地球工程：一个我们或许不得不做的糟糕主意：英语精读讲义

By the end of the 21st century, 短語搭配

到21世纪末，

humanity is becoming desperate.

人类正变得绝望。

Decades of heatwaves and droughts have led to unusually poor harvests, 語法

数十年的热浪和干旱导致了异常糟糕的收成，

while the warming oceans yield fewer fish each year.

而变暖的海洋使得每年的渔获量越来越少。

In the tropical zones,

在热带地区，

millions suffer from famines

数百万人饱受饥荒之苦，

and resource wars have made millions more flee to the north. 語法

资源战争又迫使数百万人逃往北方。

As things quickly get worse,

随着局势迅速恶化，

in an act of desperation, 短語搭配

出于绝望，

the world's governments decide to enact an emergency plan. 用詞

世界各国政府决定颁布一项紧急计划。

It's far from certain that a grim scenario like this will play out, 講解

虽然像这样严峻的场景未必一定会发生，

but the failure of world leaders to effectively address climate change

但世界各国领导人未能有效应对气候变化，

makes it far from impossible.

使得这种情况绝非不可能。

So in the near future,

因此在不久的将来，

it might become necessary to try something radical 語法

可能必须尝试一些激进的手段，

to slow down rapid climate change.

来减缓急剧的气候变化。

Geoengineering.

地球工程。

Interventions so massive in scale that they might undo centuries of human behavior, 短語搭配

这种规模极其庞大的干预措施，可能会抵消人类几个世纪以来的行为影响，

or make everything much worse.

或者让一切变得更糟。

What is geoengineering?

什么是地球工程？

Is it really an option?

它真的是一个可行的选择吗？

And what if it goes wrong? 語法

如果出了差错会怎样？

Geoengineering methods vary from fantastic ones like constructing giant light sails in space

地球工程的方法多种多样，既有在太空中建造巨型光帆这样天马行空的想法，

to seeding clouds with salt 用詞

也有用盐进行云层播种的手段，

or wilder ones like fertilizing the oceans with iron

甚至还有用铁给海洋施肥这样更疯狂的方法，

to speed up the growth of trillions of algae cells.

以加速数万亿藻类细胞的生长。

In this video,

在本视频中，

we'll focus on an intervention we could see during our lifetimes,

我们将重点关注一个在我们有生之年可能会见到的干预措施，

stratospheric aerosol injection.

平流层气溶胶注入。

A clunky term that means spraying stuff very high up in the atmosphere 用詞

这个拗口的术语是指在大气层高处喷洒物质，

to keep the sun away.

把太阳挡在外面。

Keeping the sun away.

把太阳挡在外面。

CO2 doesn't heat up the planet on its own. 短語搭配

二氧化碳本身并不会使地球升温。

Almost all of the energy on Earth comes from the sun

地球上几乎所有的能量都来自太阳，

in the form of electromagnetic radiation. 短語搭配

以电磁辐射的形式存在。

About 71% of this energy is absorbed by the Earth's surface and atmosphere.

这种能量中约71%被地球表面和大气层吸收。

This absorbed energy is emitted again as infrared radiation.

吸收的能量又以红外辐射的形式发射出去。

And CO2 is able to trap this infrared radiation

而二氧化碳能够困住这些红外辐射，

and keep it in the atmosphere for a while.

将其留在大气层中一段时间。

You can compare this effect with snuggling under a blanket in the morning. 短語搭配

你可以把这种效果比作早上蜷缩在被窝里。

Even in a really cold room,

即使在一个非常冷的房间里，

your body emits infrared radiation

你的身体也会散发红外辐射，

and the air between your body and the blanket traps it

你身体和毯子之间的空气会将其困住，

and creates a warm and comfy feeling.

从而产生一种温暖舒适的感觉。

So one way to cool down the planet 語法

因此，让地球降温的一种方法，

would be to prevent energy from getting trapped 語法

就是防止能量被困在

under our planet blanket,

我们的“地球毯子”下面，

which is already happening naturally.

这在自然界中已经在发生。

About 29% of the solar radiation hitting Earth is reflected back to space

大约29%到达地球的太阳辐射被反射回太空，

by bright surfaces like ice, deserts, snow, or clouds.

这些反射面是像冰、沙漠、雪或云这样明亮的表面。

More reflection, less energy, less warming.

反射越多，能量越少，变暖就越少。

We can look at nature for inspiration. 短語搭配

我们可以从自然界中寻找灵感。

Specifically,

具体来说，

the 1991 Mount Pinatubo eruption,

就是1991年皮纳图博火山的喷发，

the second largest volcanic eruption of the 20th century.

这是20世纪第二大的火山喷发。

Aside from massive devastation and almost 900 dead, 表達脈絡

除了造成巨大的破坏和近900人死亡外，

scientists noted its strong impact on the global climate. 短語搭配

科学家们还注意到它对全球气候产生了强烈影响。

The explosion ejected millions of tons of particles and gas

爆炸将数百万吨的颗粒和气体

as high as the stratosphere,

喷射到平流层那么高的地方，

which hung around there for a while. 短語動詞

并在那里悬浮了一段时间。

The stuff that's interesting for geoengineering is sulfur dioxide,

对地球工程有吸引力的物质是二氧化硫，

a nasty-smelling and invisible gas.

一种气味难闻且看不见的气体。

High in the atmosphere,

在大气层高处，

it produced a haze of sulfuric acid droplets

它产生了一层硫酸液滴的雾霾，

that mixed with water and created giant veils.

这些液滴与水混合，形成了巨大的帷幕。

These veils reduced the sunlight reaching Earth's surface

这些帷幕使到达地球表面的阳光

by roughly 1%.

减少了大约1%。

Global average temperatures dropped by 0.5 degrees Celsius.

全球平均气温下降了0.5摄氏度。

It took three years until this cooling effect had stopped.

直到三年后这种冷却效果才停止。

Humans could imitate this process

人类可以模仿这个过程，

by injecting sulfur particles directly into the stratosphere.

直接将硫颗粒注入平流层。

According to some scientists, 表達脈絡

一些科学家认为，

this might be surprisingly easy to do,

这做起来可能会出奇地容易，

and we don't even need a lot of new technology for it.

我们甚至不需要太多新技术。

According to one study,

根据一项研究，

it also might be pretty cheap compared with the costs of rapid climate change. 用詞

与急剧气候变化所带来的代价相比，它的成本也可能相当低廉。

A small fleet of specialized aircraft could ascend once a year

一小队特制飞机可以每年升空一次，

and distribute aerosols along the equator

沿着赤道散布气溶胶，

from where they would be spread around the world.

然后它们会从那里扩散到世界各地。

Projections assume that injecting between 5 and 8 megatons of material per year

预测假设每年注入5到8兆吨的物质，

would reflect enough sunlight to slow down or even stop global warming,

将能反射足够的阳光以减缓甚至阻止全球变暖，

giving us precious time to transition away from fossil fuels. 講解

为我们摆脱化石燃料争取宝贵的时间。

Unfortunately,

不幸的是，

there might be a few unhappy side effects. 表達脈絡

可能会有一些令人不快的副作用。

There are a number of potential issues with aerosol injections.

气溶胶注入存在一系列潜在问题。

Rainfall patterns could change,

降雨模式可能会改变，

which could negatively affect agriculture and cause famine.

这可能对农业产生负面影响并导致饥荒。

Billions of people could be affected in the worst case.

在最坏的情况下，可能会有数十亿人受到影响。

Also,

此外，

after the 1991 Mount Pinatubo eruption,

在1991年皮纳图博火山喷发后，

the acid water veils not only cooled down the surface, 語法

酸性水幕不仅降低了地表温度，

they also heated up the stratosphere.

还加热了平流层。

As it turns out, 表達脈絡

事实证明，

acid is bad for the ozone layer,

酸对臭氧层有害，

and the ozone hole over Antarctica was the largest it has ever been.

南极洲上空的臭氧空洞当时达到了有史以来的最大面积。

Injecting sulfur particles over decades could have a similar effect.

几十年内持续注入硫颗粒可能会产生类似的影响。

Scientists have already suggested using a combination of different minerals

科学家们已经建议使用不同矿物质的组合，

that might have much less harmful effects on the ozone layer,

这可能对臭氧层的危害要小得多，

but more research and experiments need to be done to make sure this could work.

但还需要进行更多的研究和实验来确保这能行得通。

But even if we don't damage the ozone layer, 語法

不过，即使我们没有破坏臭氧层，

there are other risks.

也存在其他风险。

Politicians and industry might use the cooling effect as an excuse to delay the switch to a carbon-neutral economy. 短語搭配

政客和工业界可能会把这种冷却效应当作借口，推迟向碳中和经济的转型。

Even if geoengineering slows down global warming,

即使地球工程减缓了全球变暖，

humanity is still adding extra CO2 to the atmosphere.

人类仍然在向大气中添加额外的二氧化碳。

More CO2 in the air means that the oceans absorb more CO2, 語法

空气中更多的二氧化碳意味着海洋会吸收更多的二氧化碳，

which makes them more acidic.

这使得海洋变得更酸。

This is already beginning to be deadly to huge ecosystems like coral reefs,

这已经开始对珊瑚礁等庞大生态系统具有致命性，

and the longer this continues, 語法

这种情况持续的时间越长，

the more severe the effects will be.

后果就会越严重。

But it gets worse. 表達脈絡

但情况还会更糟。

Once we start pumping particles into the atmosphere on a massive scale,

一旦我们开始大规模向大气中泵入颗粒，

we might be forced to do so for a long time

我们可能被迫在很长一段时间内持续这样做，

or we could risk a termination shock. 用詞

否则我们就可能面临“终止冲击”的风险。

What that means is that if humanity continues to enrich the atmosphere with CO2, 表達脈絡

这意味着，如果人类继续用二氧化碳丰富大气，

but at the same time prevents the planet from heating up by blocking solar radiation,

但同时又通过阻挡太阳辐射来防止地球变暖，

we're sitting on a time bomb. 習語

我们就像是坐在一颗定时炸弹上。

Once we stop geoengineering,

一旦我们停止地球工程，

the natural cycle will take over again and Earth would heat up. 短語動詞

自然循环将再次接管，地球就会升温。

But after a few decades of keeping the planet artificially cold while still releasing massive amounts of CO2,

但是在人为保持地球寒冷几十年并同时排放大量二氧化碳之后，

it would heat up much, much quicker. 表達脈絡

它升温的速度会快得多、快得多。

An increase in temperature that would take 50 years today could happen in just 10 years. 語法

本来需要50年才会发生的温度上升，可能会在短短10年内发生。

Such a temperature shock in such a short time

在如此短的时间内出现如此剧烈的温度冲击，

would disrupt every major system on Earth

将严重破坏地球上每一个主要系统，

so much that it would be impossible to adapt in time. 語法

以至于根本无法及时适应。

The worst-case scenario could be dramatic famines and the rapid destruction of ecosystems.

最坏的情况可能是戏剧性的饥荒和生态系统的迅速毁灭。

Humanity might survive,

人类或许能存活下来，

but the survivors would inhabit an unfamiliar and hostile world.

但幸存者将居住在一个陌生而充满敌意的世界里。

The best-case scenario is that once the world

最好的情况是，一旦全世界

has finally fully understood the existential danger

终于完全认清了生存所面临的危险

of rapid climate change,

即急剧的气候变化的危险，

geoengineering can buy us a crucial decade or two. 習語

地球工程能为我们争取到至关重要的一二十年时间。

Time to transition our economies and maybe even pull CO2 out of the atmosphere,

这段时间可用于实现经济转型，甚至可能将二氧化碳从大气中抽离出来，

maybe with technologies that we'll discuss in a future video.

也许可以利用我们将在未来视频中讨论的技术。

Conclusion.

结论。

Geoengineering is a scary concept.

地球工程是一个可怕的概念。

It's not a solution to climate change,

它不是气候变化的解决方案，

and it might even be a welcome excuse for the fossil fuel industry to delay the end of the fossil fuel age.

它甚至可能成为化石燃料行业推迟化石燃料时代终结的一个受欢迎的借口。

Over the last few decades,

在过去的几十年里，

geoengineering has been so controversial that it stopped many scientists from doing the experiments 語法

地球工程一直备受争议，以至于许多科学家不敢进行实验

necessary to understand it better.

去更好地了解它。

But blankly opposing geoengineering is short-sighted. 習語

但一味反对地球工程是短视的。

The sad truth is,

可悲的事实是，

we are already running a geoengineering experiment. 短語搭配

我们已经在进行一项地球工程实验了。

We're testing how fast the world changes if we add about 40 billion tons of CO2 each year.

我们正在测试如果我们每年增加约400亿吨二氧化碳，世界会以多快的速度发生变化。

This experiment is about to get really exciting. 語氣意圖

这个实验即将变得非常刺激。

Hopefully,

但愿，

we'll never have to use geoengineering,

我们永远不需要使用地球工程，

but if we need to in the future,

但如果未来我们需要的话，

we better have done the science. 語法

我们最好已经做好了科学研究。

We better be prepared.

我们最好做好准备。

Or a panicking humanity might accidentally press the self-destruct button. 習語

否则恐慌的人类可能会意外按下自毁按钮。

It's time to reveal our darkest secret.

现在是时候揭露我们最黑暗的秘密了。

This may come as a surprise to you, 短語搭配

这可能会让你感到惊讶，

but Kurzgesagt is not actually run by birds,

但 Kurzgesagt 实际上不是由鸟类经营的，

but by humans.

而是由人类经营的。

Now you might wonder,

现在你可能会想，

how's this possible?

这怎么可能？

So many people spending hundreds of hours on research, 語法

这么多人花了数百个小时去研究、

writing, and animating the Kurzgesagt videos

撰写和制作 Kurzgesagt 的动画视频，

that are then released for free.

然后免费发布。

Well,

其实，

the answer is simple.

答案很简单。

It's possible because of our shop.

这都要归功于我们的商店才有可能实现。

Our products are a piece of Kurzgesagt that you can touch,

我们的产品是你能够触摸到、

read, and have around you.

读到并且摆在你周围的 Kurzgesagt 的一部分。

Just like our videos,

就像我们的视频一样，

they're a vital part of our dream to inspire people all around the world.

它们是我们激励全世界人们这一梦想的重要组成部分。

Our carefully researched infographic posters

经过我们精心研究的信息图表海报

are now part of so many people's homes,

现在已经成为许多人家庭的一部分，

teaching them about evolution, black holes, and the night sky.

教导他们关于进化、黑洞和夜空的知识。

While our gratitude journal helps improve lives every day.

而我们的感恩日记每天都在帮助人们改善生活。

A special thanks goes out to everyone who appreciates our weirder product ideas.

我们要特别感谢每一位欣赏我们古怪产品创意的人。

Every Kurzgesagt product you buy directly funds another moment we get to spend working on our videos,

你购买的每一件 Kurzgesagt 产品都直接资助了我们在视频制作上投入的更多时间，

and you get a special piece of Kurzgesagt in return.

而作为回报，你也会得到一件特别的 Kurzgesagt 纪念品。

Thank you so much for being a part of our story

非常感谢你们成为我们故事的一部分，

and for making this channel possible.

也感谢你们让这个频道成为可能。

The bird humans of Kurzgesagt are eternally grateful.

Kurzgesagt 的鸟人们永远感激你们。