VOA慢速英语2020--联合国呼吁全人类结束“对自然的战争”

UN Calls on Humanity¹ to End ‘War on Nature’

2020 has been an extreme year for hurricanes, wildfires and heat waves around the world. New reports from United Nations agencies list this year's record-breaking weather and the burning of fossil² fuels as causes of continued global warming.

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres recently urged world leaders to make 2021 the year that humanity ends what he calls its "war on nature." He asked them to commit to a future free of planet-warming carbon pollution.

The secretary-general's comments come as the U.N. prepares for a Dec. 12 online climate meeting in France on the 5th anniversary of the 2015 Paris climate agreement. A main goal of that agreement is to keep increases in the Earth's temperature during this century to between 1.5 and 2 degrees Celsius³.

In a speech given at New York's Columbia University, Guterres said, "The state of the planet is broken. Humanity is waging war on nature. This is suicidal."

"Apocalyptic⁴ fires and floods, cyclones⁵ and hurricanes are increasingly the new normal," he added.

In a report, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said this year is set to end about 1.2 degrees Celsius warmer than the last half of the 1800s. Scientists use that time period as a starting point for warming caused by heat-trapping gases from the burning of coal, oil and natural gas. Most trapped heat goes into the world's seas. Ocean temperatures are now at record levels. It also means 2020 will be one of the three hottest years on record.

Climate Action Tracker scientists observe carbon pollution and the countries that promise to reduce it. A new study from the scientists says public promises to reduce emissions⁶ would limit warming to about 2.6 degrees Celsius. Warming could possibly be as low as 2.1 degrees Celsius.

Guterres saw hope that more than 100 countries have promised that by 2050 they will not be adding more heat-trapping gases to the atmosphere than trees and technology can remove. China and U.S. President-elect Joe Biden have promised net zero carbon emissions.

But Guterres said the two U.N. reports "spell out how close we are to climate catastrophe⁷."

Nations should stop providing financial support for fossil fuels, he said. And countries need to fulfill⁸ their Paris promise to spend $100 billion yearly to help poorer countries develop cleaner energy.

One of the new reports found countries would need to cut production of oil, coal and natural gas by 6 percent each year by 2030 to keep global temperatures from rising more than 1.5 degrees Celsius. But a review of eight major fossil-fuel producing nations showed they plan to increase production by 2 percent yearly. That means twice the amount of carbon-based fuel would come onto the market than would be able to keep the Paris goal within reach.

Governments in the Group of 20 major and developing economies have so far committed more money to support fossil fuel production than to aid the use of renewable energy, the report found.

Ivetta Gerasimchuk of the International Institute for Sustainable Development said investing in oil, coal and gas no longer makes economic sense because renewable energy is becoming less costly⁹ than fossil fuels. But, she said, "We see that instead of governments letting these fossil fuel projects die they resurrect them from the dead."

The WMO's report found global warming is worsening in all seven important climate areas. But it said the problem is also increasing human suffering in an already bad year.

"In 2020, over 50 million people have been doubly hit: by climate-related disasters (floods, droughts and storms) and the COVID-19 pandemic," the report said.

Here are some of the extreme weather events this year the report noted¹⁰:

-- A record 30 Atlantic named tropical storms and hurricanes.

-- Death Valley, California, hit 54.4 degrees Celsius, the hottest the world has seen in 80 years.

-- Record wildfires struck California and Colorado in the western United States, following a major fire season and record heat in Australia.

-- The Arctic¹¹ had record wildfires and a prolonged¹² heat wave culminating in a mark of 38 degrees Celsius in Siberia in June.

-- Record low Arctic sea ice was reported for April and August and the yearly minimum, in September, was the second lowest on record.

-- And more than 2,000 people died in record summer rains and flooding in Pakistan and surrounding nations.

Words in This Story

apocalyptic – adj. of, relating to, or involving terrible violence and destruction; of or relating to the end of the world

catastrophe – n. a terrible disaster

commit – v. to say that someone or something will definitely do something; to make someone or something obligated to do something

emissions – n. the act of producing or sending out something such as energy or gas from a source; something sent out or given off

fossil fuels – n. fuels such as coal, oil, or natural gas formed in the earth from dead plants or animals

prolonged – adj. lasting¹³ longer than usual or expected : continuing for a long time

resurrect – v. to raise from the dead

1 humanity   

n.人类，[总称]人(性)，人道[pl.]人文学科

参考例句：

• Such an act is a disgrace to humanity.这种行为是人类的耻辱。
• We should treat animals with humanity.我们应该以仁慈之心对待动物。

2 fossil   

n.化石，食古不化的人，老顽固

参考例句：

• At this distance of time it is difficult to date the fossil.时间隔得这么久了，很难确定这化石的年代。
• The man is a fossil.那人是个老顽固。

3 Celsius   

adj.摄氏温度计的，摄氏的

参考例句：

• The temperature tonight will fall to seven degrees Celsius.今晚气温将下降到七摄氏度。
• The maximum temperature in July may be 36 degrees Celsius.七月份最高温度可能达到36摄氏度。

4 apocalyptic   

adj.预示灾祸的，启示的

参考例句：

• The air is chill and stagnant,the language apocalyptic.空气寒冷而污浊，语言则是《启示录》式的。
• Parts of the ocean there look just absolutely apocalyptic.海洋的很多区域看上去完全像是世界末日。

5 cyclones   

n.气旋( cyclone的名词复数 )；旋风；飓风；暴风

参考例句：

• The pricipal objective in designing cyclones is to create a vortex. 设计旋风除尘器的主要目的在于造成涡旋运动。 来自辞典例句
• Middle-latitude cyclones originate at the popar front. 中纬度地区的气旋发源于极锋。 来自辞典例句

6 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。

7 catastrophe   

n.大灾难，大祸

参考例句：

• I owe it to you that I survived the catastrophe.亏得你我才大难不死。
• This is a catastrophe beyond human control.这是一场人类无法控制的灾难。

8 fulfill   

vt.履行，实现，完成；满足，使满意

参考例句：

• If you make a promise you should fulfill it.如果你许诺了，你就要履行你的诺言。
• This company should be able to fulfill our requirements.这家公司应该能够满足我们的要求。

9 costly   

adj.昂贵的，价值高的，豪华的

参考例句：

• It must be very costly to keep up a house like this.维修这么一幢房子一定很昂贵。
• This dictionary is very useful,only it is a bit costly.这本词典很有用，左不过贵了些。

10 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

11 Arctic   

adj.北极的；n.北极

参考例句：

• They flew over the unlimited reaches of the Arctic.他们飞过了茫茫无边的北极上空。
• The sort of animal lived in the Arctic Circle.这种动物生活在北极圈里。

12 prolonged   

a.长时期的；持续很久的

参考例句：

• Prolonged strike action debilitated the industry. 长时间的罢工削弱了这个行业的活力。
• prolonged exposure to harmful radiation 长时间接触有害辐射

13 lasting   

adj.永久的，永恒的；vbl.持续，维持

参考例句：

• The lasting war debased the value of the dollar.持久的战争使美元贬值。
• We hope for a lasting settlement of all these troubles.我们希望这些纠纷能获得永久的解决。