【BBC】 High level of deforestation continues 大規模森林砍伐活動仍在繼續 @ 酷兩倍DoubelCool

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We are all aware of the threats our planet is facing. Experts agree that it’s mainly us humans who are responsible for the destruction of the environment. Activities such as mass farming and burning fossil fuels are taking their toll on our climate – and we’re suffering too through natural disasters such as flooding and more frequent droughts.

我們都知道我們的星球面臨什麼樣的威脅。專家們都同意，最主要的原因就是因為人類在破壞環境，這些活動包含大規模的農耕與燃燒石油燃料，對我們的氣候造成了傷害，我們就必須承受天然災害，例如水災或是更頻繁的旱災。

One of the most destructive activities we are carrying out is cutting down forests - deforestation. This is done for many reasons, such as providing wood for fuel, making land available for housing or for creating space for more cattle to graze on. This has been most noticeable in Brazil, which is home to the world’s largest rainforest. Deforestation there has hit its highest rate in a decade, according to official data. Over the course of a year, an area about five times the size of London has been destroyed.

最常進行破壞的活動之一就是去砍伐森林，而且是大面積的砍伐。這樣做有很多種原因，像是為了提供木材燃料、在地上蓋間房或是需要創造空間去放牛吃草。這種情況在巴西是十分顯著的，那邊是世界上最大的熱帶雨林所在地。根據官方統計，巴西在十年內是砍伐森林速度最快的地方，在這樣的過程中，一年就有五倍倫敦大小的森林消失。

The amount of deforestation in the Amazon and in other tropical regions has actually seen a decline but the figures are still large. Global Forest Watch say that in 2018, an area equivalent to 30 football fields were cut down every minute. Frances Seymour from the World Resources Institute says that “If you look back over the last 18 years, it is clear that the overall trend is still upwards. We are nowhere near winning this battle."

亞馬遜流域與其他熱帶地區砍伐森林的數量實際上已經在下滑了，不過仍然是個非常大的量。全球森林觀察表示，在2018年，每一分鐘過去就有相當30個足球場大小的森林消失，來自世界資源研究所的Frances Seymour說：如果回顧過去的18年，可以發現這個趨勢還在上升中，我們並沒有贏得這場戰爭，而且還離得相當遠。

What’s special about places like the Amazon is that they are primary forests which exist in their original condition with some species of trees dating back thousands of years. This habitat is home to unique and rare animals and is critical for sustaining biodiversity. The BBC’s environment correspondent, Matt McGrath, says “These old forests really matter as stores of carbon dioxide, which is why the loss of 3.6 million hectares in 2018 is concerning.”

像亞馬遜這樣的原始森林保有著最原始的狀態，有一些特別物種的樹，甚至可以追溯到幾千年前，這個棲息地是許多罕見物種的家，對於維持生物多樣性是一個非常重要的地區，BBC的環境發言人Matt McGrath說，這些古老的森林對於儲存二氧化碳是非常重要的，這也是為了麼我們在2018年一年就損失了360萬公頃的原因。

Brazil has taken some steps to try and decrease deforestation by introducing government policies including fines for breaking land use regulations and clamping down on illegal logging. And International campaigns to stop the trade of soy and beef farmed on deforested parts of the Amazon have also had a significant impact. But meanwhile other parts of the world, such as Ghana and the Democratic Republic of Congo, are seeing dramatic increases. So it seems only political will and human conscience will tackle this problem and save planet Earth.

巴西可以透過政府推動政策來試著降低砍伐森林的發生，包括違反土地使用規定和打擊非法採伐的罰款，還有透過國際運動，去阻止貿易在亞馬遜流域受砍伐樹木影響的土地上種植的黃豆與養殖的牛肉，但是當巴西減少砍伐的同時，世界上的其他地方，像是迦納或是剛果就會戲劇地增加砍伐數量。所以這似乎只有政治介入或是人類的良心解決這個地球的大問題。

單字

● threat 威脅

● destruction 破壞

● mass farming 大規模農耕活動

● fossil fuel 化石燃料

● take its toll on something 對…造成破壞

● natural disaster 自然災害

● drought 乾旱

● destructive 破壞性的

● deforestation 大面積砍伐森林

● rainforest 熱帶雨林

● tropical 熱帶的