每日英語跟讀 Ep.872: Steep fall in emissions during coronavirus is no cause for celebration
The sudden sharp fall in greenhouse gas emissions recorded in the early part of this year may seem like an environmental blessing, a breathing space as the world fights climate breakdown. Skies clear of aircrafts and streets free of cars have encouraged the return of nature and brought visions of a cleaner world.
今年前幾個月記錄到溫室氣體排放量急遽下降，乍看是環境的福氣，讓世界各國在對抗氣候崩壞之餘獲得喘息的空間。不再有飛機經過的天空、沒有車輛的街道，這些變化促進自然界恢復，同時帶來世界更乾淨的願景。
Carbon dioxide emissions had fallen by 17 percent on average by early April, according to a definitive study published in Nature Climate Change on May 19, as a result of the lockdown measures put in place around the world to tackle the coronavirus pandemic.
五月十九日刊登於《自然氣候變遷》的一篇決定性研究顯示，世界各國為了對抗武漢肺炎全球大流行，紛紛採取封城措施，導致四月上旬二氧化碳排放量平均降低百分之十七。
In fact, the unprecedented decline is “nothing to celebrate,” according to leading experts. It will be temporary and will make little difference to the world’s ability to meet the goals of the Paris agreement and stave off catastrophic levels of global heating. The causes of the steep fall, the economic convulsions and the possibility of lasting economic damage also mean urgent work must be done to repair the economy.
事實上，專家指出，這次史無前例的碳排放量下降「並不是值得慶賀的事」。它只是暫時性的，而且對於世界達成巴黎氣候協定目標、並且暫時阻止災難性全球熱化程度的能力，都不會造成太大的影響。導致碳排放量急遽下滑的原因、經濟的劇烈震盪，以及經濟重創恐將持續多年的可能性，意味著各國政府必須採取緊急措施以修復經濟。
“This decline in emissions, the biggest in history, is the result of economic trauma,” said Fatih Birol, the executive director of the International Energy Agency, whose own analysis backs up the Nature paper in showing that this is the biggest drop in carbon in history. “It is nothing to celebrate. It is not the result of policy. This decline will be easily erased if the right policy measures are not put in place.”
國際能源總署執行董事法提赫·比羅爾表示：「這次史上規模最大的碳排放下滑，是經濟受到重創的結果。」比羅爾自己的分析也為發表於《自然》子期刊的該篇研究背書，顯示這次碳排放量減少確實是史上最大降幅。不過，他指出：「這不是一件值得慶祝的事。它並不是政策的成果。如果正確的政策措施沒有到位，這次碳排放減少的成果很容易就會遭到抹滅。」
Dave Reay, a professor of carbon management at Edinburgh University, called the paper “sobering stuff” as it revealed that the massive changes made to cope with the pandemic would have only a minor effect on emissions, and the climate. “All those billions of lockdown sacrifices and privations have made just a small and likely transient dent in global greenhouse gas emissions. COVID-19 is no help on climate change — it is a devastating scourge.”
愛丁堡大學的碳管理教授戴夫‧瑞稱這篇論文「足以讓人警醒」，因為它揭露人類對抗全球疫情大流行做出的大規模改變，對於碳排放與氣候的影響非常小。他指出：「數十億人口在封城中做出的犧牲，忍受資源貧乏的生活，對於全球溫室氣體排放只造成規模很小、而且可能相當短暫的影響。新冠肺炎對於氣候變遷沒有幫助──這是一場毀滅性的災禍。」
“None of this is good news for anyone,” added Joeri Rogelj, a lecturer in climate change at the Grantham Institute at Imperial College London. “It is the symptom of a massive economic disruption caused by the pandemic and the measures to contain it. For the climate, this month-long wake in otherwise record-high emissions is entirely insignificant.”
倫敦帝國學院格蘭瑟姆研究所的氣候變遷講師喬爾利‧羅傑利補充表示：「這些新聞對任何人來說都不是好消息。」他解釋說：「（碳排放量降低）只是這場大規模經濟破壞的症狀，歸因於新冠肺炎全球大流行以及為防堵疫情採取的多項措施。對氣候而言，這一個月的醒悟，在其他時候屢屢創下紀錄新高的碳排放量中，顯得無足輕重。」
What is to come might be worse still, he warned, if governments around the world seek to kickstart the global economy out of its pandemic recession by pouring public money into projects that prop up existing industries and increase our dependence on fossil fuels. For instance, sectors including aviation, car manufacturing and fossil fuel production have been hard hit by the lockdowns, and many companies are hoping for bailouts using public money.
羅傑利警告，如果各國政府為了強力推動全球經濟，脫離疫情造成的衰退，因而把人民的納稅錢大量投入振興計畫，用來支持現有的產業，並且增加我們對化石燃料的依賴，那樣接下來的情況只會更糟。舉例而言，航空、汽車製造、以及化石燃料生產等產業都因為封城遭受巨大打擊，許多公司現在都在殷殷期盼來自稅金的紓困方案。
“Massive economic stimulus measures are now being announced and there is a high risk that short-sightedness will lead governments to lose track of the bigger picture by putting their money towards highly polluting sectors that have no place in a zero-pollution and zero-carbon society,” said Rogelj.
羅傑利指出：「現在各國政府開始公布巨型經濟刺激措施，在此同時，短視近利的風險也很高，這會導致政府失去對大局的掌握，將預算投入不受零污染和零碳社會歡迎的高污染產業。」
Campaigners said the world must make the right choices on how to rebuild after the pandemic. They have called, along with leading economists, for a green recovery that would concentrate any stimulus cash on projects that cut greenhouse gas emissions and other forms of pollution, as well as generating jobs and increasing prosperity.
環團人士表示，世界各國在研擬疫後重建時，必須做出正確的選擇。他們和多位重要經濟學者要求政府提出重視環保的復甦方案，將振興經濟的現金流集中在減少溫室氣體排放或其他污染型態的計畫，同時藉此創造就業機會，促進社會繁榮。
“When we move forward from this terrible situation, we have to make sure we hold on to the gains we’ve made in better air quality, lower carbon emissions and simple things like hearing birdsong,” said Jenny Bates, a campaigner at Friends of the Earth. “Councils should start by permanently changing how road space is used, allocating more to encourage walking and cycling, and making public transport work for everyone. Now is the time to scrap plans to expand airports and introduce a levy on the most frequent flyers.”
非政府組織「地球之友」的環保人士珍妮‧貝茨表示：「當我們逐漸走出這個可怕情況的同時，也要確保我們能守住努力的成果，包括較好的空氣品質、較低的碳排放量以及一些生活中的簡單事物，像是聽得見鳥鳴聲。」她建議：「議會開議時，應該從永久改變道路空間使用方式開始討論，把更多空間分給行人和自行車騎士，鼓勵無碳運輸，同時真正普及大眾運輸。現在，是時候中止各種擴建機場的計畫，並且對最頻繁搭乘飛機的乘客課稅。」
Governments facing such choices have a clear blueprint on how to ensure the recovery is green and sustainable, said Paul Morozzo, a senior climate campaigner at Greenpeace UK. “We know how to do it. We have to rebuild our cities around walking, cycling and public transport. We’ve got to create hundreds of thousands of jobs upscaling renewable energy and insulating people’s homes. Let’s learn from this tragedy, build back better and not make the mistake of ignoring the next crisis [of climate breakdown] heading our way.”
英國綠色和平組織的資深氣候倡議者保羅‧莫羅佐表示，目前正在面對這些選擇的政府，對於如何確保經濟復甦兼顧環保與永續發展，有著清楚的藍圖。他說：「我們知道該怎麼做。我們必須以步行、自行車、大眾運輸等作為重心，進行城市重建。我們也必須創造出數十萬個工作，協助再生能源升級、或是對一般民眾房屋進行隔熱絕緣工程。讓我們從這場悲劇中學到經驗，重建出更好的城市，不要犯下錯誤，忽略下一個朝我們迎面而來的（氣候崩壞）危機。」
Source article: https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang/archives/2020/05/31/2003737322
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