本期範文賞析(SPOTLIGHT)節錄Dr. Bruno Di Giusto的演講。Dr. Di Giusto是銘傳大學國際學院新聞與大眾傳播學程的副教授，在其演講 "The Carbon Footprint of Privilege: Climate Change and Economic Disparities" 中，帶領大家認識碳足跡所展現的貧富差異，並思考已開發國家對氣候變遷的責任。人物專訪 (STAR OF THE MONTH) 邀請2023年三分鐘英語學術簡報競賽(3MT)的冠軍孫旭，請他分享英文口說與賽前準備的練習與技巧。讀者園地 (PENNY FOR YOUR THOUGHTS) 公告第七屆3MT的比賽花絮與得獎名單。此次競賽精采絕倫、競爭激烈，寫作教學中心在此恭喜各位得獎者。
“Christmas is not a time nor a season, but a state of mind. To cherish peace and goodwill, to be plenteous in mercy, is to have the real spirit of Christmas.”
Dr. Bruno Di Giusto is an associate professor in the Department of Journalism and Mass Communication at Ming Chuan University. His research covers a wide range of fields, including environmental science, plant and animal science, human evolution, and marine biology. In his presentation titled “The Carbon Footprint of Privilege: Climate Change and Economic Disparities,” Dr. Bruno explored the relationship between climate change and economic inequality. He proposed that those with minimal contributions to climate change would suffer the greatest impacts, while those responsible for significant emissions would experience minimal consequences.
Introduction
First, Dr. Bruno introduced the concept of “Planetary Boundaries,” a set of nine critical environmental limits within which humanity can operate safely to maintain the stability of the Earth’s ecosystem and ensure the habitability of the planet. Unfortunately, the situation has worsened over the years. In 2009, three boundaries were exceeded, increasing to four in 2015, and most recently, in 2023, we’ve breached six out of the nine boundaries. These boundaries are interconnected, and surpassing one can trigger a cascade of effects, intensifying the global climate change crisis.
The Injustice of Climate Change
Next, Dr. Bruno presented statistics and diagrams that revealed how developed nations have historically produced the highest amount of global CO2 emissions. Paradoxically, it is often the nations with the lowest greenhouse gas emissions that bear the brunt of climate change impacts. One current solution, as proposed by the United Nations through the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), aims to create a more sustainable future by tackling a range of global challenges like poverty, inequality, environmental degradation and peace. He then explains that these goals are interconnected; a positive change in one area can lead to benefits in other related areas.
Understanding What Drives Environmental Damage
In the 1970s, John Holdren and Paul Ehrlich developed the IPAT climate change model in response to growing environmental concerns. This model aims to address climate change challenges by focusing on overpopulation and resource depletion. It evaluates three factors influencing environmental impact: environmental impact (I), population (P), affluence (A), and environmental effects of technology (T). Dr. Bruno then presented world maps categorizing countries based on their contributions to each of the factors, encompassing their environmental impact, population, per capita consumption, and the energy sources for electricity generation. This demonstrated that while discussions about climate change often emphasize population and technology, it is affluence that represents the significant, but frequently overlooked, element that cannot be disregarded.
Understanding Our Carbon Footprint
Expanding on his previous argument, Dr. Bruno presented us with a diagram from the Global Footprint Network. This diagram shows us the number of Earth’s worth of resources required if the entire global population were to live at the consumption levels of various countries. It also revealed that, at our current rate of consumption, humanity is depleting resources at a pace demanding 1. 7 Earths to maintain sustainability. Dr. Bruno then invited the participants to calculate their own carbon footprint using the Footprint Calculator, another resource developed by the Global Footprint Network. As he explained, while many individuals may find their results alarmingly high and unsustainable, the scope of solving this problem goes beyond individual capacity. Instead, the ultimate solution lies in advocating for governments to enact the necessary changes.
Setting Goals
To reach “Zero Carbon” by 2050, humanity needs to reduce its carbon footprint to 1.1 tons per capita to stay within a 1.5 degrees Celsius increase or 3.4 tons per capita to remain within a 2 degrees Celsius limit. However, according to Dr. Bruno, the goal of limiting the increase to 1.5 degrees is no longer attainable, as projections indicate that we will exceed this threshold in 2030. He illustrated this point with a graph showing emissions percentages categorized by income level. The wealthiest 10% of the global population contributes 50% of total emissions; while the poorest 50% are responsible for a mere 10%. This disproportionate distribution of carbon emissions is referred to as “Carbon Inequality.”
There are four common types of carbon inequality. Firstly, economic inequality, as wealthier individuals and households consume more resources and therefore contribute more to carbon emissions than those with lower incomes. Secondly, geographical inequality, where one’s place of residence affects both their carbon footprint and the consequences that they have to bear from climate change. Thirdly, social inequality, where certain social groups have less access to sustainable options. And finally, intergenerational inequality, driven by the long-term impacts of carbon emissions, resulting in younger generations bearing the consequences of climate change caused by current polluters. Dr. Bruno then introduces the concept of Climate Justice, which seeks to ensure a fair and equitable distribution of both the benefits and burdens related to climate change, across social and environmental dimensions. In essence, it strives to reallocate the responsibilities of climate change to those who are accountable.
Conclusion and Call to Action
Dr. Bruno concluded his talk by emphasizing three key points. Firstly, he stressed that developed nations bear a responsibility to rectify the environmental impact they've created and to address their lifestyle choices. Simultaneously, support must be extended to vulnerable populations to help them adapt to the challenges of climate change. Next, climate justice needs to be enforced; it is no longer a choice but a responsibility towards the vulnerable, the marginalized and the future generations. And finally, he called for increased awareness of the significance of SDGs in combating climate change.
這些持續不斷的練習與經驗，讓孫旭在解釋困難的學術議題方面，更加有利。雖然自己的研究內容都很寶貴，但在演講時更重要的是如何適當地整理出觀眾能瞭解的部分，以組織引人入勝的開場白、精要的學術知識內容，與能邀請觀眾關注的結論。孫旭表示，自己的主題“The First Transgender Trauma Storybook of Taiwan” 仍是個爭議性題材，如何學術地討論跨性別的議題，並同時吸引觀眾的注意與理解，會是上台的一個棘手難題。其中最困難的是如何拿捏、展現分寸，以避免可能引起的爭議或反彈；同時又不能過於學究化，在展現學者風範之餘，仍能夠維持觀眾的興趣與理解。他建議在表達中找到個人特色，同時平衡幽默和嚴肅的表現方式，讓觀眾能更輕易理解。此外，在賽前訓練時，李維晏老師給了他很實用的建議，使得此一人文、人性的議題，能在眾多科學主題中嶄露頭角。
從以上孫旭的訪談，讓我們瞭解，不同於一般的演講比賽，3MT簡報競賽著重於跨領域溝通。也因此，對主題的熟悉程度及組織內容的能力，更具關鍵地位；加上對聽眾的同理，參賽者們皆顯現他們在溝通上的巧思，將複雜的學術語言化為創意、具有活力的敘述。正如本次競賽的評審之一，Jaguar Land Rover Taiwan總經理Garth Turnbull所言，在這場比賽裡，每位參賽者都是贏家！
