VOA标准英语2009年-Maldives Waits for World to Decide on

Experts predict if current global warming trends continue, Maldives, the lowest lying country in the world, could be completely submerged by rising sea levels in about a century's time

Phillip Walter Wellman | Maldives 03 December 2009

Maldivian President Mohammed Nasheed, second right, arrives for an underwater meeting of the Maldives' Cabinet to highlight the threat global warming poses to the lowest-lying nation on earth, in Girifushi, Maldives, 17 Oct 2009

"We have a right to survive like everybody else. Nobody who lives somewhere else in the world has the right to decide for us what our future is going to be," says Mohammed Waheed Hassan, Maldives Vice¹ President

Maldives officials say a global agreement to dramatically reduce carbon emissions³ is needed to save the country from rising sea levels, but they are not optimistic next week's U.N. Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen, Denmark will deliver the required regulations.

The people of Maldives say the sea brings life to their country, but scientists say it could, one day, take it away.

The nation, which is made up of more than a thousand small islands in the Indian Ocean, is the lowest lying in the world, with an average ground level of just 1.5 meters above water.  If current global warming trends continue, experts predict the country could be completely submerged by rising sea levels in about a century's time.

Assistant Director at the Maldives Environment Protection Agency, Ibrahim Mohamed, says warning signs are beginning to surface.

"We have been receiving reports of island erosion since 2005," said Mohamed.  "We have about 80 percent of the inhabited islands reporting coastal⁴ erosion."

Maldives leaders hope the Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen will help reverse the trend.

Thousands of delegates from nearly 200 countries will take part in the event that begins Monday.  Their aim is to construct an agreement for controlling greenhouse gas emissions that lead to rising temperatures.

Maldives Vice President Mohammed Waheed Hassan says participants will be in a position to save his country.

"We wish that they would come up with a legally binding⁵ treaty with levels of emission² that would save Maldives," said Hassan.  "This is our wish.  Do we expect this to happen?  We are not sure.  We have a feeling that we may not be able to achieve this now."

Like Waheed, most world leaders have given up hope a legal agreement imposing⁶ tough carbon caps can be reached in Copenhagen.  Instead, they say a politically binding pact⁷ with specific commitments by countries is more realistic.

A major point of contention⁸ in reaching an accord is deciding on how to balance the responsibilities of developed and developing countries.

For years, industrialized nations have enjoyed modern comforts while polluting the atmosphere, and it has been agreed that they should be held more accountable for reducing the world's CO2 levels. 

Meanwhile, the two largest countries, China and India, are becoming more developed and Beijing argues its emissions requirements should be more lax as it tries to catch up with the West.

Others disagree, they say if China and India are allowed to have reduced regulations, global climate change would accelerate at a significantly quicker pace.

As the debate continues, Maldives waits on the sidelines.  Vice President Waheed says the nation has looked into buying land in other countries in case its citizens are eventually forced to move abroad, but he says the world must take action before that happens.

"We have a right to survive like everybody else," he said.  "Nobody who lives somewhere else in the world has the right to decide for us what our future is going to be.  And that is why it is so unjust."

A Malé resident, 16-year-old Aminath Abdul Bari, says she does not know what to expect for the future, but says the situation she and her compatriots are in is not fair.

"We are simple Maldivians.  We are not damaging the world, we are not damaging our nation, but because of some things the so-called super powers like the USA, like Russia, like China do, we are suffering and they need to think about it," said Bari.  "They need to consider that there are little people who need their help right now.  We need them to stop their actions."

Tuesday, the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research announced melting ice on the continent could add to rising global sea levels.  It is believed waters could climb by 1.4 meters by 2100 unless measures to reduce pollution are taken.

In an effort to make sure the prediction does not turn into a reality, Maldives has pledged to become the world's first carbon-neutral nation.  President Mohamed Nasheed is to reinforce that promise when he leads the country's delegation⁹ in Copenhagen.

1 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

2 emission   

n.发出物，散发物；发出，散发

参考例句：

• Rigorous measures will be taken to reduce the total pollutant emission.采取严格有力措施，降低污染物排放总量。
• Finally,the way to effectively control particulate emission is pointed out.最后，指出有效降低颗粒排放的方向。

3 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。

4 coastal   

adj.海岸的，沿海的，沿岸的

参考例句：

• The ocean waves are slowly eating away the coastal rocks.大海的波浪慢慢地侵蚀着岸边的岩石。
• This country will fortify the coastal areas.该国将加强沿海地区的防御。

5 binding   

有约束力的，有效的，应遵守的

参考例句：

• The contract was not signed and has no binding force. 合同没有签署因而没有约束力。
• Both sides have agreed that the arbitration will be binding. 双方都赞同仲裁具有约束力。

6 imposing   

adj.使人难忘的，壮丽的，堂皇的，雄伟的

参考例句：

• The fortress is an imposing building.这座城堡是一座宏伟的建筑。
• He has lost his imposing appearance.他已失去堂堂仪表。

7 pact   

n.合同，条约，公约，协定

参考例句：

• The two opposition parties made an electoral pact.那两个反对党订了一个有关选举的协定。
• The trade pact between those two countries came to an end.那两国的通商协定宣告结束。

8 contention   

n.争论，争辩，论战；论点，主张

参考例句：

• The pay increase is the key point of contention. 加薪是争论的焦点。
• The real bone of contention,as you know,is money.你知道，争论的真正焦点是钱的问题。

9 delegation   

n.代表团；派遣

参考例句：

• The statement of our delegation was singularly appropriate to the occasion.我们代表团的声明非常适合时宜。
• We shall inform you of the date of the delegation's arrival.我们将把代表团到达的日期通知你。