery open Tue. —Sun., 10:00 am—5:00 pm.

    Café open Wed. —Sat., 11:00 am —3:00 pm.

    Sun. brunch with wine, 10:00—3:00 pm.

    (608) 845-6600 www.artisangal.com

    Christopher Columbus Museum

    239 Whitney St., Columbus

    World-class exhibit–2000 quality souvenirs (纪念品) marking Chicago's 1893 World Columbian Exhibition. Tour buses are always welcome.

    Open daily, 8:15 am – 4:00 pm.

    (920) 623-1992 www.columbusantiquemall.com