VOA慢速英语2020 研究称世界粮食生产也会影响气候变化

Most of the efforts aimed at reducing climate change center on reducing the use of fossil fuels. But a new study warns that pollution caused by the world's food production system is also a major driver of rising temperatures on the planet.

大多数旨在减少气候变化的措施都集中在减少化石燃料的使用上。但是一项新的研究警告说，世界粮食生产体系所造成的污染也是地球温度升高的主要驱动力。

The study found that if the world food system stays on its current growth path, it will produce nearly 1.4 trillion metric tons of greenhouse gases over the next 80 years.

这项研究发现，如果世界粮食体系继续保持目前的增长速度，那么它在未来80年内将会产生近1.4万亿吨温室气体。

That pollution is expected to come from fertilizers used in agriculture, mismanaged soil, food waste and methane¹ gas released from cows and other animals. Other causes include land-clearing operations and deforestation.

预计这些污染将来自于农业中使用的化肥、管理不当的土地、食余残渣以及牛等动物释放的甲烷气体。其它原因包括土地清理作业和森林砍伐。

Researchers from the University of Minnesota and the University of Oxford² in Britain led the study, which recently appeared in the publication Science.

明尼苏达大学和英国牛津大学的研究人员主导了这项研究，该研究最近发表在《科学》杂志上。

The researchers predict that even if fossil fuel emissions³ were halted now, emissions from the world food system would make it impossible to reach current international climate change targets. They say that emissions from food production alone could push world temperatures past 1.5 degrees Celsius⁴ by the middle of this century and above 2 degrees Celsius by the end of the century.

研究人员预测，即使现在停止化石燃料的排放，世界粮食体系的排放也会导致无法实现当前的国际气候变化目标。他们表示，单单是粮食生产所产生的排放就能让全球温度在本世纪中叶前上升1.5摄氏度，在本世纪末前上升超过2摄氏度。

A main goal of the 2015 United Nations Paris Agreement on climate change is to keep rises in the Earth's temperature during this century to between 1.5 to 2 degrees Celsius. The U.N. has said that in order to stay below the 1.5 Celsius level, emissions must fall at least 7.6 percent each year through 2030.

2015年《联合国巴黎气候变化协定》的主要目标是将本世纪地球温度的升幅控制在1.5到2摄氏度之间。联合国表示，为了将地球温度升幅控制在1.5摄氏度以下，2030年前每年排放量必须下降7.6%。

The new study calls for immediate⁵ "improvements in farming practices, as well as changes in what we eat and how much food we waste," to help reach the Paris Agreement goals.

这项新研究呼吁立即“改善耕作方式，改变我们的饮食，以及改变我们对食物的浪费，”以帮助实现《巴黎协定》的目标。

Jason Hill is a professor of biosystems engineering at the University of Minnesota. He helped lead the study. He said in a statement that the research clearly demonstrates that food has a much greater effect on climate change than is widely known.

杰森·希尔是明尼苏达大学生物系统工程教授。他协助领导了这项研究。他在一份声明中表示，该研究清楚表明，食物对气候变化的影响要远超过公众的认知。

Hill also noted⁶ that fixing the problem would not require the world's population to completely stop eating meat. "The whole world doesn't have to give up meat for us to meet our climate goals," he told the Associated Press. "We can eat better, healthier foods. We can improve how we grow foods. And we can waste less food."

希尔还指出，解决这个问题并不需要全球人口完全停止吃肉。他对美联社表示：“全世界不需要为了实现我们的气候目标而放弃吃肉。我们可以吃更好、更健康的食物。我们可以改善食物的种植方式。我们可以减少食物浪费。”

The researchers say such efforts are achievable and can also lead to many other improvements beyond controlling climate change. These include making humans healthier, reducing water pollution, improving air quality, preventing animal extinctions and improving farm profitability.

研究人员表示，这些措施是可以实现的，并且除了控制气候变化之外，还能带来其它许多改善。这些改善其中包括使人类更健康、减少水污染、改善空气质量、防止动物灭绝以及提高农场盈利能力。

The study makes the following predictions:

该研究做出了如下预测：

A nearly complete change to a plant-rich diet around the world could cut nearly 650 billion metric tons of greenhouse gases.

在世界范围内几乎完全转向一种富含植物的饮食，就能减少近6500亿吨温室气体。

If almost everyone ate the right number of calories based on age - around 2,100 calories a day for many adults - it would reduce emissions by about 410 billion metric tons.

如果几乎每个人都能根据年龄摄入合适的热量，那将减少约4100亿吨温室气体。很多成年人每天摄入大约2100卡路里的热量。

If farming could reduce carbon levels - by using less fertilizer, managing soil better and doing better crop rotation⁷ - it would cut greenhouse gases by nearly 540 billion metric tons.

如果农业能够通过少用化肥、更好地管理土壤和更好地轮作来降低碳排放，就能减少近5400亿吨温室气体。

And if people wasted less food - at home, in restaurants or by getting it to people in poorer countries – emissions could be cut by about 360 billion metric tons.

如果人们在家里、在餐厅能减少食物浪费，或者是将食物分给贫困国家的人们，则可以减少大约3600亿吨排放。

1 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。

2 Oxford   

n.牛津（英国城市）

参考例句：

• At present he has become a Professor of Chemistry at Oxford.他现在已是牛津大学的化学教授了。
• This is where the road to Oxford joins the road to London.这是去牛津的路与去伦敦的路的汇合处。

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 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。

5 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

6 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。

7 rotation   

n.旋转；循环，轮流

参考例句：

• Crop rotation helps prevent soil erosion.农作物轮作有助于防止水土流失。
• The workers in this workshop do day and night shifts in weekly rotation.这个车间的工人上白班和上夜班每周轮换一次。