新奇事件簿 缓解全球变暖新方法？（在线收听）

Scientists have come up with a revolutionary new idea to save planet Earth from global warming. Geo-engineers from Harvard University believe that spraying "sun-dimming" chemicals into the stratosphere high above the Earth could slow down global warming. They also say their technique would be "remarkably inexpensive," costing in the region of $2.25 billion a year over a 15-year period. The technique is known as stratospheric aerosol injection (SAI). It is still in its infancy and is yet to be proven. It would involve the use of gigantic hoses or high-powered chemical cannons to spray chemicals into the stratosphere to act as a reflective barrier against sunlight and harmful UV rays.

科学家们提出了一个革命性的新想法以拯救地球于全球变暖的危险之中。来自哈佛大学的地质工程师认为向地球的平流层喷洒“太阳暗化”化学物质可以放慢全球变暖速度。他们还表示他们的技术“价格低廉”，成本约22.5亿美元一年，周期为15年。这项技术被称为平流层气溶胶注入（SAI）。该技术还处于初期阶段，仍有待验证。该技术需要用到巨型水管或是一种高性能的化学加农炮向平流层喷洒化学物质以起到反射屏障的作用阻隔阳光和有害的紫外线。

The scientists have admitted that their idea is currently still in the planning stages. They said: "We make no judgment about the desirability of SAI. We simply show that a hypothetical deployment program commencing 15 years hence, while both highly uncertain and ambitious, would indeed be technically possible from an engineering perspective." Not all scientists think the idea is a good one. Some think it is somewhat pie in the sky. They say it would require a fleet of 100 specially-designed planes to make 4,000 missions a year, crossing most of the globe's airspace. This would require permission from over 100 governments. There are also concerns it could increase droughts and extreme weather.

科学家们承认他们的想法目前仍在计划阶段。他们表示：“我们没有对SAI项目的期许做任何判断。虽然这个项目可行性不高且雄心勃勃，但我们只是展示，从工程角度来看，自现在起往后15年，这个假设性部署项目在技术上是有可能的。”并非所有科学家都认为这是个好想法。一些科学家认为其希望渺茫。他们表示该项目需要100架专门设计的飞机，一年执行4000次任务，横跨地球大部分空域。这将需要100多个国家许可。他们还担心这样会增加干旱和极端天气。