TED演讲:从大气中移除二氧化碳的新方法(9)

 But I want us to reflect a little bit again on negative emissions¹. 但是我想提醒大家再次对负排放进行反思。

Negative emissions should not be considered a silver bullet, 负排放不应该被当作是万全之策，

but they may help us if we continue to stall at cutting down on CO2 pollution worldwide. 但是它们可以在实现真正减少全球二氧化碳排放前帮我们争取一些时间。

But that's also why we have to be careful. 这也是为什么我们必须小心谨慎。

This approach is so alluring² that it can even be risky³, 这个方法是如此的诱人，甚至会产生负面效应，

as some may cling onto it as some kind of total solution to our climate crisis. 有些人过分依赖它，把它看作能彻底解决气候危机的方案。

It may tempt⁴ people to continue to burn fossil fuels 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. 它可以诱使人们每年365天，每天24小时，继续燃烧化石燃料。

I argue that we should not see negative emissions as a replacement⁵ for stopping pollution, 我认为我们不应该把负排放当成中断污染的替代品，

but rather, as an addition to an existing portfolio⁶ that includes everything, 相反的，应该把它当成现有的改善环境措施的一个附加品，

from increased energy efficiency to low-energy carbon to improved farming 从提高能源效率到低碳排放，再到优化农业，

will all collectively get us on a path to net-zero emissions one day. 总有一天，会让我们走上一条零碳排放的道路。

A little bit of self-reflection: my husband is an emergency physician. 我还想谈谈自己的一点反思：我的丈夫是一位急诊医师。

And I find myself amazed by the lifesaving work that he and his colleagues do each and every day. 他和同事每天从事的救死扶伤的工作令我大为惊叹。

Yet when I talk to them about my work on carbon capture, I find that they're equally amazed, 然而当我和他们谈起我与碳捕获相关的工作，他们也同样表示了赞叹，

and that's because combatting climate change by capturing carbon isn't just about saving a polar bear or a glacier⁷. 因为通过捕获碳来对抗气候变化并不只是关于拯救北极熊或者防止冰川融化。

It's about saving human lives. A synthetic⁸ forest may not ever be as pretty as a real one, 这是为了拯救人类。人工森林可能没有天然森林的美观，

but it could just enable us to preserve not only the Amazon, but all of the people that we love and cherish, 但是它不仅仅让我们保护有能力亚马逊，还能保护所有我们所爱的和珍惜的人，

as well as all of our future generations and modern civilization. Thank you. 以及所有的子孙后代和现代文明。谢谢。

 

1 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。

2 alluring   

adj.吸引人的，迷人的

参考例句：

• The life in a big city is alluring for the young people. 大都市的生活对年轻人颇具诱惑力。
• Lisette's large red mouth broke into a most alluring smile. 莉莎特的鲜红的大嘴露出了一副极为诱人的微笑。

3 risky   

adj.有风险的，冒险的

参考例句：

• It may be risky but we will chance it anyhow.这可能有危险，但我们无论如何要冒一冒险。
• He is well aware how risky this investment is.他心里对这项投资的风险十分清楚。

4 tempt   

vt.引诱，勾引，吸引，引起…的兴趣

参考例句：

• Nothing could tempt him to such a course of action.什么都不能诱使他去那样做。
• The fact that she had become wealthy did not tempt her to alter her frugal way of life.她有钱了，可这丝毫没能让她改变节俭的生活习惯。

5 replacement   

n.取代，替换，交换；替代品，代用品

参考例句：

• We are hard put to find a replacement for our assistant.我们很难找到一个人来代替我们的助手。
• They put all the students through the replacement examination.他们让所有的学生参加分班考试。

6 portfolio   

n.公事包；文件夹；大臣及部长职位

参考例句：

• He remembered her because she was carrying a large portfolio.他因为她带着一个大公文包而记住了她。
• He resigned his portfolio.他辞去了大臣职务。

7 glacier   

n.冰川，冰河

参考例句：

• The glacier calved a large iceberg.冰河崩解而形成一个大冰山。
• The upper surface of glacier is riven by crevasses.冰川的上表面已裂成冰隙。

8 synthetic   

adj.合成的，人工的；综合的；n.人工制品

参考例句：

• We felt the salesman's synthetic friendliness.我们感觉到那位销售员的虚情假意。
• It's a synthetic diamond.这是人造钻石。