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本文是环保类话题,关键词是geo-engineering。全文如下:
AformerGovernmentchiefscientistoncetoldmethatweshouldalwayshaveaPlanBreadyincasePlanAdoesn’twork– ordoesn’thappen. Hewasspeakinginrelationtothepossibilityof“geo-engineering” theclimateifitbecomesobviousthatglobalwarmingisbeginningtotipirrevocablytowardsapotentiallydangerousstate.
HecouldonlysaythisoncehewasoutofofficeofcoursebecausetheofficialGovernmentviewatthetime– asitisnow– wasthat“thereisnoPlanB” inrelationtoclimatechange, thattheonlyconceivablewayofavoidingdangerousglobaltemperatureincreasesinthefutureistocurbtheproductionofgreenhousegasemissionsnow.
Geo-engineeringisdefinedasthedeliberate, large-scaleinterventionintheEarth’sclimatesysteminordertolimitundesirableclimatechange, butitisseenbymanyasatechnicalfixtoofar. Atitsmostoutlandish, geo-engineeringenvisagesputtinggiantmirrorsinspacetodeflectincomingsolarradiation, butitalsoincludesmorebenigninterventions, suchassolarpowered“artificialtrees” inthedesertforsoakingupcarbondioxideintheair.
DespitetheofficialviewoftherebeingnoPlanB, however, lastweek’sfifthreportbytheIntergovernmentalPanelonClimateChange(IPCC) hasplacedgeo-engineeringfirmlyontheagenda– evenifthescientificpanelratherdenigratestheideaasprobablyunworkableandpotentiallydangerous. Nevertheless, forsomecriticsofgeo-engineeringthemerementionoftheconceptinsuchanofficialandhigh-profilepublicationisenoughtoseered.
Indeed, theCanadian-basedETCGroupofenvironmentalists, perceivedaRussian-ledconspiracytosubverttheIPCCprocess. Russiahadinsistedontheadditionofgeo-engineeringtothereportanditisRussiawheremanygeo-engineeringprojectsarebeingtested, theETCGroupclaims.
Beforegettingcarriedawaywiththeinclusionforthefirsttimeofgeo-engineeringinanIPCCreport, itisworthpointingoutthatthepanelemphasisestheinherentflawsoftheproposalstocounterrisingtemperatures. Deflectingsunlightwithartificiallycreatedwhitecloudsovertheoceans, forinstance, woulddonothingtopreventtheacidificationoftheoceansand, ifithadtobestoppedforanyreason, globalsurfacetemperatureswouldsoonriseagainevenhigherthanbefore.
Inshort, ifwerelyonatechnicalfixtocombatclimatechange, ratherthanaddressingtherootproblem, wecouldbecomeaddictedtotheillusionthatalliswellwhen, infact, allthatwearedoingisdelayingtheinevitable, whileincreasingtheriskofsomeseriousunintendedconsequences, whichhistorytellsusareneverfarawayfrombigengineeringproposalsofthiskind.
Takeforinstancetherelativelysmall-scalegeo-engineeringprojecttodiverttheriversrunningintotheAralSeaoftheformerSovietUnion. HalfacenturyagotheAralSeawasthefourthlargestlakeintheworldwithathrivingcommercialfishery, butby2007 ithaddeclinedtoabout10 percentofitsoriginalsize, withfishingboatsstrandedinthemiddleofatoxicsaltpan.
SovietscientistsdivertedwaterfromtworiversrunningintotheAralSeatoirrigatefieldsofcottonandothercrops. Butintheendtheycreatedabarren, dustylandscapewhereoncetherewasaseafilledwithwildlife. ToxinsandsaltblownfromtheAral’sparchedbasementeventhreatenedtheverycropsthattheprojectwasmeanttogenerate.
Sowhensomepeopletalkaboutthepossibilityof“fixing” theclimatewithtechnologicalinterventionsratherthancutsincarbondioxideemissions, let’snotforgethistory. PerhapsHMGovernmentisright: thereisnoPlanB.
Talkingofcarbondioxide, IhavejustreturnedfromaninterestingvisittotheCzechRepublicwherehealthtourism, ratherthanbeingfrownedupon, ispositivelyencouraged.
Whathasthisgottodowithcarbondioxide, youmayask? Welloneofthemorecurious, ifnotbizarre“medical” treatmentsyoucanbuyisadipinadrybathofcarbondioxide. For20 minutesorsoyoubatheeverythingbelowyourwaist(fullyclothed) inanatmosphereof“natural” carbondioxidepumpedfromundergroundsources.
ItissaidbythosewhosellittocurearangeofconditionsandevenactslikeadoseofViagra. StrictlyintheinterestsofscienceIvolunteered. Iintendtopublishmyfindingsinapeer-reviewedscientificjournal– thatisifIcanfindonepreparedtooverlookmylimitedsetofdatapoints.
本文后附上三个题目:
1. Whatisgeo-engineering? Whatarethepossibleinternationalmeasuresofgeo-engineering?
2. Whataretheviewsofthecriticsofgeo-engineering?
3. Whydoestheauthorintroducethesmallscalegeo-engineeringproject?
从题目中可以看出,本文的中心词是geo-engineering,文章对geo-engineering还提出了相当的质疑,并提出可以实验小型geo-engineering。从文章第三段开始,可以找到geo-engineering的定义。接着正好是各国可以采用的手段和人们提出的质疑。文章后三段相熟了小型的geo-engineering。
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