Overlapping environmental crises could tip the planet into 'global systemic collapse,' more than 200 top scientists warned Wednesday.
超過(guò)200名頂尖科學(xué)家周三警告說(shuō)，重疊的環(huán)境危機可能使地球陷入“全球系統性崩潰”。
Climate change, extreme weather events from hurricanes to heatwaves, the decline of life-sustaining ecosystems, food security and dwindling stores of fresh water – each poses a monumental challenge to humanity in the 21st century.
氣候變化，從颶風(fēng)到熱浪的極端天氣事件，維持生命的生態(tài)系統的衰落，糧食安全和淡水儲備的減少，每一個(gè)都對21世紀的人類(lèi)構成了巨大的挑戰。
Out of 30 global-scale risks, these five topped the list both in terms of likelihood and impact, according to scientists surveyed by Future Earth, an international research organisation.
國際研究組織“未來(lái)地球”(Future Earth)調查的科學(xué)家們表示，在30個(gè)全球規模的風(fēng)險中，這5個(gè)風(fēng)險在可能性和影響方面都位居榜首。
In combination, they 'have the potential to impact and amplify one another in ways that might cascade to create global systemic collapse,' a team led by Maria Ivanova, a professor at the Center for Governance and Sustainability at the University of Massachusetts, said in a 50-page report.
馬薩諸塞大學(xué)治理與可持續發(fā)展中心教授瑪麗亞·伊萬(wàn)諾娃(Maria Ivanova)領(lǐng)導的一個(gè)團隊在一份50頁(yè)的報告中說(shuō)，它們的結合“有可能以可能引發(fā)全球系統性崩潰的方式相互影響和放大”。
Extreme heat waves, for example, speed global warming by releasing planet-warming gases from natural sources, even as they intensify water crises and food scarcity.
例如，極端熱浪通過(guò)從自然來(lái)源釋放導致地球變暖的氣體來(lái)加速全球變暖，即使它們加劇了水危機和糧食短缺。
Biodiversity loss, meanwhile, weakens the capacity of natural and agricultural systems to cope with climate extremes, also putting food supplies at risk.
與此同時(shí)，生物多樣性的喪失削弱了自然和農業(yè)系統應對極端氣候的能力，也使糧食供應面臨風(fēng)險。
Scientists worry especially that rising temperatures could tip the planet's climate system into a self-perpetuating spiral of global warming.
科學(xué)家們特別擔心，氣溫上升可能會(huì )使地球的氣候系統陷入全球變暖的自我持續螺旋。
As it is, humanity is struggling – so far unsuccessfully – to cap CO2 and methane emissions, mostly from burning fossil fuels.
事實(shí)上，人類(lèi)正在努力限制二氧化碳和甲烷的排放，主要來(lái)自燃燒化石燃料，但迄今未成功。
If at the same time a warming Earth also begins to emit large amounts of these gases from, say, thawing permafrost, such efforts could be overwhelmed.
如果同時(shí)變暖的地球也開(kāi)始從融化的永久凍土中釋放出大量的這些氣體，這種努力可能會(huì )不堪重負。
'Many scientists and policymakers are embedded in institutions that are used to thinking and acting on isolated risks, one at a time,' the report said.
“許多科學(xué)家和政策制定者扎根于習慣于對孤立風(fēng)險進(jìn)行思考和行動(dòng)的機構中，一次一個(gè)，”報告說(shuō)。
'We call on the world's academics, business leaders and policy makers to pay attention to these five global risks and ensure they are treated as interacting systems.'
“我們呼吁全球學(xué)術(shù)界、商界領(lǐng)袖和政策制定者關(guān)注這五個(gè)全球風(fēng)險，并確保它們被視為相互作用的系統?！?/p>
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