Climate change: Earth's giant game of Tetris - Joss Fong

氣候變遷：地球巨大的俄羅斯方塊遊戲 - Joss Fong

譯者: Marssi Draw 審譯者: XiuDe Huang

To understand climate change,

要了解氣候變遷

think of the game "Tetris."

想想「俄羅斯方塊」

For eons, Earth has played a version of this game with blocks of carbon.

自古以來，地球一直用 「碳方塊」來玩這個遊戲

They enter the atmosphere as carbon dioxide gas from volcanoes,

碳方塊以二氧化碳的形式進入大氣

decaying plant matter,

它們來自火山、腐爛的植物

breathing creatures

會呼吸的生物

and the surface of the sea.

以及海洋表面

And they leave the atmosphere when they're used by plants during photosynthesis,

而碳方塊離開大氣的方式 則是透過植物的光合作用

absorbed back into the ocean,

被海洋吸收

or stored in soil and sediment.

或是被儲存在土壤或沈積物中

This game of Tetris is called the carbon cycle,

這個類似俄羅斯方塊遊戲 的過程稱為碳循環

and it's the engine of life on Earth.

是地球中生命生存不可或缺的一環

What's the connection to climate?

那碳和天氣有何關係？

Well, when that carbon dioxide is in the air,

當二氧化碳在空氣中

waiting to be reabsorbed,

等著被再次吸收時

it traps a portion of the sun's heat,

它會阻隔一部分

which would otherwise escape to space.

原本會溢散到外空中的太陽熱能

That's why carbon dioxide is called a greenhouse gas.

因此二氧化碳被稱為溫室氣體

It creates a blanket of warmth,

它會產生許多暖空氣

known as the greenhouse effect,

就是所謂的溫室效應

that keeps our Earth from freezing like Mars.

能避免地球像火星一樣結凍

The more carbon dioxide blocks hang out in the atmosphere waiting to be cleared,

越多等著被吸收的二氧化碳方塊 漂浮在大氣中

the warmer Earth becomes.

地球就會越溫暖

Though the amount of carbon in the atmosphere

雖然大氣中的碳含量

has varied through ice ages and astroid impacts,

在經過冰河時期與隕石撞擊後有改變

over the past 8,000 years the stable climate we know took shape,

在過去八千年來 我們所知的穩定氣候已成形

allowing human civilization to thrive.

讓人類能在此生生不息

But about 200 years ago,

但是大約兩百年前

we began digging up that old carbon that had been stored in the soil.

我們開始挖出儲存在 土壤中許久的古老碳

These fossil fuels, coal, oil and natural gas

這些石化燃料、煤礦和天然氣

are made from the buried remains of plants and animals

都是來自人類出現前就死亡許久

that died long before humans evolved.

埋葬在土裡的植物和動物殘骸

The energy stored inside them was able to power

儲存於其中的能源

our factories, cars and power plants.

能為工廠、汽車和發電廠提供動力

But burning these fuels also injected new carbon blocks into Earth's Tetris game.

但是燃燒這些能源也會 在地球的俄羅斯方塊遊戲中 注入新的碳方塊

At the same time, we cleared forests for agriculture,

同時，我們為了農業而剷除森林

reducing the Earth's ability to remove the blocks.

也削弱了地球移除方塊的能力

And since 1750, the amount of carbon in the atmosophere

從 1750 年開始，大氣中的碳含量

has increased by 40%,

已增加了 40%

and shows no sign of slowing.

而且絲毫沒有減緩的跡象

Just like in Tetris, the more blocks pile up,

就像俄羅斯方塊 當方塊疊得越高

the harder it becomes to restore stability.

就越難恢復穩定

The extra carbon dioxide in the atmosphere

大氣中多餘的二氧化碳

accelerates the greenhouse effect

加速溫室效應

by trapping more heat near the surface

透過困住更多地表上的熱氣

and causing polar ice caps to melt.

造成極地冰冠融化

And the more they melt, the less sunlight they're able to reflect,

然而冰層融化得越多 它們能反射的陽光就越少

making the oceans warm even faster.

讓海洋暖化更加快速

Sea levels rise, coastal populations are threatened with flooding,

海平面上升 沿岸居民受到水災威脅

natural ecosystems are disrupted,

自然生態系統瓦解

and the weather becomes more extreme over time.

極端氣候的情況與日俱增

Climate change may effect different people and places in different ways.

氣候變遷會以不同方式 影響世界各地的人類

But, ultimately, it's a game that we're all stuck playing.

但是最終，那是一場 我們都深受其影響的遊戲

And unlike in Tetris,

而和俄羅斯方塊不同的是

we won't get a chance to start over and try again.

我們沒有機會重新來過