ENVIRONMENT REPORT - Global Warming Threatens Himalayas

ENVIRONMENT REPORT -June 14, 2002: Global Warming Threatens Himalayas

By Cynthia Kirk
Mount Everest
This is the VOA Special English ENVIRONMENT REPORT.

A new report says the Himalayan mountains of south Asia are threatened by the warming of the Earth’s climate.
The report says human activities are partly responsible for the warming temperatures. The climate changes
threaten people ’s lives, the local economy and the environment.

The United Nations Environment Program produced the report with the International Center for Integrated
Mountain Development, based in Nepal. It was released June fifth in connection with World Environment Day
and the United Nations Year of the Mountain.

The Himalayas are the highest mountain system in the world. They extend from Pakistan across Nepal and
Bhutan. The Himalayas include Mount Everest, the world’s highest mountain.

A team of mountain climbers from Britain, New Zealand and Chile recently traveled to the
Himalayas. They gathered information about the environment. They spoke¹ to Buddhist²
monks³, local people and other travelers about the condition of the world’s most famous
mountains. Their findings confirmed the U-N report. The mountain climbers found that
warmer weather has been melting huge mountains of ice in the Himalayas. These melting
glaciers⁵ are creating lakes that could overflow⁶ and flood wide areas.

Temperatures in the area have risen one degree Celsius⁷ during the past thirty years. Satellite
maps show that the glaciers are shrinking at a rate of thirty to forty meters each year.

The study identified almost five-thousand glacier⁴ lakes in Nepal and Bhutan. Researchers say
forty-four of these lakes could overflow during the next five years. U -N officials say this flooding could have
serious effects on local communities and the environment. However, they say it may be possible to remove water
from the lakes before they overflow and use that water to create energy.

Researchers say the Himalayas have been harmed by an increase in visitors to the area, over-cutting of trees and
other environmental destruction. Observers say community action is helping⁸ to restore the mountain
environment. However, U-N officials say the glacier melt in the Himalayas should be a warning to industrial
countries to reduce heat-trapping gases that cause global warming.

This VOA Special English ENVIRONMENT REPORT was written by Cynthia Kirk.

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1 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

2 Buddhist   

adj./n.佛教的，佛教徒

参考例句：

• The old lady fell down in adoration before Buddhist images.那老太太在佛像面前顶礼膜拜。
• In the eye of the Buddhist,every worldly affair is vain.在佛教徒的眼里，人世上一切事情都是空的。

3 monks   

n.修道士，僧侣( monk的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The monks lived a very ascetic life. 僧侣过着很清苦的生活。
• He had been trained rigorously by the monks. 他接受过修道士的严格训练。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 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。

5 glaciers   

冰河，冰川( glacier的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Glaciers gouged out valleys from the hills. 冰川把丘陵地带冲出一条条山谷。
• It has ice and snow glaciers, rainforests and beautiful mountains. 既有冰川，又有雨林和秀丽的山峰。 来自英语晨读30分（高一）

6 overflow   

v.(使)外溢，(使)溢出；溢出，流出，漫出

参考例句：

• The overflow from the bath ran on to the floor.浴缸里的水溢到了地板上。
• After a long period of rain,the river may overflow its banks.长时间的下雨天后，河水可能溢出岸来。

7 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。

8 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。