2006年VOA标准英语-Kenya Floods Take Lives as Climate Change Confe

By Cathy Majtenyi
Nairobi
13 November 2006

Bate1 village, stands next to what used to be the family house " src="http://www.wwenglish.com/up/2006/11/15124/9.jpg" width="210" border="0" /> Katsena Charo, of Bate village, stands next to what used to be the family house

More than 20 people in northern and coastal² Kenya have been killed by massive flooding triggered by heavy rains.  The disaster is occurring as delegates from around the world attend the U.N. Climate Change conference in Kenya's capital.

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In addition to those killed, about 60,000 people are estimated to have been displaced by flooding that hit the coastal town of Mombasa and the northeastern town of Garissa, particularly hard.

The Kenyan health ministry³ has also issued an alert for possible outbreaks of water-borne diseases such as cholera⁴.

The floods are being caused by three weeks of unusually heavy downpours during the October to December short rains season.

Recently, massive flooding has killed more than 40 people in neighboring Somalia and more than 60 people in Ethiopia.

Flooding and unusual weather patterns are being discussed by six-thousand delegates from around the world at the U. N. Climate Change conference, which ends this week in Nairobi.

"These kinds of extreme flooding are the kind of events that are consistent with scientific forecasts on climate change," explained Nick Nuttall, U.N. Environment Program spokesman. "Africa is an extremely vulnerable continent as it is to weather events, but climate change is making those weather events more extreme and more frequent. So the kind of flooding that you are seeing in Kenya is in line with these kinds of predictions by the best scientific minds."

Meanwhile, the Australian government says it is trying to set up an alternative arrangement to the Kyoto Protocol⁵. Australia and the United States have refused to ratify⁶ the protocol. The United States says the treaty does not place enough responsibility on developing countries to cut pollution and its costs would harm to the U.S. economy.

The 165 countries that ratified⁷ the Kyoto Protocol, which took effect last year, are legally committed to reducing their output of six carbon gasses believed most responsible for causing global warming.

Scientists point to carbon dioxide, methane⁸, and nitrous oxides as being three of several gasses that, in excess, form a barrier that prevents the sun's energy from radiating back into space, thus raising the earth's temperature. 

Such climate change has been linked to more frequent occurrences of drought, flooding, hurricanes, forest fires, and increases in the number of malaria⁹ cases, rising sea levels and damage to crops.

1 bate   

v.压制；减弱；n.（制革用的）软化剂

参考例句：

• The cruel landlord would bate him no rent.那个狠心的地主不肯给他减租。
• I was unable to bate my enthusiasm.我无法抑制自己的热切的心情。

2 coastal   

adj.海岸的，沿海的，沿岸的

参考例句：

• The ocean waves are slowly eating away the coastal rocks.大海的波浪慢慢地侵蚀着岸边的岩石。
• This country will fortify the coastal areas.该国将加强沿海地区的防御。

3 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

4 cholera   

n.霍乱

参考例句：

• The cholera outbreak has been contained.霍乱的发生已被控制住了。
• Cholera spread like wildfire through the camps.霍乱在营地里迅速传播。

5 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。

6 ratify   

v.批准，认可，追认

参考例句：

• The heads of two governments met to ratify the peace treaty.两国政府首脑会晤批准和平条约。
• The agreement have to be ratify by the board.该协议必须由董事会批准。

7 ratified   

v.批准，签认（合约等）( ratify的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The treaty was declared invalid because it had not been ratified. 条约没有得到批准，因此被宣布无效。
• The treaty was ratified by all the member states. 这个条约得到了所有成员国的批准。

8 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。

9 malaria   

n.疟疾

参考例句：

• He had frequent attacks of malaria.他常患疟疾。
• Malaria is a kind of serious malady.疟疾是一种严重的疾病。