UN Chief: Scientists Say Extreme Storms Will Be 'New Normal'
VOA News
October 04, 2017 4:05 PM (source)
UN Chief: Scientists Say Extreme Storms Will Be 'New Normal'
聯合國秘書長：科學家表示，極端風暴將會是「新常態」
October 04, 2017 4:05 PM
Associated Press
UNITED NATIONS — Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is heading to the hurricane-battered Caribbean, where he said Wednesday that scientists predict the extreme storms during this year's Atlantic hurricane season "will be the new normal of a warming world."
The U.N. chief told reporters that Hurricane Irma, which devastated Barbuda, was a Category 5 storm for three consecutive days — "the longest on satellite record" — and its winds that reached 300 kilometers per hour for 37 hours were "the longest on record at that intensity."
Hurricanes Harvey and Irma marked the first time two Category 4 storms made landfall on the United States mainland in the same year, Guterres said, and Hurricane Maria, a Category 5 storm, followed up by decimating Dominica and devastating Puerto Rico.
The secretary-general said "scientists are learning more and more about the links between climate change and extreme weather."
A warmer climate "turbocharges the intensity of hurricanes," which pick up energy as they move across the ocean, he said. "The melting of glaciers, and the thermal expansion of the seas, means bigger storm surges" and with more people living along coastlines "the damage is, and will be that much greater."
Guterres said the world has "the tools, the technologies and the wealth to address climate change, but we must show more determination in moving towards a green, clean, sustainable energy future" — and in stepping up implementation of the 2015 Paris climate agreement.
The secretary-general said he will travel to Antigua and Barbuda and Dominica on Saturday to survey the damage and assess what more the United Nations can do.
Stephen O'Malley, the U.N. resident coordinator for Barbados and the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States, said Tuesday that the United Nations, World Bank and Antigua government have conducted a post-disaster needs assessment for Barbuda, whose 1,800 residents were evacuated to Antigua before Hurricane Irma damaged 95 percent of its structures on September 14.
He said a similar assessment will be done in Dominca, which was ravaged on September 18 by Hurricane Maria, probably in about three weeks.
Guterres said the response to the 3.9 million U.N. appeal to cover humanitarian needs in the Caribbean for the immediate period ahead has been poor and he urged donors "to respond more generously in the weeks to come."
He also stressed that "innovative financing mechanisms will be crucial" to enable these small islands to recover, rebuild and "strengthen resilience."
聯合國秘書長安東尼奧‧古特瑞斯(Antonio Guterres)正前往(head to)受颶風重擊(batter)的加勒比地區(Caribbean)。他於週三時表示（編按：新聞時間為2017年10月4日），科學家預測，今年大西洋颶風季的極端型風暴(extreme storms)「將成為全球暖化的一種新常態(normal)」。
古特瑞斯秘書長受訪時表示，重創(devastate)巴布達島(Barbuda)的艾瑪(Irma)颶風，其連續(consecutive)三天皆維持為五級颶風，已創下「衛星測量上最久的紀錄」，而其每小時可達300公里的風速則持續了37小時，亦是「這種風力強度(intensity)下最久的紀錄」。
古特瑞斯亦表示，哈維(Harvey)颶風和艾瑪颶風的來襲創下了美國本土第一次在同一年間有兩個等級四以上的颶風著陸(make landfall)的紀錄。隨後而來的等級五颶風瑪麗亞(Maria)則重創(decimate)了多米尼克(Dominica)與波多黎各(Puerto Rico)。
古特瑞斯秘書長表示：「科學家已越來越了解氣候變遷與極端氣候之間的關聯(link)。」
颶風在橫跨海洋時會吸收能量，暖化的氣候「大幅度地提高了颶風的強度」，他如此說道。「冰河(glacier)融化以及海洋的熱膨脹(thermal expansion)意味著有更大的暴風浪(storm surge)」，而隨著海岸(coastline)居住的人口增加，「（颶風帶來的）危害也就更大」。
古特瑞斯表示，我們現在已具備「能處理氣候變異的工具、技術與資源，但必須展現更大的決心(determination)來走向一個環保、乾淨，以及具有永續能源(sustainable energy)的未來」，也應加緊實行(step up implementation of . . .) 2015年的巴黎氣候協定(Paris climate agreement)。
古特瑞斯秘書長說，他將於週六前往安地卡島(Antigua)、巴布達島及多米尼克調查受損的情況，並評估(assess)聯合國還能提供哪些協助。
巴貝多(Barbados)及東加勒比國家組織(Organization of Eastern Caribbean States)的聯合國駐地協調員(coordinator)史帝芬‧歐麥利(Stephen O'Malley)於週二時表示，聯合國、世界銀行(World Bank)和安地卡政府已對巴布達進行了災後的需求評估(assessment)。巴布達島上95%的建設在9月14日的艾瑪颶風中受損。在此颶風來臨前，島上的1,800位居民已先撤離(evacuate)至安地卡島。
他表示，大約在三週後亦會於多米尼克進行類似的災損評估。瑪麗亞颶風在9月18日當天重創(ravage)了多米尼克。
古特瑞斯表示，聯合國提議以11.39億美元來支援加勒比海地區當下的人道救助需求(humanitarian needs)，但獲得的反應冷淡，因此他敦促(urge)捐助者「在未來幾週應要更慷慨地響應」。
他還強調(stress)，「創新的(innovative)融資機制將會是關鍵(crucial)」，能讓這些小島復甦、重建並「加強其復原的韌性(resilience)」。
Language Notes
batter [`bætɚ] (v) 連續猛擊，搗毀
consecutive [kən`sɛkjʊtɪv] (a) 連續的，連貫的，無間斷的
intensity (n) 強烈；劇烈
* intense (a) 強烈的；極度的
landfall (n) 著陸；登陸
* make landfall (on) (v phr) 登陸；著陸
decimate [`dɛsə͵met] (v) 毀滅，大量殺戮
step up (v phr) 增加（尺寸或數量）；加快（進程）的速度
implementation [͵ɪmpləmɛn`teʃən] (n) 履行；完成
* implement [`ɪmpləmənt] (v) 實施；貫徹
coordinator (n) 協調人，統籌者
* coordinate (v) 協調；使相配合；調節
ravage [`rævɪdʒ] (v) 嚴重破壞；損壞；毀壞
humanitarian [hju͵mænə'tɛrɪən] (a) 人道主義的
* humanitarianism [hju͵mænə'tɛrɪənɪzəm] (n) 人道主義
innovative ['ɪnə͵vetɪv] (a) 創新的，革新的
* innovate [ˋɪnə͵vet] (v) 改革；創新
resilience [rɪ`zɪlɪəns] (n) 彈性；恢復力
* resilient [rɪ`zɪlɪənt] (a) 有彈性的；能復原的
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編譯：簡嘉呈
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