VOA慢速英语--联合国警告称100万物种面临灭绝

UN Report Warns 1 Million Species Face Extinction¹

A new report from the United Nations says human activity is threatening the survival of up to 1 million species of animals and plants. Many, the report says, will disappear within decades. This would be more than ever before in human history.

The U.N.’s Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem² Services, or IPBES, released the report on May 6 in Paris.

British chemist Robert Watson is the IPBES chairperson. In a statement he said the misuse³ of resources by humans is not only killing⁴ plants and animals, it is also destroying, “the very foundations of our economies, livelihoods⁵, food security, health, and quality of life worldwide.”

The IPBES says the document is the first intergovernmental report of its kind and “the most comprehensive ever completed.” It involved 450 experts from 50 countries. The team examined about 15,000 scientific and governmental sources.

To increase the importance of these findings in deciding governmental policies, the report listed five things humanity is doing that have had the largest worldwide effect so far.

In order, they are:

changes in land and sea use

direct exploitation of organisms

climate change

pollution and

invasive alien species

Professor Josef Settele of Germany co-chaired the IPBES effort. He says in the press statement, “This loss is a direct result of human activity and constitutes a direct threat to human well-being⁶ in all regions of the world.”

The report found that city areas have more than doubled since 1992. It also found that “more than a third of the world’s land surface and nearly 75% of freshwater resources are now devoted⁷ to crop or livestock⁸ production.” And in 2015, 33% of marine⁹ fish stocks were being harvested at unsustainable levels.

Robert Watson also spoke¹⁰ with National Geographic¹¹ about the report. He said his “biggest personal concern is the state of the oceans.” He added that with “plastics, dead zones, overfishing, acidification... We’re really screwing up the oceans in a big way.”

The report also details the relationship between economic development and its effects on nature.

Rebecca Shaw is a chief scientist at World Wildlife Fund and another expert who worked on the report.

She spoke about it with Here and Now, an American radio show. She said the report details the human-caused destruction of ecosystems¹². She said the goal of the report is not just to protect other species of animals, but humans as well.

Humans depend on healthy ecosystems for food and medicine. As Professor Settele noted¹³ in the statement, the “interconnected web of life on Earth is getting smaller and increasingly disconnected.” Human life is not outside of these endangered ecosystems, but dependent on them.

The report adds that it is not too late to make changes but they must be massive changes. It says all parts of government -- from agriculture, forestry¹⁴, marine and freshwater systems to city areas, energy and finance – need to work together to make the difference.

And we must act, IPBES chair Robert Watson wrote in an opinion piece for the Guardian¹⁵.

“We simply cannot afford the cost of inaction. Change of the magnitude required will mean a different life for everyone, but the costs of doing nothing will be much higher,” he wrote.

I’m Caty Weaver¹⁶.

Words in This Story

foundation – n. a basis (such as a tenet, principle, or axiom) upon which something stands or is supported

comprehensive – adj. covering completely or broadly

region – n. a part of a country, of the world, etc., that is different or separate from other parts in some way

devote – v. to set apart for a special purpose

unsustainable – adj. not capable of being prolonged or continued

dead zone – n. Dead zones are low-oxygen areas in the world’s oceans and lakes

acidification – n. technical : to cause (something) to become acidic

screwing up phrasal verb : make a mistake or error

magnitude – n. great size or extent

1 extinction   

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。

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 misuse   

n.误用，滥用；vt.误用，滥用

参考例句：

• It disturbs me profoundly that you so misuse your talents.你如此滥用自己的才能，使我深感不安。
• He was sacked for computer misuse.他因滥用计算机而被解雇了。

4 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

5 livelihoods   

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。

6 well-being   

n.安康，安乐，幸福

参考例句：

• He always has the well-being of the masses at heart.他总是把群众的疾苦挂在心上。
• My concern for their well-being was misunderstood as interference.我关心他们的幸福，却被误解为多管闲事。

7 devoted   

adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的

参考例句：

• He devoted his life to the educational cause of the motherland.他为祖国的教育事业贡献了一生。
• We devoted a lengthy and full discussion to this topic.我们对这个题目进行了长时间的充分讨论。

8 livestock   

n.家畜，牲畜

参考例句：

• Both men and livestock are flourishing.人畜两旺。
• The heavy rains and flooding killed scores of livestock.暴雨和大水淹死了许多牲口。

9 marine   

adj.海的；海生的；航海的；海事的；n.水兵

参考例句：

• Marine creatures are those which live in the sea. 海洋生物是生存在海里的生物。
• When the war broke out,he volunteered for the Marine Corps.战争爆发时，他自愿参加了海军陆战队。

10 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

11 geographic   

adj.地理学的，地理的

参考例句：

• The city's success owes much to its geographic position. 这座城市的成功很大程度上归功于它的地理位置。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Environmental problems pay no heed to these geographic lines. 环境问题并不理会这些地理界限。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法

12 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

13 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。

14 forestry   

n.森林学；林业

参考例句：

• At present, the Chinese forestry is being at a significant transforming period. 当前, 我国的林业正处于一个重大的转折时期。
• Anhua is one of the key forestry counties in Hunan province. 安化县是湖南省重点林区县之一。

15 guardian   

n.监护人；守卫者，保护者

参考例句：

• The form must be signed by the child's parents or guardian. 这张表格须由孩子的家长或监护人签字。
• The press is a guardian of the public weal. 报刊是公共福利的卫护者。

16 weaver   

n.织布工；编织者

参考例句：

• She was a fast weaver and the cloth was very good.她织布织得很快，而且布的质量很好。
• The eager weaver did not notice my confusion.热心的纺织工人没有注意到我的狼狈相。