VOA科学技术2023--Heat, Wildfire, Storms Are Signs of Climate Troubles

Heat, Wildfire, Storms Are Signs of Climate Troubles

The Earth set unofficial record high temperatures last week. Scientists said they were a clear sign of how pollutants¹ released by humans are warming the environment. But the heat is also just one way the planet is telling us something is seriously wrong, they added.

"Heat sets the pace of our climate in so many ways ... it's never just the heat," said Kim Cobb. She is a climate scientist at Brown University in Rhode Island.

Dying coral reefs, more intense storms, and the wildfire smoke that much of North America experienced this summer are other signs of climate troubles.

"The increasing heating of our planet caused by fossil fuel use is not unexpected, but it is dangerous for us humans and for the ecosystems³ we depend on. We need to stop it, fast," said Stefan Rahmstorf of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research.

Other recent natural events also show that climate change has entered new territory.

Ocean warming

Most of the planet is covered by oceans, which have taken in 90 percent of the recent warming caused by planet-warming gases such as carbon dioxide and methane⁴.

In April, worldwide ocean temperature rose to 21.1 degrees Celsius⁵, which scientists believe was caused by a combination of planet-warming gases and the early El Nino formation. El Nino is a period of warming Pacific Ocean waters.

Newly published data from the Copernicus Climate Change Service documented "exceptionally warm" ocean temperatures in the North Atlantic. And it documented "extreme" sea heat waves near Ireland, Britain, and in the Baltic Sea.

Wildfire smoke

High levels of wildfire smoke are more common on the West Coast. But, recently, several rounds of wildfire smoke from wildfires in northern Canada brought dangerous air quality levels to eastern North America.

Scientists say that climate change will make wildfires and smoke more likely and intense and that the East Coast will see more of it.

El Nino arrives early

The current El Nino formed a month or two earlier than usual. It replaced La Nina that, with its cooling of Pacific waters, kept worldwide temperatures down. That means that it will have more time than usual to strengthen.

The World Meteorological Organization predicts there is a 98 percent chance that at least one of the next five years will be the warmest on record. One of these years would beat temperatures from 2016 when an exceptionally strong El Nino was present.

Shrinking Antarctic sea ice

Scientists are watching Antarctic sea ice shrink to record lows. On June 27, about 11.7 million square kilometers were covered by the ice sheet. Data from the National Snow and Ice Data Center found that the amount was almost 2.6 million square kilometers less than average for that date for the period from 1981-2010.

Put another way, an area nearly four times the size of the American state of Texas was gone from the ice sheet.

Words in This Story

pace – n. the speed at which something happens

coral reef – n. a long line of coral that lies in warm, shallow water

fossil fuel – n. energy in the form of gas, coal and oil that is taken from the ground and comes from the breakdown⁶ of old matter

ecosystem² – n. everything that exists in an environment and how all those things interact

exceptionally – adj. not usual

shrink – v. to become smaller in amount, size, or value

sheet – n. a wide, flat surface or area of something

1 pollutants   

污染物质（尤指工业废物）( pollutant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Pollutants are constantly being released into the atmosphere. 污染物质正在不断地被排放到大气中去。
• The 1987 Amendments limit 301(g) discharges to a few well-studied nonconventional pollutants. 1987年的修正案把第301条（g）的普通排放限制施加在一些认真研究过的几种非常规污染物上。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法

2 ecosystem   

n.生态系统

参考例句：

• This destroyed the ecosystem of the island.这样破坏了岛上的生态系统。
• We all have an interest in maintaining the integrity of the ecosystem.维持生态系统的完整是我们共同的利益。

3 ecosystems   

n.生态系统( ecosystem的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• There are highly sensitive and delicately balanced ecosystems in the forest. 森林里有高度敏感、灵敏平衡的各种生态系统。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Madagascar's ecosystems range from rainforest to semi-desert. 马达加斯加生态系统类型多样，从雨林到半荒漠等不一而足。 来自辞典例句

4 methane   

n.甲烷，沼气

参考例句：

• The blast was caused by pockets of methane gas that ignited.爆炸是由数袋甲烷气体着火引起的。
• Methane may have extraterrestrial significance.甲烷具有星际意义。

5 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。

6 breakdown   

n.垮，衰竭；损坏，故障，倒塌

参考例句：

• She suffered a nervous breakdown.她患神经衰弱。
• The plane had a breakdown in the air,but it was fortunately removed by the ace pilot.飞机在空中发生了故障，但幸运的是被王牌驾驶员排除了。