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US Says Climate Change Is Threatening Emperor Penguins

时间:2022-11-11 03:24:10

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The U.S. wildlife agency says Antarctica's emperor penguins2 are now threatened because of the effects of climate change.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recently issued a warning that the species is in danger of disappearing, or becoming extinct, if steps are not taken to protect it.

The declaration officially calls for protections of emperor penguins under the Endangered Species Act (ESA).

The flightless seabirds are native to Antarctica. But the U.S. agency said warming oceans linked to climate change have harmed the penguins' sea ice environment. The animals need sea ice to reproduce, hunt for food and avoid other creatures.

Martha Williams is the director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. She said in a statement the listing of emperor penguins on the ESA demonstrates a "growing extinction3 crisis" affecting many species worldwide.

"The listing of the emperor penguin1 serves as an alarm bell, but also a call to action," Williams said.

The wildlife agency said a major examination of available evidence suggests the penguins are not currently in danger of extinction. However, if carbon emissions5 continue to rise, temperatures will as well, leading to more sea ice destruction. This harm could result in the emperor penguins disappearing "in the foreseeable future," the agency said.

The agency's declaration followed a 2011 request by the environmental group Center for Biological Diversity to list the penguins under the ESA.

Climate change has reduced reproduction rates in emperor colonies, the agency said. One example is the Halley Bay colony in the Weddell Sea, the second-largest emperor penguin colony in the world. Officials say several years of poor ice conditions in areas around the colony led to the drowning of all newborn penguins beginning in 2016.

The endangered declaration is designed to improve international cooperation for conservation efforts and increase financial assistance. The action also requires federal agencies in the United States to take steps to reduce extinction threats.

Shaye Wolf is the climate science director for the U.S.-based Center for Biological Diversity. She told Reuters news agency she sees the U.S. declaration as a warning that emperor penguins need "urgent climate action" in order to survive.

"The penguin's very existence depends on whether our government takes strong action now to cut climate-heating fossil fuels and prevent irreversible damage to life on Earth," Wolf said.

The 1973 Endangered Species Act is credited with bringing several animals back from the danger of extinction. These include grizzly6 bears, bald eagles, gray whales and others. Some drilling and mining industries have opposed the act because it can halt development in areas considered necessary for species survival.

Words in This Story

species – n. a group of animals or plants that are similar and can produce young animals or plants

alarm bell – n. a device that makes a loud ringing sound to warn of danger

emission4 – n. the act of producing or sending out something (such as energy or gas) from a source

conservation – n. the protection of animals, plants, and natural resources

fossil fuels – v. fuels such as coal, oil, or natural gas that are formed in the Earth from dead plants or animals

irreversible – adj. not possible to change; impossible to return to a previous condition


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1 penguin W3jzf     
n.企鹅
参考例句:
  • The penguin is a flightless bird.企鹅是一种不会飞的鸟。
  • He walked with an awkward gait like a penguin.他走路的步子难看得就像企鹅。
2 penguins fc5bf5a50fd6b440a35d113f324c5e75     
n.企鹅( penguin的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • Why can penguins live in cold environment? 为什么企鹅能生活在寒冷的环境中? 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • Whales, seals, penguins, and turtles have flippers. 鲸、海豹,企鹅和海龟均有鳍形肢。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
3 extinction sPwzP     
n.熄灭,消亡,消灭,灭绝,绝种
参考例句:
  • The plant is now in danger of extinction.这种植物现在有绝种的危险。
  • The island's way of life is doomed to extinction.这个岛上的生活方式注定要消失。
4 emission vjnz4     
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。
5 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。
6 grizzly c6xyZ     
adj.略为灰色的,呈灰色的;n.灰色大熊
参考例句:
  • This grizzly liked people.这只灰熊却喜欢人。
  • Grizzly bears are not generally social creatures.一般说来,灰熊不是社交型动物。

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