2007年VOA标准英语-Leaders Gather for UN Climate Change Meeting

By Phuong Tran
Dakar
23 September 2007

Heads of states from more than 70 countries are gathering¹ in New York City for what will be the largest U.N.-organized event for world leaders on climate change. This is a preliminary meeting to work toward a new international agreement on the issue. But scientists say places like sub-Saharan Africa need more than just an agreement to really fix the problem. Phuong Tran has more from VOA's West and Central Africa Bureau in Dakar.

U.N. General Secretary Ban Ki-moon has said he wants to build momentum² to create a new climate-change agreement by 2009.

Sometimes called global warming, climate change is an increase in global temperatures believed to be largely caused by carbon-dioxide emissions³.

The top U.N. climate-change official, Yvo De Boer, told VOA that Monday's meeting is a chance for Africa's leaders to appeal for help.

"It will be really important for African countries to come to that meeting and to and say, 'We are seeing the impact of climate change around us already," he said. "We have contributed nothing to causing this problem and we most of all need the help of the international community to come to grip [deal] with it."

But Benin climatologist Michel Boko, the lead author for the Africa section of the most recent report from the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, says even if African leaders attend, little will change on the continent.

"Unfortunately, African governments are not yet aware of this emergency," said Boko. "Maybe they attend international meetings to say something, to gain money from negotiations⁴, but how to tackle really the problems inside each country; I do not see any policy management, any policies in this way."

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change is composed of hundreds of scientists who provide the United Nations research and climate recommendations. Its most recent report says Africa is vulnerable because its low coastlands and tough crop conditions that make intense droughts and floods, two impacts of climate change, even more devastating⁵.

They add Africa lacks technology to replace old polluting energy sources.

Scientists link climate change to Africa's more intense flooding this year, which has killed hundreds, displaced more than one-million people and wiped out crops and entire villages.

Monday's meeting will cover financing, mitigation, or reducing carbon emissions, adaptation, which is dealing⁶ with the inevitable⁷ changes from temperature, and technology.

Discussions to create a new climate agreement will continue at the scheduled U.N. Climate Change Conference in Bali in December. If created, this new agreement will eventually replace the Kyoto Protocol⁸, in which more than 160 countries agreed to reduce how much carbon dioxide they release.

1 gathering   

n.集会，聚会，聚集

参考例句：

• He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
• He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。

2 momentum   

n.动力，冲力，势头；动量

参考例句：

• We exploit the energy and momentum conservation laws in this way.我们就是这样利用能量和动量守恒定律的。
• The law of momentum conservation could supplant Newton's third law.动量守恒定律可以取代牛顿第三定律。

3 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。

4 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。

5 devastating   

adj.毁灭性的，令人震惊的，强有力的

参考例句：

• It is the most devastating storm in 20 years.这是20年来破坏性最大的风暴。
• Affairs do have a devastating effect on marriages.婚外情确实会对婚姻造成毁灭性的影响。

6 dealing   

n.经商方法，待人态度

参考例句：

• This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。
• His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。

7 inevitable   

adj.不可避免的，必然发生的

参考例句：

• Mary was wearing her inevitable large hat.玛丽戴着她总是戴的那顶大帽子。
• The defeat had inevitable consequences for British policy.战败对英国政策不可避免地产生了影响。

8 protocol   

n.议定书，草约，会谈记录，外交礼节

参考例句：

• We must observe the correct protocol.我们必须遵守应有的礼仪。
• The statesmen signed a protocol.那些政治家签了议定书。