美科學家：地球氣候達到危險臨界點Earth's Climate Approaches Dangerous Tipping Point

摘譯自2007年6月1日ENS美國，紐約州，
紐約報導；游珮綺編譯；莫聞審校

氣候科學家1日對全球暖化提出嚴厲的警告，並表示全球暖化現象已到了不可逆轉的轉捩點，然而布希政府卻試圖封鎖這名科學家的相關言論。

美國太空總署哥大德太空研究院院長韓森（James Hansen），1日發表了一項研究，顯示人類活動所排放的溫室氣體已讓地球氣候臨近嚴重的臨界點，可能對地球造成危險的後果。

韓森博士表示，如果全球的二氧化碳排放量持續以最近十年的速度上升，從研究中顯示這將會造成災難性的後果，包括導致海平面上升速度越來越快、旱災和洪水發生頻率增加，以及因為氣候帶的快速轉變使得野生動植物的壓力增高。

NEW YORK, New York, June 1, 2007 (ENS)

A stern warning that global warming is nearing an irreversible tipping point was issued today by the climate scientist who the Bush administration has tried to muzzle.

James Hansen, director of NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies in New York, today published a study showing that greenhouse gases emitted by human activities have brought the Earth’s climate close to critical tipping points, with potentially dangerous consequences for the planet.

"If global emissions of carbon dioxide continue to rise at the rate of the past decade," said Dr. Hansen, "this research shows that there will be disastrous effects, including increasingly rapid sea level rise, increased frequency of droughts and floods, and increased stress on wildlife and plants due to rapidly shifting climate zones."


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