巴黎气候大会最新报道

AS IT IS 2015-12-06 The Latest From Paris: Climate Conference Update 巴黎气候大会最新报道

At the United Nations climate change summit in Paris this week, participants talked about natural disasters and how they impact the world’s most vulnerable populations.

The UN says that over the past 30 years, one of every $3 spent on development for countries was lost because of recurring¹ crisis. A total of $3.8 trillion has been lost. It is not just an economic loss these countries suffer from natural disasters, but social and environmental as well.

This affects 217 million people every year.

Oceans and other water resources were the focus of Wednesday’s sessions. The UN warns that failure to manage water resources hurts attempts to reduce poverty and reach goals to sustain resources.

On Tuesday, U.S. President Barack Obama called for some parts of any possible agreement reached to be legally binding². He said he believes that global security depends on decisive actions to slow down global warming.  

“This is an economic and security imperitive that we have to tackle now.”

Leaders at the U.N. Climate Summit are working on an agreement to keep global temperatures from rising more than two degrees Celsius³ above levels of the pre-Industrial Revolution (1760-1840) time .

Obama said he remains⁴ optimistic that climate change can be solved, and that world leaders can reach an agreement at the end of two weeks of negotiations⁵ in Paris. As he headed back to Washington Tuesday, he said he is “convinced that we are going to get big things done here.”

But, the U.S. president says, there will still be more work to do after that .

“And, by the way, we know that even with an optimistic outcome here in Paris, that we’ll still have more work to do, in order to ultimately achieve the goals that scientists say we need to achieve, to avert⁶ catastrophic damage.”

Earlier on Tuesday, the White House announced 73 U.S. companies are pledging support for action on climate change. The goals of the companies are to reduce emissions⁸ by up to 50 percent. Other goals include cutting their water usage by 80 percent, and buying 100 percent renewable energy.

U.S. businessman Bill Gates is the founder⁹ of the Microsoft computer company. He announced plans to team with 19 governments and 28 billionaires from 10 countries. They will create a multi-billion-dollar public-private group to finance clean and renewable energy research. 

The governments involved in Gates’ effort say they pledge to double their spending on clean-energy research over the next five years.

Discussions have also been about helping¹⁰ developing countries fight the effects of climate change. Also Tuesday, French President Francois Holland said France will give African countries $2.1 billion over the next four years.

The money will help countries in Africa develop renewable energy sources and replace fossil fuels. Those are the fuels blamed for climate change.

The U.S., China and India account for about half of the world’s emissions of carbon dioxide. That is the gas that traps heat in the atmosphere, and scientists say it is a leading cause of the rising global temperatures.

While in Paris, Obama met with Chinese President Xi Jinping before the conference opened. The U.S. pledged to cut emissions by 2025, and China set targets to top its emissions by about 2030. President Xi Jinping said the two countries have a common vision of what is needed in an agreement.

The U.S. president also met with India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Obama highlighted India’s work with a group to provide affordable¹¹ clean energy to developing countries.

Words in This Story

vulnerable –adj. easily hurt or harmed

legally binding – adj. enforceable by law

optimistic –adj. hopeful and confident about the future

achieve –v. reach or get something by effort  or skill

avert catastrophic damage – phrase.  to avoid a terrible disaster and damage

pledge – n. promise or agreement

emission⁷ (s) –n. act of producing or sending out energy or gas

renewable energy – n. sustainable energy that comes from the natural environment

1 recurring   

adj.往复的，再次发生的

参考例句：

• This kind of problem is recurring often. 这类问题经常发生。
• For our own country, it has been a time for recurring trial. 就我们国家而言，它经过了一个反复考验的时期。

2 binding   

有约束力的，有效的，应遵守的

参考例句：

• The contract was not signed and has no binding force. 合同没有签署因而没有约束力。
• Both sides have agreed that the arbitration will be binding. 双方都赞同仲裁具有约束力。

3 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。

4 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。

5 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。

6 avert   

v.防止，避免；转移(目光、注意力等)

参考例句：

• He managed to avert suspicion.他设法避嫌。
• I would do what I could to avert it.我会尽力去避免发生这种情况。

7 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。

8 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。

9 Founder   

n.创始者，缔造者

参考例句：

• He was extolled as the founder of their Florentine school.他被称颂为佛罗伦萨画派的鼻祖。
• According to the old tradition,Romulus was the founder of Rome.按照古老的传说，罗穆卢斯是古罗马的建国者。

10 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

11 affordable   

adj.支付得起的，不太昂贵的

参考例句：

• The rent for the four-roomed house is affordable.四居室房屋的房租付得起。
• There are few affordable apartments in big cities.在大城市中没有几所公寓是便宜的。