VOA慢速：研究表明地球处于危险之中
Study: Earth Is in Danger
刘立军 供稿
TRANSCRIPT
Earth is now considered to be in a "danger zone," a new study says.
An international group of scientists called Earth Commission did the study. It appeared in the publication Nature.
The researchers report that conditions on Earth have pushed past seven of eight safety limits established by science. The experts say the planet is very sick and all life, humans included, face extreme risks as a result.
The study examines climate, air pollution, fertilizer pollution in water, groundwater supplies, fresh surface water, the unbuilt natural environment and the larger human-built environment. The research shows each of those areas have passed into dangerous conditions worldwide. Only air pollution is within the identified safety zone, the scientists report.
However, the report notes that air pollution is dangerous at local levels.
The study found problem "hot spot" areas throughout the world, much of it from climate change. About two-thirds of Earth does not meet safe levels for freshwater supply, scientists said.
Joyeeta Gupta is the Earth Commission co-chair and professor of environment at the University of Amsterdam. She told reporters that if planet Earth went to a medical exam, "our doctor would say that the Earth is really quite sick right now and it is also affecting the people living on Earth."
But the planet can recover if people make changes, the researchers report. Such reforms would include reducing the use of coal, oil and natural gas and improving treatment of land and water, the scientists said.
But "we are moving in the wrong direction on basically all of these," said study lead author Johan Rockstrom, from the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research in Germany.
The team of about 40 scientists created measurable boundaries for each environmental category. They decided the level where it is safe for the planet. The point at which it becomes harmful for groups of people, the researchers called a justice issue.
Rockstrom said he thinks of those points as setting up "a safety fence'' outside of which the risks become higher, but not necessarily disastrous.
Rockstrom and other scientists have attempted in the past this type of measuring of Earth's connected ecosystems. The big difference in this attempt is that scientists also looked at local and area levels and added the idea of justice.
The justice part includes fairness between young and old generations, different nations and even different species. Frequently, it applies to conditions that harm people more than the planet.
An example of that is climate change.
The report uses the same boundary of 1.5 degrees Celsius of warming that international leaders agreed upon in the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement. The world has so far warmed about 1.1 degrees Celsius so it has not crossed that safety fence, Rockstrom and Gupta said. But that does not mean people are not being hurt.
"What we are trying to show through our paper is that even at 1 degree Centigrade there is a huge amount of damage taking place," Gupta said.
The planetary safety boundary of 1.5 degrees has not been reached. But the "just" boundary of 1 degree where people are hurt has been.
Stanford environmental studies head Chris Field was not part of the research. He said he would want even more strict boundaries.
"Sustainability and justice are inseparable," he said.
I'm Dan Novak.
VOCABULARY
1. planetary adj. relating to a planet or planets 行星的。例如：a planetary system 行星系
2. sustainability n. 持续性
QUESTIONS
Listen to the news and choose the best answer to each question you hear.
1. According to the study, how many safety limits have conditions on Earth surpassed?
A) Four.
B) Seven.
C) Eight.
D) Nine.
2. Which of the following areas is still within the identified safety zone?
A) Climate.
B) Air pollution.
C) Fresh surface water.
D) Groundwater supplies.
3. What is the main cause of the problem "hot spot" areas mentioned in the study?
A) Fertilizer pollution in water.
B) Freshwater supply shortage.
C) Climate change.
D) Air pollution.
4. What kind of reforms do the researchers suggest in order to help the planet recover?
A) Reducing the use of coal, oil, and natural gas.
B) Improving treatment of land and water.
C) Increasing the use of renewable energy sources.
D) All of the above.
5. What does the "just" boundary of 1 degree refer to?
A) The point at which Earth is considered sick.
B) The level of warming agreed upon in the Paris Climate Agreement.
C) The point at which people are being hurt by climate change.
D) The level where it becomes harmful for groups of people.
KEY
1. According to the study, how many safety limits have conditions on Earth surpassed?
A) Four.
B) Seven.
C) Eight.
D) Nine.
【答案】B
【解析】推理题。根据文章中的描述，研究人员报告称，地球上的条件已经超过了科学界设立的八个安全限制中的七个。选项B与文章内容相符。
2. Which of the following areas is still within the identified safety zone?
A) Climate.
B) Air pollution.
C) Fresh surface water.
D) Groundwater supplies.
【答案】B
【解析】细节题。选项B) Air pollution是唯一在识别的安全区域内的选项。
3. What is the main cause of the problem "hot spot" areas mentioned in the study?
A) Fertilizer pollution in water.
B) Freshwater supply shortage.
C) Climate change.
D) Air pollution.
【答案】C
【解析】细节题。根据文章中的描述，问题“热点”区域主要是由于气候变化引起的。选项C) Climate change与文章内容相符。
4. What kind of reforms do the researchers suggest in order to help the planet recover?
A) Reducing the use of coal, oil, and natural gas.
B) Improving treatment of land and water.
C) Increasing the use of renewable energy sources.
D) All of the above.
【答案】D
【解析】细节题。根据文章中的描述，研究人员建议通过减少使用煤炭、石油和天然气以及改善土地和水资源的处理来帮助地球恢复。选项D) All of the above包括了所有这些建议。
5. What does the "just" boundary of 1 degree refer to?
A) The point at which Earth is considered sick.
B) The level of warming agreed upon in the Paris Climate Agreement.
C) The point at which people are being hurt by climate change.
D) The level where it becomes harmful for groups of people.
【答案】C
【解析】推理题。根据文章中的描述，“just” boundary of 1 degree是指人们受到气候变化伤害的程度。选项C) The point at which people are being hurt by climate change与文章内容相符。
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