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  • 防止气候变化 -- -- 高级

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    Is the Earth really fragile?
    ::地球真的脆弱吗?

    Maybe not the planet, but how about the ? It may soon be hard to argue that global climate change does not exist. Climate change can definitely be seen in numerous ecosystems. So what will we do about it?
    ::也许不是这个星球,而是这个星球呢?也许不久就很难说全球气候变化并不存在。 气候变化在众多的生态系统中肯定可以看到。 那么,我们该怎么办呢?

    Preventing Climate Change
    ::防止气候变化

    Basically, greenhouse gases are products of fossil fuel combustion; according to the EPA, more than 90% of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions come from burning oil, coal, and natural gas. Therefore, energy use is the primary target for attempts to reduce future global warming. In Figure you can see the sources of emission for three major greenhouse gases in 2000, when CO 2 was 72% of the total, CH 4 18%, and NO 9%. Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs, HCFCs, and HFCs) are also greenhouse gases; refer to the lesson on The Atmosphere for more information about them.
    ::基本上,温室气体是化石燃料燃烧的产物;根据美国环保局的数据,90%以上的美国温室气体排放来自燃烧石油、煤炭和天然气。 因此,能源使用是试图减少未来全球变暖的首要目标。 从图中可以看出2000年三种主要温室气体的排放源,当时二氧化碳占总量的72%,即CH4 18%和NO 9%。 氯氟化碳(氯氟烃、氟氯烃和氢氟碳化合物)也是温室气体;关于大气的更多信息,请参考关于大气的教训。

    lesson content

    Global greenhouse emissions during 2002 show sources for each of the three major greenhouse gases. Knowing the causes makes finding solutions clear, but not necessarily easy!
    ::2002年全球温室气体排放量显示了三种主要温室气体的每一种来源,了解原因可以明确找到解决办法,但不一定容易!

    Knowing the causes of climate change allows us to develop potential solutions. Direct causes include combustion of fossil fuels, deforestation and other land use changes, cattle production, , and use of chlorofluorocarbons. Runaway effects can result from temperature-dependent release of methane from permafrost and ocean sediments, and forest fires or intentional burning. Unfortunately, the best way to avoid runaway effects is to prevent temperature increases. Prevention, then, should address as many of these causes as possible. A partial list of solutions being considered and adopted follows.
    ::了解气候变化的原因使我们能够制定潜在的解决方案,直接原因包括化石燃料燃烧、毁林和其他土地使用变化、牛产量和使用氯氟化碳,长期冻土和海洋沉积物中甲烷的温度依赖释放以及森林火灾或故意燃烧,从而产生逃逸效应。不幸的是,避免离散效应的最佳方式是防止温度上升。因此,预防应当尽可能多地解决这些原因。下面是审议和通过的部分解决方案清单。

    1. Reduce energy use.
      ::减少能源使用。
    2. Switch to cleaner “alternative” energy sources, such as hydrogen, solar, wind, geothermal, waste methane, and/or biomass .
      ::改用较清洁的“替代”能源,如氢、太阳能、风能、地热、废甲烷和/或生物量。
    3. Increase fuel efficiencies of vehicles, buildings, power plants, and more.
      ::提高车辆、建筑物、发电厂等的燃料效率。
    4. Increase carbon (CO 2 ) sinks , which absorb CO 2 - e.g., by planting forests.
      ::增加吸收二氧化碳的碳汇(CO2),例如通过植树造林吸收二氧化碳。
    5. Cap emissions release, through national and/or international legislation, alone or in combination with carbon offset options (see below).
      ::通过国家和/或国际立法,单独或结合碳抵消备选办法(见下文),上限排放释放。
    6. Sell or trade carbon offsets or carbon credits, known as carbon offsetting . Credits or offsets exchange reductions in CO 2 or greenhouse emissions (tree-planting, investment in alternative energy sources, methane capture technologies) for rights to increase CO 2 (personally, as for air travel, or industry-wide).
      ::碳抵消或碳信用额(即碳抵消额)的销售或交易; 碳抵消或碳信用额(即碳抵消额); 二氧化碳或温室气体排放(树木栽培、替代能源投资、甲烷捕获技术)的汇兑减少额,以获得增加CO2(个人,如航空旅行或全行业)的权利。
    7. Key urban planning to energy use, e.g., efficient public transportation.
      ::能源使用的关键城市规划,例如高效公共交通。
    8. Develop planetary engineering : radical changes in technology (such as building solar shades of dust, sulfates, or microballoons in the stratosphere), culture ( control), or the (e.g. iron-seeding of the oceans to produce more phytoplankton to absorb more CO 2 ).
      ::发展行星工程:技术的根本性变化(如在平流层中建造灰尘、硫酸盐或微球的太阳阴影)、培养(控制)或海洋(如海洋的铁种子,以产生更多的浮游植物来吸收更多的二氧化碳)。
    9. Legislate Action: International agreements such as the 2005 Kyoto Protocol (which the US has not yet ratified), or national carbon taxes or caps on emissions. Interestingly, in the U.S., some States and groups of States are taking the lead here.
      ::立法行动:美国尚未批准的2005年《京都议定书》等国际协议,或国家碳税或排放上限。 有趣的是,在美国,一些国家和国家集团正在这里起带头作用。
    10. Set goals of carbon neutrality: in 2007, the Vatican announced plans to become the first carbon-neutral state , This involves carbon sequestration .
      ::一套碳中和目标:2007年,梵蒂冈宣布计划成为第一个碳中和国家,这涉及碳固存。
    11. Support developing nations in their efforts to industrialize and increase standards of living without adding to greenhouse gas production.
      ::支持发展中国家努力实现工业化和提高生活水平,而不增加温室气体的生产。

    Every potential solution has costs and benefits which must be carefully considered. Human health, cultural diversity, socioeconomics, and political impacts must be considered and kept in balance . For example, nuclear power involves fewer greenhouse gas emissions, but adds the new problems of longterm radioactive waste transport and storage, danger of radiation exposure to humans and the environment, centralization of power production, and limited supplies of “clean” uranium fuels. Studies of costs and benefits can result in solutions which make effective tradeoffs and therefore progress toward the goal of lowering greenhouse gases and minimizing future global warming.
    ::每个潜在解决方案都有成本和效益,必须仔细考虑。 人类健康、文化多样性、社会经济以及政治影响必须加以考虑并保持平衡。 比如,核能涉及温室气体的排放减少,但又增加了长期放射性废物的运输和储存、辐射暴露对人类和环境的危险、电力生产集中化和“清洁”铀燃料供应有限等新问题。 成本和效益研究可以产生有效取舍的解决办法,从而在实现减少温室气体和尽量减少未来全球变暖的目标方面取得进展。

    We have reached the point where we understand how and the extent to which our activities have destabilized the Earth’s atmosphere and reduced and threatened its ecosystem services. Now we need to move one step further, and put our knowledge to work in the form of action.
    ::我们已经到了我们理解我们的活动如何破坏地球大气层稳定、减少和威胁其生态系统服务的地步。 现在我们需要更进一步,使我们的知识以行动的形式发挥作用。

    What will you do to help?
    ::你要帮什么忙?

    Summary
    ::摘要

    • Most greenhouse gases are products of fossil fuel combustion, so reduced use, increased efficiency, and alternative fuel development are primary means of prevention of climate change.
      ::大多数温室气体是矿物燃料燃烧的产品,因此,减少使用、提高效率和替代性燃料开发是防止气候变化的主要手段。
    • CO 2 uptake can be increased by eliminating deforestation, reforestation, and green roofs technology.
      ::可通过消除毁林、重新造林和绿色屋顶技术增加二氧化碳的吸收。
    • Legislation from local to international levels can cap emissions and develop carbon offset trading.
      ::从地方到国际一级的立法可以限制排放量,并发展碳抵消交易。
    • Careful urban planning can increase the efficiency of transportation and energy use.
      ::仔细的城市规划可提高运输和能源使用的效率。
    • Planetary engineering could enact radical changes in technology, culture, or the biosphere.
      ::行星工程可以使技术、文化或生物圈发生根本性变化。
    • Support of third world efforts to develop without adding greenhouse gases could improve global stability.
      ::支持第三世界努力发展而不增加温室气体,可以改善全球稳定。
    • Every potential solution has costs and benefits which must be carefully considered; tradeoffs are necessary.
      ::每一种潜在解决办法都有成本和效益,必须认真考虑这些成本和效益;必须权衡利弊。

    Review
    ::回顾

    1. What is meant by a carbon neutral state?
      ::什么是碳中性国家?
    2. Distinguish between and describe the importance to global warming prevention of carbon sequestration, carbon sinks, carbon offsets, and emission caps.
      ::区分并描述全球升温预防碳固存、碳汇、碳抵消和排放上限对全球升温的重要性。