气候变化或使中东部分地区不适宜于居住

AS IT IS 2016-05-04 Climate Change Could Make Parts of Middle East Unlivable 气候变化或使中东部分地区不适宜于居住

Climate change may make parts of the Middle East too hot for human beings, according to a new study.

Researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry and the Cyprus Institute studied weather conditions in the Middle East since 1970. The researchers say “very hot” days in the area have doubled over that period.

Right now, over 500 million people live there.

“In [the] future, the climate in large parts of the Middle East and North Africa could change …,” says Jos Lelieveld, director at the Max Planck Institute and a professor at the Cyprus Institute. He added that because temperatures could get so high, those living in the area could be at risk.

Researchers say temperatures in summer in the Middle East and North Africa will continue rising. The nights and days will be hotter, too.

The researchers believe that by 2050, temperatures will not fall below 30 degrees Celsius¹ at night in the hottest part of summer. During this period, day-time temperatures could rise to 46 degrees Celsius.

Extreme heat could continue past the middle of the 21st century. Researchers think temperatures in the middle of the day could reach as high as 50 Celsius. Heat waves could increase, and those hot periods are likely to last longer.

"If mankind continues to release² carbon dioxide as it does now, people living in the Middle East and North Africa will have to expect about 200 unusually hot days," says Panos Hadjinicolaou, a climate change expert with the Cyprus Institute.

The researchers also looked at the amount of “fine particulate³ air pollution” in the Middle East. They found that the amount of dust in the atmosphere over Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Syria jumped 70 percent since the start of the century. This, they say, could have resulted from an increase in the number of sand storms caused by climate change.

The researchers created two models. In one model, rising temperatures are limited because of reductions⁴ in greenhouse⁵ gases. Studies have linked production of such gases to rising temperatures. The other model is said to be a “business as usual” model where nothing is done to stop climate change.

Under both models, the future of the Middle East is not good, the researchers say. They added that climate change can result in a slow worsening of living conditions for people in North Africa and the Middle East. They also said sooner or later, many people may have to leave the region⁶.

Words in This Story

according – adj. as stated by or in

Celsius – adj. relating to or having a scale for measuring temperature on which the boiling point of water is at 100 degrees and the freezing point of water is at 0 degrees

carbon dioxide – n. a gas that is produced when people and animals breathe out or when certain fuels are burned and that is used by plants for energy

greenhouse gases – n. gases that trap heat in the atmosphere, which makes the Earth warmer

1 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。

2 release   

vt.发布，发表，发行；释放，放开

参考例句：

• After my examination I had a feeling of release.考完试后我有如释重负之感。
• This medicine will give you release from pain.这药吃后会解除你的疼痛。

3 particulate   

adj.微小的；n.微粒，粒子

参考例句：

• A special group was organized to dig up the particulate of the case.成立了一个专门小组来查明该案件的各个细节。
• Lungs retain relatively insoluble particulate material.肺脏内留有不溶解的颗粒物质。

4 reductions   

减少( reduction的名词复数 )； 降低； [数学]约简； [摄影术]减薄

参考例句：

• Many companies have announced dramatic reductions in staff. 许多公司已经宣布大幅裁员。
• The forthcoming talks hold out the hope of real arms reductions. 即将举行的会谈给实现真正的裁军带来了希望。

5 greenhouse   

n.花房，温室，玻璃暖房

参考例句：

• Behind the green house was a greenhouse.在那所绿房子后面是一个花房。
• The tomatoes were grown in the greenhouse.这些西红柿是在温室栽培的。

6 region   

n.地区，地带，区域；范围，幅度

参考例句：

• The students went to study the geology of that region.学生们去研究那个地区的地质情况。
• It is unusual to see snow in this region.这个地区难得见到雪。