高中英语Unit4 Global warming文章 Global Warming人教版选修六VIP免费

GlobalWarming:WhoseProblemisitAnyway?Itnolongerseemstomakeadifferencewhostartedtheglobalwarmingproblem,andby“problem,”Iamreferringtothelikelyenhancementofthenaturallyoccurringgreenhouseeffectasaresultofhumanactivities.Thoseactivitiesprimarilycenteronthereleaseofcarbondioxidethroughtheburningoffossilfuelssuchascoal,oilandnaturalgas.Otherheat-trappinggreenhousegasesincludemethane,nitrousoxideandchlorofluorocarbons(CFCs).Intheirmarchtoindustrialization,richcountrieshavebasicallysaturatedtheatmospherewiththeseheat-trappinggases.Eachyear,theatmosphericconcentrationofcarbondioxide(arguablythemostimportantofthegreenhousegases)increasesbymorethanapartpermillionbyvolume.Doesn’tthatsoundinfinitesimal?Itdoestome.But,infinitesimalconcentrationsbecomesignificantwhenaccumulatingintheatmosphereyearafteryear,ascarbondioxidehassincetheonsetoftheIndustrialRevolutioninthemid-1700s.Aswesettleintothe21stcentury,newmajorgreenhouse-gas-producingnationsareappearingonthescene,suchasIndiaandChina.Theywanttodeveloptheireconomies,andtheyhavearight,aswellasaresponsibility,totheircitizenstodoso.Buttheyarealsogoingtobeemittingalargershareofheat-trappinggases,overtakingtheindustrializedcountriesthathavebeenthedominantproducersofgreenhousegasesinthepast.Nowwhat?Acoupleofdecadesago,Ichosetodividetheobserversofglobalwarmingintothreegroups:hawks,dovesandowls.Inthemid-1980s,thereweresomehawks(thosewhoareconvincedbeyondareasonabledoubtthathumanactivitiesnotonlycan,but用心爱心专心alsoare,alteringthechemicalcompositionoftheatmosphereinwaysthatinfluenceglobalclimate);somedoves(thosewhobelievethatEarth’satmosphereissorobustthatitcanabsorbanyinsultthathumansmightdotoit.Besides,ifitgetsreallyserious,eithertechnologywillsaveus,orweAmericanscanmovenorthintoCanada);andmostlyowls(thosewholeaneithertowardthehawks’orthedoves’view,butarestillnotsurewhatthetruthis).Twenty-fiveyearslater,thehawkshaveincreasedinnumber,whilethedovesareaboutthesamewithmaybeafewmorevocalpersonalities.Andtheowls’numbershavereducedduetonewscientificinformation—appearinginthemediaalongsidescaryphotosofdisintegratingicesheetsintheAntarcticanddepletionofseaiceintheArctic,storiesaboutaseemingincreaseinvarious“superstorms,”andadvertisementsfromShellandBPtellingusthattheytooareworriedaboutglobalwarming.Since1985,however,anothercategoryhasemerged:theostrich.Theostrichesincludethosewhorefusetothinkaboutglobalwarmingasaproblem,whorefusetoconsideranynewscientificresearch,andwhothinkthatsomeonesomewherewillsolvethisproblembeforeitbecomesacrisis.Globalwarmingisnotahoax.Itactuallyhappensnaturally.Industrializationprocessesinrichcountriesandnowindevelopingonesareabettingthenaturallyoccurringgreenhouseeffect.Somesaywearespinningoutofcontrol,pointingtotheArcticasa“canaryintheglobalwarmingmine.”TheInuitareworried.Theyareontheproverbialfiringline,accordingtoscientistswhoremindusthata1degreewarminginthemid-latitudeswillbeassociatedwitha3to4degreewarminginthehigherlatitudes.Whatwearehearingfromthescientistsisthatweareatorneartippingpoints—irreversiblethresholdsofchange—forcertainspecies,countriesandcivilizations.用心爱心专心Butalthoughwetalkalotaboutdoingsomethingaboutglobalwarming,wedonothaveawholelotofmeaningfulaction.“Letthemeatcarbondioxide”seemstobethecurrentresponseofvariousgovernments,despitewordsofconcern.Isanyonetryingtocutbackoncarbondiox...