2006年VOA标准英语-British Report: Failure to Curb Global Warming

By Sonja Pace
London
30 October 2006

Chancellor1 of the Exchequer2 Gordon Brown for the release of Stern report " src="/upimg/allimg/070505/1559360.jpg" width="199" border="0" /> Britain's PM Tony Blair, left, arrives with Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown for the release of Stern report

A British experts report on climate change warns that failure to curb³ global warming could trigger worldwide economic devastation⁴, with poor countries hit first and hardest.  Prime Minister Tony Blair called for urgent international action.

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Prime Minister Blair said the scientific data is overwhelming - the world is getting warmer and greenhouse gas emissions⁵ are largely to blame and that if the trend goes unchecked the consequences could prove disastrous⁷.

"This disaster is not set to happen in some science fiction future many years ahead, but in our lifetime," reminded Mr. Blair. "Unless we act now, not some time distant, but now, these consequences, disastrous as they are, will be irreversible."

Mr. Blair spoke⁸ at the launch of the Stern Report - a 700-page review of climate change and its economic impact. The report's author, Nicholas Stern is a senior government economic advisor⁹ and former chief economist¹⁰ for The World Bank.

Stern warns that unchecked global warming could push world temperatures up by five degrees Celsius¹¹ over the next 100 to 150 years, causing an increase in severe droughts, heavy flooding and potentially displacing hundreds of millions of people.

Stern points out that even a slight temperature shift will have dramatic consequences on where and how we live.

"Further, the impacts are inequitable, poor countries will be hit hardest and earliest when it is the rich countries which are responsible for three-quarters of greenhouse gases currently in the atmosphere," he said.

But, Stern predicts no one will be spared and failure to act now could disrupt world economic and social activity - in a way comparable to the world wars and great depression of the last century.

Stern says that taking "bold and decisive" action now to cut greenhouse gases would cost about one percent of gross domestic product, or GDP.

"This is equivalent to paying on average, one percent more for what we buy. That's manageable," added Nicholas Stern. "We can grow and be green."

Thirty-five industrialized nations have signed the Kyoto Protocol¹², which obliges them to cut carbon emissions. However, the United States did not sign on with the Bush administration arguing it would negatively impact jobs and economic growth. The United States remains¹³ the biggest producer of greenhouse gases, but emissions from emerging economic powers such as China and India are also dangerously on the rise.

Britain is among a handful of industrialized nations to have cut its greenhouse gas emissions. Prime Minister Blair said while Britain could lead by example, the effort must be global.

"This issue is the definition of global interdependence. We have to act together," urged Mr. Blair. "This is an international challenge and in the end only an international solution will meet it and overcome it."

The Kyoto Protocol expires in 2012. United Nations-sponsored climate talks begin in Nairobi next week to focus on a successor. But, experts point out that any successful future agreement must include the major greenhouse gas producers.

Britain is considering new so-called "green taxes" on high emission⁶ vehicles and budget airline fares and Finance Minister Gordon Brown has proposed new European Union emission cuts of 30 percent by 2020. Brown also announced that former U.S. Vice¹⁴ President Al Gore¹⁵ will serve as a special advisor to the British government on environmental issues. Mr. Gore is an ardent¹⁶ environmental activist¹⁷ and recently produced a documentary, An Inconvenient¹⁸ Truth, which focuses on climate change.

1 chancellor   

n.(英)大臣；法官；(德、奥)总理；大学校长

参考例句：

• They submitted their reports to the Chancellor yesterday.他们昨天向财政大臣递交了报告。
• He was regarded as the most successful Chancellor of modern times.他被认为是现代最成功的财政大臣。

2 exchequer   

n.财政部；国库

参考例句：

• In Britain the Chancellor of the Exchequer deals with taxes and government spending.英国的财政大臣负责税务和政府的开支。
• This resulted in a considerable loss to the exchequer.这使国库遭受了重大损失。

3 curb   

n.场外证券市场，场外交易；vt.制止，抑制

参考例句：

• I could not curb my anger.我按捺不住我的愤怒。
• You must curb your daughter when you are in church.你在教堂时必须管住你的女儿。

4 devastation   

n.毁坏；荒废；极度震惊或悲伤

参考例句：

• The bomb caused widespread devastation. 炸弹造成大面积破坏。
• There was devastation on every side. 到处都是破坏的创伤。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 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。

6 emission   

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。

7 disastrous   

adj.灾难性的，造成灾害的；极坏的，很糟的

参考例句：

• The heavy rainstorm caused a disastrous flood.暴雨成灾。
• Her investment had disastrous consequences.She lost everything she owned.她的投资结果很惨，血本无归。

8 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。

9 advisor   

n.顾问，指导老师，劝告者

参考例句：

• They employed me as an advisor.他们聘请我当顾问。
• The professor is engaged as a technical advisor.这位教授被聘请为技术顾问。

10 economist   

n.经济学家，经济专家，节俭的人

参考例句：

• He cast a professional economist's eyes on the problem.他以经济学行家的眼光审视这个问题。
• He's an economist who thinks he knows all the answers.他是个经济学家，自以为什么都懂。

11 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。

12 protocol   

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。

13 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

14 vice   

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。

15 gore   

n.凝血，血污；v.（动物）用角撞伤，用牙刺破；缝以补裆；顶

参考例句：

• The fox lay dying in a pool of gore.狐狸倒在血泊中奄奄一息。
• Carruthers had been gored by a rhinoceros.卡拉瑟斯被犀牛顶伤了。

16 ardent   

adj.热情的，热烈的，强烈的，烈性的

参考例句：

• He's an ardent supporter of the local football team.他是本地足球队的热情支持者。
• Ardent expectations were held by his parents for his college career.他父母对他的大学学习抱着殷切的期望。

17 activist   

n.活动分子，积极分子

参考例句：

• He's been a trade union activist for many years.多年来他一直是工会的积极分子。
• He is a social activist in our factory.他是我厂的社会活动积极分子。

18 inconvenient   

adj.不方便的，令人感到麻烦的

参考例句：

• You have come at a very inconvenient time.你来得最不适时。
• Will it be inconvenient for him to attend that meeting?他参加那次会议会不方便吗？