VOA常速英语2007-Scientists Say 'Most Accurate' Climate Report Fo

By Phil Mercer
Sydney
05 October 2007

Australia's main scientific research agency says it has produced the most accurate projections¹ of climate change ever made - and the outlook is not good for Australia. Phil Mercer reports from Sydney, where the gloomy figures were presented this week to delegates at a major international conference on climate change.

 

The report comes from Australia's Commonwealth² Scientific and Industrial Research Organization, or CSIRO.

Scientists there told an environment conference in Sydney that average temperatures across Australia will rise by about 1 degree by 2030, and possibly by a further 5 degrees by 2070.

 

Rainfall patterns are likely to be affected³ too, making droughts more severe.

 

The CSIRO report says these climate-change projections are the most accurate ever produced.

 

Scott Power is the head of climate research at the Bureau of Meteorology, and he worked with CSIRO on the report. He says there is little doubt left that the warming of the planet is due to man-made factors.

 

"If we want to avoid those most serious and most worrying projections then we have to dramatically reduce the emissions⁴," he said. "We're more confident now than ever before that the bulk of the warming we've seen over the last 50 years or so is due to human activity, due to the release of greenhouses gases that's occurred over the last 150 years."

The CSIRO report says the agency is convinced that the burning of fossil fuels is contributing to rising temperatures, even though some climate experts believe it is all part of a natural cycle.

Australia pumps out more so-called greenhouse gases per person than almost any other country in the world.

 

The country's emissions come principally from electricity generation, the majority of which is produced by coal-fired power stations.

 

CSIRO's predictions were presented at the "Greenhouse 2007" conference held earlier this week in Sydney. It drew climate scientists, policy makers⁵ and industry representatives from around the world.

 

Prime Minister John Howard has insisted he is taking the environmental challenges seriously. But his conservative government has refused to ratify⁶ the Kyoto Protocol⁷ on climate change, saying it would cost jobs and damage Australia.

1 projections   

预测( projection的名词复数 )； 投影； 投掷； 突起物

参考例句：

• Their sales projections are a total thumbsuck. 他们的销售量预测纯属估计。
• The council has revised its projections of funding requirements upwards. 地方议会调高了对资金需求的预测。

2 commonwealth   

n.共和国，联邦，共同体

参考例句：

• He is the chairman of the commonwealth of artists.他是艺术家协会的主席。
• Most of the members of the Commonwealth are nonwhite.英联邦的许多成员国不是白人国家。

3 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

4 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。

5 makers   

n.制造者，制造商（maker的复数形式）

参考例句：

• The makers of the product assured us that there had been no sacrifice of quality. 这一产品的制造商向我们保证说他们没有牺牲质量。
• The makers are about to launch out a new product. 制造商们马上要生产一种新产品。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 ratify   

v.批准，认可，追认

参考例句：

• The heads of two governments met to ratify the peace treaty.两国政府首脑会晤批准和平条约。
• The agreement have to be ratify by the board.该协议必须由董事会批准。

7 protocol   

n.议定书，草约，会谈记录，外交礼节

参考例句：

• We must observe the correct protocol.我们必须遵守应有的礼仪。
• The statesmen signed a protocol.那些政治家签了议定书。