VOA慢速英语2021 太平洋岛屿火灾增加

Experts say Pacific island fires are increasing, creating environmental damage that affects important and limited resources for millions of residents.

From Micronesia to Hawaii, wildfires have been a growing problem for many years. With little financing to prevent and deal with these fires, island communities have struggled to control the problem.

Clay Trauernicht of the University of Hawaii said that on tropical islands, fires have strong effects. These fires can, in his words, wreak¹ havoc² – meaning to cause much destruction or confusion - because the native environment evolved without regular fires.

"Fires were very rare prior to human arrival on any Pacific island. ... And so when you do get these fires, they tend to kind of wreak havoc," Trauernicht said.

But it's not just burnt land that is affected³. Island fires harm areas from the top of mountains to below the ocean's surface.

Trauernicht said that soil gets carried away during heavy rainstorms after the fires have removed all the plant life, which has an effect even on ocean life and coral reefs.

Pacific island reefs support local food production, create barriers to large storms, and are an important part of tourism that keeps many islands running.

The wet season on tropical islands also causes some grasses to grow tall and thick, building fuel for the next summer's wildfires.

Michael Walker is Hawaii's state fire protection forester. Walker noted⁴ that Guinea grass, a kind of grass that can grow very fast, creates "really fast-moving, very hot, very dangerous fires."

A recent wildfire on Hawaii's Big Island burned about 1 percent of the state's total land, and other islands in the Pacific such as Palau, Saipan and Guam burn even more — up to 10 percent in some years.

On average, Guam has nearly 700 wildfires a year, Palau about 175 and Saipan about 20, reports data from 2018.

Guam, like many other places, has long used fire as a tool. Farmers sometimes use it to clear fields, and hunters have been known to burn areas while hunting illegally.

The U.S. territory's forestry⁵ chief Christine Camacho Fejeran said fires on the island are mostly caused by arson⁶, or illegal burning. "So, all of Guam's wildfires are human-caused issues, whether it's an intentional⁷ or an escaped backyard fire or another (cause)," she said.

On average, Fejeran said, 2,430 to 2,830 hectares of the island burn each year, amounting to about 5 percent of its land.

Back in Hawaii, Kumu Micah Kamohoalii said of a recent fire, "I've never seen a fire this big,"

Kamohoalii's family has lived in the area for many generations.

He suggested that the environment has changed during his lifetime.

"When I was young, all of this was always green," Kamohoalii said. "In the last 10 to 15 years, it has been really, really dry."

Trauernicht, the University of Hawaii wildfire expert, suggested that climate change is one of the reasons for the fires in Hawaii.

In addition to education and arson prevention, he said, changes in land use — such as reforestation that reduces some grasses — could help.

"It's within our control, potentially, to reduce the impacts that we're seeing with fires," Trauernicht said. "Both in terms of forest loss as well as the impacts on coral reefs."

Words in This Story

tropical – adj. of, relating to, occurring in, or used in the tropics

prior to – adj. before (a time, event, etc.)

coral reef – n a long line of coral that lies in warm, shallow water

tourism – n. the business of providing hotels, restaurants, entertainment, etc., for people who are traveling

intentional – adj. done in a way that is planned

impact – n. a powerful or major influence or effect

1 wreak   

v.发泄；报复

参考例句：

• She had a burning desire to wreak revenge.她复仇心切。
• Timid people always wreak their peevishness on the gentle.怯懦的人总是把满腹牢骚向温和的人发泄。

2 havoc   

n.大破坏，浩劫，大混乱，大杂乱

参考例句：

• The earthquake wreaked havoc on the city.地震对这个城市造成了大破坏。
• This concentration of airborne firepower wrought havoc with the enemy forces.这次机载火力的集中攻击给敌军造成很大破坏。

3 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

4 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。

5 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。

6 arson   

n.纵火，放火

参考例句：

• He was serving a ten spot for arson.他因纵火罪在服十年徒刑。
• He was arraigned on a charge of arson.他因被指控犯纵火罪而被传讯。

7 intentional   

adj.故意的，有意（识）的

参考例句：

• Let me assure you that it was not intentional.我向你保证那不是故意的。
• His insult was intentional.他的侮辱是有意的。