 The Earth's temperature in the year 2001 is expected to be the second highest since global records began 140 years ago, the UN weather agency said.
The World Meteorological Organization said the warming temperatures led to an increase in the severity and frequency of storms and droughts and other unusual weather conditions.
"Temperatures are getting hotter, and they are getting hotter faster now than at any time in the past," said Michel Jarraud, the organization's deputy secretary-general. Nine of the 10 warmest years in the last four decades have occurred since 1990, and temperatures are rising three times faster than in the early 1900s, he said. This year's global average surface temperature was expected to be 57.96 Fahrenheit, the World Meteorological Organization said. The record, set in 1998, was 58.24 Fahrenheit. "Much of the temperature change is down to human influence," said Ken Davidson, director of the organization's climate program department. "There are always skeptics on everything, but certainly the evidence we have today shows we do have global warming, and that most of this is due to human action." Carbon dioxide produced from burning fossil fuels is the most prevalent of the so-called greenhouse gases, whose growing concentration in the atmosphere is thought to be warming the Earth. Many scientists believe the warming, if not stopped, will cause severe climate changes over the next century. Few critics disagree that global warming exists. But opinions diverge when scientists forecast the severity of the temperature hikes and their effects, with many skeptics believing the earth's atmosphere will adjust to changes. At a two-week conference in Morocco last month, negotiators from 165 countries agreed on rules for implementing the 1997 Kyoto Protocol, which calls on about 40 industrialized nations to limit carbon emissions or cut them to below 1990 levels. The United States, the world's largest polluter, has rejected the accord. It argues that the treaty would harm the U.S. economy and says it is unfair because it excuses heavily polluting developing countries like India and China from any obligations. Jarraud said that while greenhouse gas emissions in 2100 can't be predicted, "continued pollution at today's rate - or faster - presents several risks, especially a rise in sea-levels" as polar ice melts. "Many of the world's fastest developing cities are by the sea, and they could face floods, land erosion, and the pollution by salt water of fresh water supplies," he said. (Agencies) | 據聯合國氣象署報道，自從人類在140年前開始記錄全球溫度以來，2001年全球平均溫度達到了歷史上第二高度。 世界氣象組織稱，全球范圍的氣候變暖已經造成了風暴、旱災的加劇和頻繁發生，以及其它異常氣候的出現。 該組織的副秘書長麥克·雅羅說："全球的氣溫正在日益升高，而且升高的速度已經超過了以往任何時期。" 雅羅說，在過去40年中，年均氣溫排在前10位的年份有9年出現在1990年以后，現在全球溫度的增長速度已經達到了90年代初的3倍。 世界氣象組織稱，今年全球平均地面溫度將達到57.96華氏度（約14.42攝氏度），而歷史上的最高記錄是1998年的58.24華氏度（約14.58攝氏度）。 該組織氣象節目制作部門的負責人肯·戴維森說："全球氣溫變化很大程度上是人為原因造成的。人們總是對一切事情都持懷疑態度，但是現在所有的證據都表明我們的地球正在變暖，而且主要原因是人類自身的活動。" 人類燃燒礦物燃料（主要是煤）釋放出的二氧化碳是造成所謂的"溫室效應"的最主要原因。二氧化碳在大氣中的含量不斷增加造成了地球氣溫的升高。許多科學家認為，如果不對溫室效應加以控制，它將會導致下個世紀的氣候嚴重惡化。 但是也有少數科學家并不同意全球變暖的看法，即便是同意這一看法的科學家，在氣溫升高的速度及其影響等問題上也是各持己見，其中一些科學家認為地球的大氣層能夠通過自我調節來適應氣溫的變化。 上個月在摩洛哥舉行了為期兩周的討論會，來自165個國家的談判代表表示將嚴格執行1997年在日本制定的《京都議定書》，并呼吁世界上近40個工業國家將二氧化碳的排放量控制在1990年的水平以下。  然而世界上最大的環境污染者--美國對此卻頗有微詞，認為《京都議定書》阻礙了美國的經濟發展，該議定書只針對發達國家，使得印度和中國等同樣對環境造成污染的發展中國家得以逃避減排義務，這樣是不公平的。
雅羅說，盡管人類還無法預測到2100年全球的二氧化碳排放量，但是如果環境污染繼續以目前的速度（或者更快的速度）加劇，人類將會面臨若干威脅，其中最突出的威脅是海平面的升高，因為氣溫的升高，現在地球兩極的冰雪正在不斷融化。 他說："世界上許多發展最迅速的城市都是沿海城市，它們將要面臨洪水、土壤侵蝕以及海水倒灌引起的淡水供應緊張等威脅。" (中國日報網站譯) |
Updated: 2001-12-24 01:00
