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VOA慢速英语2014 Scientists Say Climate Change Is Real and Human-Caused 科学家称气候变化是人类活动所造成

时间:2014-01-15 14:01:30

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Scientists Say Climate Change Is Real and Human-Caused 科学家称气候变化是人类活动所造成

From VOA Learning English, this is Science in the News.  I’m Katherine Cole.

And I’m Christopher Cruise.  Today we tell about a United Nations report on the environment.  It says 2013 may have been one of the 10 warmest years since modern recordkeeping began.  Then, we hear how levels of heat-trapping gases in Earth’s atmosphere set a record in 2012.  We also tell about a call by the World Bank to reduce some pollutants1.  The bank says the reduction could slow the rate of climate change, and save lives.

Scientists say last year was among the hottest years ever on planet Earth.  A United Nations report says 2013 was probably one of the 10 warmest years since 1850.  That was the year when scientists began collecting temperature records. 

The report was released in November at the UN climate change conference in Warsaw, Poland.  Scientists at the World Meteorological Organization produced the report.  It shows temperatures in different areas of the world.  It also provides information about rainfall, floods, extreme dry weather, tropical cyclones3, ice cover and sea level. 

Michel Jarraud is Secretary-General of the World Meteorological Organization, the WMO.  He says records show the Earth is warmer now than it was 10 years ago.

“This decade, the last decade was the warmest decade on record and what we call cold years now are actually warmer than any warm year before ’98.” 

He also says levels of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases reached new highs in 2012.  Greenhouse gases trap heat in the atmosphere.  He believes that, as more heat gets trapped, temperatures on Earth’s surface will continue rising.

The WMO report says surface temperatures are only part of the story.  It says the water cycle of droughts, floods and heavy rains is also having an effect on the planet.

Michel Jarraud says higher sea levels are making people who live near oceans likely targets for storm surges.  This happened recently when a powerful storm, Typhoon Haiyan, struck the Philippines.

“Near Philippines, the sea level rise over the last 20 years was probably of the order of three to four times bigger than it was globally.  The factor on the sea level rise itself can be attributed to a large extent to the climate change, which has occurred.  So, in other words, the cyclone2 itself it is a difficult question, but definitely because of the higher sea level the damage has been more than what it would have been 100 years before under similar wind condition.” 

The report says most of the world’s land areas had temperatures higher than normal in the first nine months of 2013.  Australia had a very strong heat wave.  Record high temperatures were also reported in parts of North America, northeastern South America, northern Africa, and much of Eurasia.

The report says record-breaking rainfall and snow fell in many parts of North America.  At the same time, extremely dry weather was a problem in the southern African countries of Angola and Namibia.  People there experienced one of the worst droughts in the past 30 years.  

Some studies have found that a warmer atmosphere makes bad weather worse.  Yet no single weather event can be linked to climate change.  Richard Kerr is a writer for Science magazine.

“Beyond heat waves and heavy precipitation, heavy rain storms, heavy snow storms, scientists are being much more cautious about making a connection between typhoons or tornadoes5 and global warming.”

As we noted6 earlier, the amount of greenhouse gases in Earth’s atmosphere reached a record high in 2012.  The World Meteorological Organization says this will have an effect on climate change unless countries do more to limit the gases.

The WMO says the warming effect on the Earth’s climate has risen by nearly one-third since 1990.  It says the rise is mainly a result of carbon dioxide and other heat-trapping gases, like methane7 and nitrous oxide4.

The UN agency’s Greenhouse Gas Bulletin blames fossil fuel-linked emissions8 -- mostly from carbon dioxide -- for about 80 percent of the increase in warming.  It says carbon dioxide in the atmosphere grew faster in 2012 than the average growth rate over the past 10 years.

WMO Secretary-General Michel Jarraud blames the increase in carbon dioxide levels on human activity, including industry, energy production and land use.

“CO2 is a very stable gas, so it means that there is no sort of chemical reaction which would destroy naturally the CO2 from the atmosphere.  So it stays for very long periods -- hundreds of years, or even more.  And that is why, as a consequence, the actions we take now or the actions we do not take now will have consequences for a very, very long period.” 

The WMO says methane is the second biggest contributor to greenhouse gas and to the possible warming of the atmosphere.  About 40 percent of methane comes from natural sources, such as wetlands and termites9.  The rest comes from human activities.

Nitrous oxide is the third most important greenhouse gas.  The WMO says about 60 percent of nitrous oxide comes from natural sources.  The rest is from human activities.  

Recently, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change reported that levels of carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide are all breaking records.  The report said the gas levels are now higher than they have been for over 800,000 years. 

Michel Jarraud says this is causing Earth’s climate to change in worrisome ways.

“We are worried not only about the impact on temperature, which is important, but also the impact on the water cycle -- more droughts, more floods in other parts of the world.  We are worried about the impact on a number of extreme weather events.  We are worried about the impact on the sea the level.” 

Mr. Jarraud says average temperatures may be 4.6 degrees higher than pre-industrial levels by the end of this century if the world carries on with what he calls “business as usual.”  He says this would have harmful effects for future generations.

He says even if all nations act now and stop producing carbon dioxide immediately, the effects of the climate change will be felt for centuries.

A World Bank report is calling for action on a treaty to replace the Kyoto Protocol10, the climate agreement that was in effect through the end of 2012.  The report says Typhoon Haiyan is evidence that global warming is real. 

The storm was one of the deadliest natural disasters in the Philippines.  It left nearly 6,000 people dead and more than four million others homeless.  Rachel Kyte is the Vice11 President for Sustainable Development at the World Bank.

“This is not going to be a one off (one of a kind) event.  The intensity12 and frequency of storms as a result of climate change is very clear from the climate science and the evidence and is something that many countries will have to prepare for.”

The World Bank report examines the cryosphere, places on the planet that stay below zero degrees Celsius13.  It says temperatures in places like Antarctica and the Himalaya Mountains are rising two times as fast as in other areas.  

“We’re seeing catastrophic change potentially in these regions.  If the ice of the Himalayas disappears, there are billions of people who depend on that ice cap for water and for livelihoods14.” 

Many scientists are worried about carbon dioxide, which stays in the atmosphere for centuries.  But the report calls for reducing pollutants that do not last as long.  It says methane, for example, disappears after about 12 years.  Black carbon or soot15 from open-fire cook stoves stays in the air for just days or weeks. 

Rachel Kyte says these pollutants speed up warming.  She says acting16 quickly to reduce them can lessen17 their effect on the planet and save lives. 

“Six million people today die every year from outdoor and indoor air pollution.  So if we were to change cooking methods, if we were to clean up emissions from old cars and from diesel18 engines, we could save six million lives and we could slow the rate at which climate change is coming.”

Those actions and others can give nations the time they need to make changes.

Many scientists agree that by 2020, our planet will be about two degrees Celsius warmer than it was before the industrial revolution.  That means there could be more severe weather and rising seas.

Rachel Kyte says that is something that climate negotiators should understand.  She is happy that a growing number of nations, including the United States, are trying to reduce short-term pollutants.

“And those governments coming together with institutions like ourselves, the United Nations Environment Program, the International Cryosphere Association, but then also with civil society and the private sector19 saying, ‘We don’t have to wait for an international agreement on greenhouse gas emissions.  We can take action now on black carbon.  We can take action now on methane, and we can have a measurable impact in a very short period of time.’”  

Elliot Diringer is a policy expert at the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions.  He says the Warsaw climate change conference did little to develop a new plan to reduce global emissions like carbon dioxide.  But he thinks it provided a clue about what a new treaty might look like.  He thinks the agreement will be one created by national politics, and less by decisions made by international negotiations20.

“Instead, this time countries will be setting their own numbers.  And I think this is an important recognition that, in fact, the effort needs to come from the bottom up, that the agreement has to reflect the political will that is being generated at the national level, as well as the policies that are taking shape at the national level.”

He also notes some hopeful signs: emissions trading efforts in China, the new climate law in Mexico and the Climate Action Plan announced by President Barack Obama last year.

This Science in the News was based on reports from Lisa Schlein in Geneva and Rosanne Skirble in Washington.  It was written by Christopher Cruise and produced by June Simms.  I’m Katherine Cole.


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点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 pollutants 694861490fe64672170a0da250a277c7     
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 cyclone cy3x7     
n.旋风,龙卷风
参考例句:
  • An exceptionally violent cyclone hit the town last night.昨晚异常猛烈的旋风吹袭了那个小镇。
  • The cyclone brought misery to thousands of people.旋风给成千上万的人带来苦难。
3 cyclones 17cc49112c36617738bb1601499ae56d     
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
4 oxide K4dz8     
n.氧化物
参考例句:
  • Oxide is usually seen in our daily life.在我们的日常生活中氧化物很常见。
  • How can you get rid of this oxide coating?你们该怎样除去这些氧化皮?
5 tornadoes d428421c5237427db20a5bcb22937389     
n.龙卷风,旋风( tornado的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • Tornadoes, severe earthquakes, and plagues create wide spread havoc. 龙卷风、大地震和瘟疫成普遍的毁坏。 来自互联网
  • Meteorologists are at odds over the working of tornadoes. 气象学者对龙卷风的运动方式看法不一。 来自互联网
6 noted 5n4zXc     
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。
7 methane t1Eyx     
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。
8 emissions 1a87f8769eb755734e056efecb5e2da9     
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。
9 termites 8ee357110f82dc8b267190e430924662     
n.白蚁( termite的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • Termites are principally tropical in distribution. 白蚁主要分布在热带地区。 来自辞典例句
  • This spray will exterminate the termites. 这种喷剂能消灭白蚁。 来自辞典例句
10 protocol nRQxG     
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。
11 vice NU0zQ     
n.坏事;恶习;[pl.]台钳,老虎钳;adj.副的
参考例句:
  • He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
  • They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。
12 intensity 45Ixd     
n.强烈,剧烈;强度;烈度
参考例句:
  • I didn't realize the intensity of people's feelings on this issue.我没有意识到这一问题能引起群情激奋。
  • The strike is growing in intensity.罢工日益加剧。
13 Celsius AXRzl     
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。
14 livelihoods 53a2f8716b41c07918d6fc5d944b18a5     
生计,谋生之道( livelihood的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • First came the earliest individualistic pioneers who depended on hunting and fishing for their livelihoods. 走在最前面的是早期的个人主义先驱者,他们靠狩猎捕鱼为生。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件
  • With little influence over policies, their traditional livelihoods are threatened. 因为马赛族人对政策的影响力太小,他们的传统生计受到了威胁。
15 soot ehryH     
n.煤烟,烟尘;vt.熏以煤烟
参考例句:
  • Soot is the product of the imperfect combustion of fuel.煤烟是燃料不完全燃烧的产物。
  • The chimney was choked with soot.烟囱被煤灰堵塞了。
16 acting czRzoc     
n.演戏,行为,假装;adj.代理的,临时的,演出用的
参考例句:
  • Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她,她只是假装的。
  • During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代,她的表演生涯黯然失色。
17 lessen 01gx4     
vt.减少,减轻;缩小
参考例句:
  • Regular exercise can help to lessen the pain.经常运动有助于减轻痛感。
  • They've made great effort to lessen the noise of planes.他们尽力减小飞机的噪音。
18 diesel ql6zo     
n.柴油发动机,内燃机
参考例句:
  • We experimented with diesel engines to drive the pumps.我们试着用柴油机来带动水泵。
  • My tractor operates on diesel oil.我的那台拖拉机用柴油开动。
19 sector yjczYn     
n.部门,部分;防御地段,防区;扇形
参考例句:
  • The export sector will aid the economic recovery. 出口产业将促进经济复苏。
  • The enemy have attacked the British sector.敌人已进攻英国防区。
20 negotiations af4b5f3e98e178dd3c4bac64b625ecd0     
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。

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