印度尼西亚准备应对新的火灾季

AS IT IS 2016-08-12 Indonesia Prepares for Another Dangerous Fire Season 印度尼西亚准备应对新的火灾季

Last year, some of the biggest fires in recent history burned through parts of Indonesia.

The fires sent huge clouds of smoke across Indonesia and its neighbors. They also produced large amounts of carbon dioxide. Studies have linked increasing carbon dioxide levels to rising temperatures in Earth’s atmosphere.

For years, Indonesian farmers and businesses have cleared land for agriculture by setting fire to fields and undeveloped areas. This year’s fire season is to begin soon. But measures to limit the burning are now in place.

One of Indonesia’s top exports and most popular agricultural products is palm oil. It is used in snack foods and cosmetics¹.

Palm trees grow mainly in what was once peatland – wet areas where dead organic material is plentiful². Peatland was dried for agriculture in the quickest way possible – illegal draining and burning of the land.

This kind of farming was responsible for some of the worst fires in history. The fires created clouds so large they spread into neighboring countries. Such fires can release more carbon dioxide than the amount produced in the entire United States.

Woro Supartinah directs The Network for Riau Forest Rescue, a non-governmental organization on the island of Sumatra. Her group studies forest fires and their destruction through satellite information and reports by members.

“Dried peatland has become the gasoline for any triggers³ for the fires…Riau province has lost around five million hectares of natural forest. Now, currently⁴ we only have 1.6 million (Hectares) of natural forest from seven million that we had in the late (19)80s."

This year, scientists are blaming the weather event called El Nino for reduced rainfall and drier than normal conditions across Indonesia. But for the first time, policing efforts have stopped the fires on large farms, known as plantations⁶.

Edwar Sanger is the head of the National Disaster Management Authority in Riau. He said his government agency is prepared to control the burning.

“…We have already made a commitment that what had happened in the past years will not happen again."

Communities across Indonesia have developed different ways to prevent and fight fires. Some are blocking waterways once used to drain water from the land. This helps to reduce the risk of fire.

Other communities have their own fire departments or firefighters. And some farmers have stopped growing palm trees and, instead, are planting different crops.

With the dangerous fire season soon to begin, these efforts and others will be put to the test.

Words in This Story

cosmetics – n. a beauty product; a substance (such as a cream, lotion⁷, or powder) that you put on your face or body to improve your appearance

drain - v. to remove (liquid) from something by letting it flow away or out?

carbon dioxide – n. a gas that is produced when people and animals breathe out or when certain fuels are burned and that is used by plants for energy

gasoline - n. a liquid made from petroleum⁸ and used especially as a fuel for engines?

plantation⁵ – n. a large area of land especially in a hot part of the world where crops (such as cotton) are grown

1 cosmetics   

n.化妆品

参考例句：

• We sell a wide range of cosmetics at a very reasonable price. 我们以公道的价格出售各种化妆品。
• Cosmetics do not always cover up the deficiencies of nature. 化妆品未能掩饰天生的缺陷。

2 plentiful   

adj.富裕的，丰富的

参考例句：

• Their family has a plentiful harvest this year.他们家今年又丰收了。
• Rainfall is plentiful in the area.这个地区雨量充足。

3 triggers   

（枪）扳机( trigger的名词复数 )； 引爆器； 扳柄； [电子学]起动线路

参考例句：

• The rapid movement of an object towards the eye triggers the blink reflex. 快速朝眼前移动物体，就会引起眨眼反应。
• Some people say that violent movies are potential triggers for juvenile delinquency. 一些人说暴力影片可能引起青少年犯罪。

4 currently   

adv.通常地，普遍地，当前

参考例句：

• Currently it is not possible to reconcile this conflicting evidence.当前还未有可能去解释这一矛盾的例证。
• Our contracts are currently under review.我们的合同正在复查。

5 plantation   

n.种植园，大农场

参考例句：

• His father-in-law is a plantation manager.他岳父是个种植园经营者。
• The plantation owner has possessed himself of a vast piece of land.这个种植园主把大片土地占为己有。

6 plantations   

n.种植园，大农场( plantation的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Soon great plantations, supported by slave labor, made some families very wealthy. 不久之后出现了依靠奴隶劳动的大庄园，使一些家庭成了富豪。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件
• Winterborne's contract was completed, and the plantations were deserted. 维恩特波恩的合同完成后，那片林地变得荒废了。 来自辞典例句

7 lotion   

n.洗剂

参考例句：

• The lotion should be applied sparingly to the skin.这种洗液应均匀地涂在皮肤上。
• She lubricates her hands with a lotion.她用一种洗剂来滑润她的手。

8 petroleum   

n.原油，石油

参考例句：

• The Government of Iran advanced the price of petroleum last week.上星期伊朗政府提高了石油价格。
• The purpose of oil refinery is to refine crude petroleum.炼油厂的主要工作是提炼原油。