时代周刊:散落在太平洋深处的黑矿石--解锁气候密码(2)

The debate over the ethics¹ of mining the earth’s last untouched frontier is growing in both intensity² and consequence.

关于在地球上最后一块未开发的边远之地开矿是否合乎伦理的争论，无论是激烈程度还是后果都在加剧。

It pits biologist against geologist³, conservationist against environmentalist, and manufacturer against supplier in a world grappling with a paradox—one that will define our path to a future free of fossil fuels:

它让生物学家与地质学家、保护主义者与环境主义者、制造商与供应商反目成仇，并陷入了一个悖论——这个悖论将决定我们走向摆脱化石燃料的未来的道路:

sustainable energy that will run cleaner but also require metals and resources whose extraction will both contribute to global warming and impact biodiversity.

可持续能源的运行会更清洁，但同时也需要金属和资源，这些金属和资源的开采将加剧全球变暖并影响生物多样性。

So as nations commit to lower greenhouse-gas emissions⁴, the conflict is no longer between fossil-fuel firms and clean-energy proponents⁵, but rather over what ecosystems⁶ we are willing to sacrifice in the process.

因此，随着各国承诺降低温室气体排放，冲突不再是化石燃料公司和清洁能源支持者之间的冲突，而是在这个过程中我们愿意牺牲生态系统的哪一部分。

History is littered with stories of well-intended environmental interventions⁷ that have gone catastrophically wrong;

历史上这样的例子屡见不鲜：本意良好的环境干预，却酿成了灾难性的错误；

for example, South American cane⁸ toads⁹ introduced into Australia in the 1930s first failed to control beetles¹⁰ attacking sugarcane, then spread unchecked across the continent, poisoning wildlife and pets.

例如，20世纪30年代引入澳大利亚的南美蔗蟾蜍，首先它并未能控制住甲虫攻击甘蔗，其次这种生物还在整个大陆肆无忌惮地传播，毒害野生动物和宠物。

Nevertheless, a radical¹¹ embrace of electric vehicles will be necessary to limit global warming to less than 1.5°C above preindustrial levels, the goal of the Paris Agreement.

然而，要想将全球变暖控制在比工业化前高出1.5摄氏度的范围以内(这是《巴黎协定》的目标)，就必须全面转向电动汽车。

But according to a May 2021 report by the International Energy Agency (IEA)—the Paris-based intergovernmental organization that helps shape global energy policies—the world isn’t mining enough of the minerals needed to make the batteries that will power that clean-energy future.

但根据国际能源署(IEA) 2021年5月的一份报告，世界没有开采足够的矿物质来生产为清洁能源未来提供动力的电池。IEA总部位于巴黎，是帮助制定全球能源政策的政府间组织。

Demand for the metals in electric vehicles alone could grow by more than 30 times from 2020 to 2040, say the report’s authors.

该报告的作者表示，从2020年到2040年，仅电动汽车对金属的需求就可能增长30倍以上。

“If supply chains can’t meet skyrocketing demand, mineral shortages could mean clean-energy shortages,” the report argues.

报告指出:“如果供应链无法满足飞涨的需求，那么矿产短缺可能意味着清洁能源的短缺。”

Fears of such shortages have countries and companies racing¹² to secure the supplies needed for the coming energy transition.

对这种短缺的担忧，促使各国和企业竞相确保即将到来的能源转型所需的矿产供应。

By most assessments¹³, existing mines on land could supply the needed minerals.

根据大多数评估，土地上的现有矿山能提供足够的所需矿物。

But after decades of exploitation, the quality of the ore is going down while the energy required to quarry¹⁴ and refine it is going up.

但经过几十年的开采，矿石的质量正在下降，而采掘和提炼所需的能源却在上升。

Meanwhile, the efforts to extract cobalt, which is mined almost exclusively in the Democratic Republic of Congo, are dogged by persistent¹⁵ accounts of human-rights and environmental abuses.

与此同时，钴矿的开采几乎只在刚果民主共和国境内进行，但钴矿开采一直受到侵犯人权和环境困扰的争议。

According to deep-ocean-mining proponents, the seabed nodules could provide most of the minerals the world needs, with minimal¹⁶ impact.

深海采矿的支持者认为，海底结核可以提供世界所需的大部分矿物，而且影响很小。

1 ethics   

n.伦理学；伦理观，道德标准

参考例句：

• The ethics of his profession don't permit him to do that.他的职业道德不允许他那样做。
• Personal ethics and professional ethics sometimes conflict.个人道德和职业道德有时会相互抵触。

2 intensity   

n.强烈，剧烈；强度；烈度

参考例句：

• I didn't realize the intensity of people's feelings on this issue.我没有意识到这一问题能引起群情激奋。
• The strike is growing in intensity.罢工日益加剧。

3 geologist   

n.地质学家

参考例句：

• The geologist found many uncovered fossils in the valley.在那山谷里，地质学家发现了许多裸露的化石。
• He was a geologist,rated by his cronies as the best in the business.他是一位地质学家，被他的老朋友们看做是这门行当中最好的一位。

4 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。

5 proponents   

n.（某事业、理论等的）支持者，拥护者( proponent的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Reviewing courts were among the most active proponents of hybrid rulemaking procedures. 复审法院是最积极的混合型规则制定程序的建议者。 来自英汉非文学 - 行政法
• Proponents of such opinions were arrested as 'traitors. ' 提倡这种主张的人马上作为“卖国贼”逮捕起来。 来自辞典例句

6 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

7 interventions   

n.介入，干涉，干预( intervention的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Economic analysis of government interventions deserves detailed discussion. 政府对经济的干预应该给予充分的论述。 来自辞典例句
• The judge's frequent interventions made a mockery of justice. 法官的屡屡干预是对正义的践踏。 来自互联网

8 cane   

n.手杖，细长的茎，藤条；v.以杖击，以藤编制的

参考例句：

• This sugar cane is quite a sweet and juicy.这甘蔗既甜又多汁。
• English schoolmasters used to cane the boys as a punishment.英国小学老师过去常用教鞭打男学生作为惩罚。

9 toads   

n.蟾蜍，癞蛤蟆( toad的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• All toads blink when they swallow. 所有的癞蛤蟆吞食东西时都会眨眼皮。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Toads have shorter legs and are generally more clumsy than frogs. 蟾蜍比青蛙脚短，一般说来没有青蛙灵活。 来自辞典例句

10 beetles   

n.甲虫( beetle的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Beetles bury pellets of dung and lay their eggs within them. 甲壳虫把粪粒埋起来，然后在里面产卵。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• This kind of beetles have hard shell. 这类甲虫有坚硬的外壳。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

11 radical   

n.激进份子，原子团，根号；adj.根本的，激进的，彻底的

参考例句：

• The patient got a radical cure in the hospital.病人在医院得到了根治。
• She is radical in her demands.她的要求十分偏激。

12 racing   

n.竞赛，赛马；adj.竞赛用的，赛马用的

参考例句：

• I was watching the racing on television last night.昨晚我在电视上看赛马。
• The two racing drivers fenced for a chance to gain the lead.两个赛车手伺机竞相领先。

13 assessments   

n.评估( assessment的名词复数 )；评价；（应偿付金额的）估定；（为征税对财产所作的）估价

参考例句：

• He was shrewd in his personal assessments. 他总能对人作出精明的评价。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Surveys show about two-thirds use such assessments, while half employ personality tests. 调查表明，约有三分之二的公司采用了这种测评；而一半的公司则采用工作人员个人品质测试。 来自百科语句

14 quarry   

n.采石场；v.采石；费力地找

参考例句：

• Michelangelo obtained his marble from a quarry.米开朗基罗从采石场获得他的大理石。
• This mountain was the site for a quarry.这座山曾经有一个采石场。

15 persistent   

adj.坚持不懈的，执意的；持续的

参考例句：

• Albert had a persistent headache that lasted for three days.艾伯特连续头痛了三天。
• She felt embarrassed by his persistent attentions.他不时地向她大献殷勤，使她很难为情。

16 minimal   

adj.尽可能少的，最小的

参考例句：

• They referred to this kind of art as minimal art.他们把这种艺术叫微型艺术。
• I stayed with friends, so my expenses were minimal.我住在朋友家，所以我的花费很小。