VOA慢速英语--研究称美国应接受逃离气候灾害的人们

Study: US Should Accept People Fleeing Climate Disasters

An international rights group says the United States should accept millions of refugees who will be forced to flee the effects of climate change.

Refugees International is a group that supports displaced people around the world. It released its report Wednesday.

The group says the United States "has a special responsibility to lead on issues of climate change, migration¹ and displacement²."

The Institute of Economics and Peace is a not-for-profit research group based in Australia. It estimates that as many as 1.2 billion people around the world could be displaced by 2050.

Refugees International created a task force in the spring to produce its report. It is made up of former U.S. government and United Nations officials. Leaders of non-governmental groups and climate experts are also involved.

Their report urges that: "From Haiti and Honduras to Bangladesh, Burkina Faso and thousands of communities in both the Global South and Global North, those at risk need policy solutions today."

Kayly Ober is with Refugees International. She said her group "believes that the Biden administration should acknowledge the reality of climate-related migration and offer new forms of protection and support" for the displaced.

The task force is also advising that the U.S. should recognize people displaced by climate change face "what would amount to persecution³" under the 1951 United Nations treaty on refugees.

Biden ordered a study of climate migration problem

In February, U.S. President Joe Biden asked National Security Advisor⁴ Jake Sullivan to examine how to identify and resettle people who will be displaced by climate change.

A top administration official told VOA that the administration is "actively⁵ working on a report on climate change and its impact on migration, including forced migration, internal displacement and planned relocation." The official said that a version of the report would be made public by the fall.

U.S. Senator Edward Markey of Massachusetts, a Democratic Party member, is supporting legislation on that issue. It would offer support for people fleeing climate change events who do not meet the definition of a refugee under international law.

Opposition⁶ to the group's proposals

Some lawmakers and immigration policy groups are likely to oppose any expansion of immigration.

Ira Mehlman is with the Federation⁷ for American Immigration Reform, a group that calls for changes to immigration policy. He said the proposal from Refugees International's task force would harm America's ability to deal with the causes of climate change.

Mehlman noted⁸ that the American immigration system is already struggling with more than 1.3 million asylum⁹ cases. He added that inviting¹⁰ millions of people to be considered refugees based on claims "of harm as a result of climate change would cause the system to collapse¹¹."

Roy Beck is with the group NumbersUSA, which calls for immigration restrictions¹². Beck called the task force's proposal for few immigration limits "problematic." He said that migration and refugee resettlement harm "the ability of lower-skilled Americans" and minorities to get and hold jobs.

Earlier this year, Biden announced the U.S. would increase climate-related aid for developing countries by 2024 compared to spending under former President Barack Obama. For the financial year of 2022, Biden has called for spending $2.5 billion on international climate programs.

Ober of Refugees International praised the administration for the effort to deal with the issues of climate change and migration. The group said Biden's proposed spending is notable but still less than what experts want.

The group's report said $2.5 trillion in spending is needed worldwide.

Words in This Story

solutions –n. something that is done to deal with and end a problem

impact –n. a powerful or major influence or effect

internal --adj. existing or taking place inside something such as within the borders of a country

relocation –v. to move to a new place

acknowledge –v. to accept or not deny that something is true, correct or exists; to admit

persecution –n. the cruel or unfair treatment of a person, especially for reasons of politics, religion or race

1 migration   

n.迁移，移居，（鸟类等的）迁徙

参考例句：

• Swallows begin their migration south in autumn.燕子在秋季开始向南方迁移。
• He described the vernal migration of birds in detail.他详细地描述了鸟的春季移居。

2 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。

3 persecution   

n. 迫害,烦扰

参考例句：

• He had fled from France at the time of the persecution. 他在大迫害时期逃离了法国。
• Their persecution only serves to arouse the opposition of the people. 他们的迫害只激起人民对他们的反抗。

4 advisor   

n.顾问，指导老师，劝告者

参考例句：

• They employed me as an advisor.他们聘请我当顾问。
• The professor is engaged as a technical advisor.这位教授被聘请为技术顾问。

5 actively   

adv.积极地，勤奋地

参考例句：

• During this period all the students were actively participating.在这节课中所有的学生都积极参加。
• We are actively intervening to settle a quarrel.我们正在积极调解争执。

6 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

7 federation   

n.同盟，联邦，联合，联盟，联合会

参考例句：

• It is a federation of 10 regional unions.它是由十个地方工会结合成的联合会。
• Mr.Putin was inaugurated as the President of the Russian Federation.普京正式就任俄罗斯联邦总统。

8 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。

9 asylum   

n.避难所，庇护所，避难

参考例句：

• The people ask for political asylum.人们请求政治避难。
• Having sought asylum in the West for many years,they were eventually granted it.他们最终获得了在西方寻求多年的避难权。

10 inviting   

adj.诱人的，引人注目的

参考例句：

• An inviting smell of coffee wafted into the room.一股诱人的咖啡香味飘进了房间。
• The kitchen smelled warm and inviting and blessedly familiar.这间厨房的味道温暖诱人，使人感到亲切温馨。

11 collapse   

vi.累倒；昏倒；倒塌；塌陷

参考例句：

• The country's economy is on the verge of collapse.国家的经济已到了崩溃的边缘。
• The engineer made a complete diagnosis of the bridge's collapse.工程师对桥的倒塌做了一次彻底的调查分析。

12 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制