美国国家公共电台 NPR--A U.N. biodiversity convention aims to slow humanity's 'war with nature'

A U.N. biodiversity convention aims to slow humanity's 'war with nature'

Transcript¹

Delegates from around the world are gathering² in Montreal this week to address what United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres has described as "humanity's senseless and suicidal war with nature."

The U.N. Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), which kicked off Tuesday, comes at a critical time. More than a million species are at risk of extinction³ globally, many within decades, because of human actions. Destruction of forests, wetlands and other natural ecosystems⁴ that clean air and water for the world's now 8 billion human residents continues worldwide. Climate-warming greenhouse gas emissions⁵ continue to rise.

The World Economic Forum⁶ lists biodiversity loss as one of the top three global risks, because the loss of nature doesn't just impact plants and animals.

"If there's no food, there's no clean air to breathe in, there's no water, there are no medicines which are dependent on biodiversity resources, where are we? What are we?" said Elizabeth Maruma Mrema, the executive secretary of the convention. "It means we will perish just as the animals and plants."

Here's what you need to know about the nearly two-week convention:

What is the Convention on Biological Diversity?

Remember the climate conference, COP27, in Egypt last month? The CBD is a lot like that. It's a conference of parties — more than 190 countries in total (though, notably⁷, not the U.S.) — gathered with the intent of slowing the decline in nature.

This is the 15th meeting of the CBD. A critical one that's long-overdue. Previous planned conventions were disrupted by COVID-19, the kind of pandemic that scientists say becomes more likely as we continue to fracture and damage the natural world.

What's so special about this one?

Every ten years, the CBD negotiates something called a Global Biodiversity Framework. It sets goals for member nations over the next decade. In this case, countries will try to agree on a framework that lasts until 2030.

What are the main goals of this convention?

Generally and bluntly speaking, the main goal is to stop the bleeding.

A study published last year suggests just 3% of the world's ecosystems are still ecologically intact — meaning they still support healthy populations of their native species and haven't been tarnished⁸ by human actions.

The assessment⁹, which was bleaker¹⁰ than previous studies, recommends urgent efforts to protect those areas and restore others, "while this is still possible."

A report from the world's leading scientists shows humans have significantly altered 75% of the Earth's land and two-thirds of its oceans.

"Fundamentally, we need to safeguard our life support systems in the face of accelerating nature loss," said Rebecca Shaw, chief scientist at the World Wildlife Fund. "Inaction is absolutely not an option because it will put us only at greater risks of pandemics, which none of us want, it undermines our efforts on securing our climate, and it makes our food production systems much more vulnerable."

Ok, but what specifically are they looking at?

The draft framework for the convention lists more than 20 goals (you can read it here).

The flashiest item on the list is a pledge by member countries to protect 30% of their land and water by the year 2030, a concept known as 30 by 30. The Biden administration has pledged to do that in the U.S., as have scores of other countries.

Big questions remain though about what, specifically, will count as conserved¹¹ or protected land. And there are concerns from indigenous¹² groups that the concept could be used as a pretense¹³ to displace indigenous people from their lands, similar to how the U.S. national park system was used to displace Native Americans.

"There is a lot of evidence that shows traditional lands and territories managed by indigenous peoples are the most important areas when it comes to biodiversity," said Viviana Figueroa, a legal expert at the International Indigenous Forum on Biodiversity, who's part of the negotiations¹⁴ in Montreal. "So it would be a high interest to take our land. This is something we don't want."

Wait... why isn't the U.S. part of the Convention on Biological Diversity?

The U.S. is one of just four U.N. members that hasn't signed on to the CBD. The reason is politics.

The CBD was ratified¹⁵ in 1993, with input¹⁶ from the U.S. The Clinton administration wanted to sign the treaty but was blocked by a Republican majority in the Senate.

Conservation groups have called on the Biden administration to join the CBD. It rejoined the Paris climate agreement after the U.S. left under former president Donald Trump¹⁷.

The Biden administration has not made an effort to sign on to the treaty but is expected to have a behind-the-scenes role in the negotiations. It has made biodiversity a priority, appointing a first-ever special envoy¹⁸ for biodiversity and water resources, launching its America the Beautiful initiative, aimed at conserving¹⁹ and restoring natural ecosystems, and has started work on making nature a part of the country's economic calculus²⁰.

What are the expected tension points?

As we saw at last month's climate conference in Egypt, these conventions often end without interested parties getting everything they want. Delegates expect there to be hard negotiations over the wording and substance of all the proposed goals.

Similar to the climate conference, the biggest tension point is likely to revolve²¹ around the issue of financing. Conserving nature may be crucial to sustaining the global economy in the long-term, but it also costs money up front.

Smaller, developing nations, which are disproportionately suffering the effects of climate change and biodiversity loss, want to see stronger financial commitments from richer, developed countries, which have economically benefited from polluting the world's environment.

Richer countries have a long history of promising²² to help finance climate and biodiversity projects but haven't always followed through. Progress was made with the establishment of a fund for "loss and damage" — the climate impacts smaller countries are feeling right now — at the recent climate conference but questions remain about who will put money into it and when.

The first draft of the biodiversity framework identified a $700 billion annual financing gap to reverse nature's decline. Questions will undoubtedly²³ come up over who should help pay to resolve that.

Will an agreement actually slow nature loss?

That is the many dollar question. And there's reason for skepticism. The previous ten-year framework set by the CBD in 2010 established 20 conservation and nature-related targets for the year 2020. None of them were achieved.

More than 10,000 people are attending this year's CBD, including NGOs and businesses.

Shaw said the broad interest from the public and private sector²⁴ is a hopeful indication that the biodiversity crisis is finally gaining broad international recognition.

"We have seen a ratcheting up in commitment and focus on climate change in the last 20 years," Shaw said. "And it's because the impacts have become unbearable²⁵ globally. Like you can't ignore it anymore. We're there on the nature side."

Now, she said, it's time to act.

1 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

2 gathering   

n.集会，聚会，聚集

参考例句：

• He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
• He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。

3 extinction   

n.熄灭，消亡，消灭，灭绝，绝种

参考例句：

• The plant is now in danger of extinction.这种植物现在有绝种的危险。
• The island's way of life is doomed to extinction.这个岛上的生活方式注定要消失。

4 ecosystems   

n.生态系统( ecosystem的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• There are highly sensitive and delicately balanced ecosystems in the forest. 森林里有高度敏感、灵敏平衡的各种生态系统。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Madagascar's ecosystems range from rainforest to semi-desert. 马达加斯加生态系统类型多样，从雨林到半荒漠等不一而足。 来自辞典例句

5 emissions   

排放物( emission的名词复数 )； 散发物（尤指气体）

参考例句：

• Most scientists accept that climate change is linked to carbon emissions. 大多数科学家都相信气候变化与排放的含碳气体有关。
• Dangerous emissions radiate from plutonium. 危险的辐射物从钚放散出来。

6 forum   

n.论坛，讨论会

参考例句：

• They're holding a forum on new ways of teaching history.他们正在举行历史教学讨论会。
• The organisation would provide a forum where problems could be discussed.这个组织将提供一个可以讨论问题的平台。

7 notably   

adv.值得注意地，显著地，尤其地，特别地

参考例句：

• Many students were absent,notably the monitor.许多学生缺席，特别是连班长也没来。
• A notably short,silver-haired man,he plays basketball with his staff several times a week.他个子明显较为矮小，一头银发，每周都会和他的员工一起打几次篮球。

8 tarnished   

（通常指金属）（使）失去光泽，（使）变灰暗( tarnish的过去式和过去分词 )； 玷污，败坏

参考例句：

• The mirrors had tarnished with age. 这些镜子因年深日久而照影不清楚。
• His bad behaviour has tarnished the good name of the school. 他行为不轨，败坏了学校的声誉。

9 assessment   

n.评价；评估；对财产的估价，被估定的金额

参考例句：

• This is a very perceptive assessment of the situation.这是一个对该情况的极富洞察力的评价。
• What is your assessment of the situation?你对时局的看法如何？

10 bleaker   

阴冷的( bleak的比较级 )； （状况）无望的； 没有希望的； 光秃的

参考例句：

• Horoscopes are merely harmless escapism from an ever-bleaker world. 占星术只不过是让人逃避越发令人沮丧的世界的无害消遣罢了。
• On the ground the mood is bleaker. 具体形势更加严峻。

11 conserved   

v.保护，保藏，保存( conserve的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He conserved his energy for the game. 他为比赛而养精蓄锐。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Under these conditions, the total mechanical energy remains constant, or is conserved. 在这种条件下，总机械能保持不变或机械能保存。 来自辞典例句

12 indigenous   

adj.土产的，土生土长的，本地的

参考例句：

• Each country has its own indigenous cultural tradition.每个国家都有自己本土的文化传统。
• Indians were the indigenous inhabitants of America.印第安人是美洲的土著居民。

13 pretense   

n.矫饰，做作，借口

参考例句：

• You can't keep up the pretense any longer.你无法继续伪装下去了。
• Pretense invariably impresses only the pretender.弄虚作假欺骗不了真正的行家。

14 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。

15 ratified   

v.批准，签认（合约等）( ratify的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The treaty was declared invalid because it had not been ratified. 条约没有得到批准，因此被宣布无效。
• The treaty was ratified by all the member states. 这个条约得到了所有成员国的批准。

16 input   

n.输入(物)；投入；vt.把(数据等)输入计算机

参考例句：

• I will forever be grateful for his considerable input.我将永远感激他的大量投入。
• All this information had to be input onto the computer.所有这些信息都必须输入计算机。

17 trump   

n.王牌，法宝；v.打出王牌，吹喇叭

参考例句：

• He was never able to trump up the courage to have a showdown.他始终鼓不起勇气摊牌。
• The coach saved his star player for a trump card.教练保留他的明星选手，作为他的王牌。

18 envoy   

n.使节，使者，代表，公使

参考例句：

• Their envoy showed no sign of responding to our proposals.他们的代表对我方的提议毫无回应的迹象。
• The government has not yet appointed an envoy to the area.政府尚未向这一地区派过外交官。

19 conserving   

v.保护，保藏，保存( conserve的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Contour planning with or without terracing is effective in conserving both soil and moisture. 顺等高线栽植，无论做或不做梯田对于保持水土都能有效。 来自辞典例句
• Economic savings, consistent with a conserving society and the public philosophy. 经济节约，符合创建节约型社会的公共理念。 来自互联网

20 calculus   

n.微积分；结石

参考例句：

• This is a problem where calculus won't help at all.对于这一题，微积分一点也用不上。
• After studying differential calculus you will be able to solve these mathematical problems.学了微积分之后，你们就能够解这些数学题了。

21 revolve   

vi.(使)旋转；循环出现

参考例句：

• The planets revolve around the sun.行星绕着太阳运转。
• The wheels began to revolve slowly.车轮开始慢慢转动。

22 promising   

adj.有希望的，有前途的

参考例句：

• The results of the experiments are very promising.实验的结果充满了希望。
• We're trying to bring along one or two promising young swimmers.我们正设法培养出一两名有前途的年轻游泳选手。

23 undoubtedly   

adv.确实地，无疑地

参考例句：

• It is undoubtedly she who has said that.这话明明是她说的。
• He is undoubtedly the pride of China.毫无疑问他是中国的骄傲。

24 sector   

n.部门，部分；防御地段，防区；扇形

参考例句：

• The export sector will aid the economic recovery. 出口产业将促进经济复苏。
• The enemy have attacked the British sector.敌人已进攻英国防区。

25 unbearable   

adj.不能容忍的；忍受不住的

参考例句：

• It is unbearable to be always on thorns.老是处于焦虑不安的情况中是受不了的。
• The more he thought of it the more unbearable it became.他越想越觉得无法忍受。