VOA慢速英语--联合国报告称未来20年非洲冰川将消失

UN Report: Africa’s Glaciers² to Disappear in Next 20 Years

A new United Nations climate report predicts Africa's rare glaciers will disappear in the next 20 years.

The report, called State of the Climate in Africa, was released Tuesday by the U.N.'s World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and other agencies. It warns that climate change will be the cause of the disappearing glaciers in eastern Africa.

The report warns that the shrinking glaciers at Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, Kenya's Mount Kenya and the Rwenzori Mountains in Uganda are signs of widespread climate change to come. If the current shrinking rate continues, "it will lead to total deglaciation by the 2040s," the report says.

The report notes that last year was Africa's third warmest on record. Data shows temperatures on the continent were 0.86 degrees Celsius³ higher than the average in the 30 years leading up to 2010.

The WMO warns that Africa's 1.3 billion people remain "extremely vulnerable" as the continent keeps getting warmer at a faster rate.

Petteri Taalas is Secretary-General of the WMO. He said in the report the shrinking of the last remaining glaciers in Africa "signals the threat of irreversible change to the Earth system."

Massive displacement⁴, hunger and increasing climate events such as droughts and flooding are likely to continue, Taalas said. He added that the lack of climate data in parts of Africa "is having a major impact" on disaster warnings for millions of people.

Taalas said there is a great need for investments in Africa to develop systems and technology to help the continent deal with the effects of climate change. The money could be used to improve early warning systems and build equipment to better observe weather and water movements.

The report was released ahead of a major U.N. climate conference set to begin October 31 in Glasgow, Scotland.

It also came as African countries are demanding a new system to follow financing from wealthy nations that are failing to meet a $100 billion yearly target to help the developing world fight climate change.

The demand shows the tensions that exist over climate change policies between the world's 20 largest economies and developing nations. The world's wealthiest nations produce about 75 percent of all carbon emissions⁶. But Africa's 54 countries are responsible for less than 4 percent of the emissions.

Estimates of the economic effects of climate change differ across the African continent. But the report suggests that in sub-Saharan Africa, "climate change could further lower gross domestic product (GDP) by up to 3 percent by 2050."

Josefa Sacko of the African Union Commission writes in the report: "Not only are physical conditions getting worse, but also the number of people being affected⁷ is increasing."

Sacko added that by 2030, up to 118 million people living on less than $1.90 a day "will be exposed to drought, floods and extreme heat in Africa" if preventive measures are not put in place.

Words in This Story

glacier¹ – n. a large mass of ice that moves very slowly, usually down a hill of valley

vulnerable – adj. easily hurt or harmed physically⁸, mentally, or emotionally

irreversible – adj. not being able to change something to the way it was before

drought – n. a long period of time during which there is very little or no rain

impact – n. the effect a person, even or situation has on someone or something

emission⁵ – n. the act of producing or sending out something (such as energy or gas) from a source

gross domestic product (GDP) – n. the total value of goods and services a country produces in a year

1 glacier   

n.冰川，冰河

参考例句：

• The glacier calved a large iceberg.冰河崩解而形成一个大冰山。
• The upper surface of glacier is riven by crevasses.冰川的上表面已裂成冰隙。

2 glaciers   

冰河，冰川( glacier的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Glaciers gouged out valleys from the hills. 冰川把丘陵地带冲出一条条山谷。
• It has ice and snow glaciers, rainforests and beautiful mountains. 既有冰川，又有雨林和秀丽的山峰。 来自英语晨读30分（高一）

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 displacement   

n.移置，取代，位移，排水量

参考例句：

• They said that time is the feeling of spatial displacement.他们说时间是空间位移的感觉。
• The displacement of all my energy into caring for the baby.我所有精力都放在了照顾宝宝上。

5 emission   

n.发出物，散发物；发出，散发

参考例句：

• Rigorous measures will be taken to reduce the total pollutant emission.采取严格有力措施，降低污染物排放总量。
• Finally,the way to effectively control particulate emission is pointed out.最后，指出有效降低颗粒排放的方向。

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 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

8 physically   

adj.物质上，体格上，身体上，按自然规律

参考例句：

• He was out of sorts physically,as well as disordered mentally.他浑身不舒服，心绪也很乱。
• Every time I think about it I feel physically sick.一想起那件事我就感到极恶心。