關注氣候峰會 學習環保詞匯
世界氣象組織在哥本哈根氣候峰會期間公布的一組數據表明，2000年至2009年可能是1850年以來最熱的10年，即將過去的2009年可能在歷史最熱年份中排名第五，而2010年則可能成為史上最熱年份。據氣象專家預測，受自然天氣形態和全球變暖的影響，2010年全球平均氣溫將普遍上升約1華氏度（相當于0.6攝氏度）。為應對“氣候懷疑論”者的質疑，世界氣象組織從100個科研組織收集了1700個簽名向氣候峰會方面聲明全球變暖數據的真實性，并指出全球變暖主要是由人類活動導致的。
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Next year will be the hottest on record, the Met Office has predicted, as scientists released the latest figures supporting evidence for climate change.
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Next year will be the hottest on record, the Met Office has predicted, as scientists released the latest figures supporting evidence for climate change.
A new forecast for 2010 predicted it will be almost 1F (0.6C) higher than the long term average of 57F (14C) across the globe as a result of natural weather patterns and global warming.
The figures, presented at the UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen, come as scientists released a statement claiming global warming is “unequivocal” following ‘Climategate’.
Climate sceptics allege that emails stolen from the University of East Anglia show scientists were willing to manipulate the data to show global warming.
In response the Met Office has gathered 1,700 signatures from 100 scientific institutions including the Royal Society.
It reads: “We, members of the UK science community, have the utmost confidence in the observational evidence for global warming and the scientific basis for concluding that it is due primarily to human activities.”
Earlier in the week the Met Office revealed that the noughties will be the warmest decade on record and 2009 will be the fifth warmest since the 1850s.
The new forecast predicted 2010 will be warmer than 1998, that was 0.9F (0.5C) above average and the hottest year on record so far. The warming is expected because of the El Nino, an atmospheric phenomenon over the Pacific, which warms the Southern Oceans.
The Met Office said the latest figures are also further evidence of the world warming.
However sceptics point out that the Met Office said 2007 would be the warmest on record, but it was not in the top five. The weather service also drew criticism for claiming this year’s wet summer would be a “BBQ” summer.
Lord Lawson of Blaby pointed out that temperatures have been constant since 2001 and accused the Met Office of “misrepresenting” the data to support the argument for global warming.
"As a result of the absence of any recorded 21st century warming trend, the formulation now favored by climate campaigners is that the last decade has been the warmest since records began,” he said. “It is rather as if the world's population had stopped rising and all the demographers could say was that global population had been the highest ever recorded.”
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(Agencies)
Vocabulary:
noughties: a cooler way of saying "2000s", 指2000－2009這個時間段。
（中國日報網英語點津 Helen 編輯）
