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IPCC報告 深刻な温暖化にどう備えるか

The Yomiuri Shimbun October 5, 2013
U.N. climate report notes urgency for steps against global warming
IPCC報告 深刻な温暖化にどう備えるか(10月4日付・読売社説)

The latest U.N. report on climate change, it can be said, has indicated anew the importance of measures against global warming.
 地球温暖化対策の重要性が改めて示されたと言えるだろう。

The report was compiled by the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) based on its latest scientific assessment of present and future global warming.
 国連の「気候変動に関する政府間パネル(IPCC)」が、地球温暖化の現状と将来に関する最新の科学的見解をまとめた。

The report concluded it is extremely likely global warming is being caused by increased carbon dioxide emissions due to massive consumption of fossil fuels, such as oil and coal.
 石油や石炭など化石燃料の大量消費により、二酸化炭素(CO2)の排出量が増大し、地球規模の温暖化が引き起こされている可能性が極めて高い、と結論づけた。

Unless adequate measures are taken to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the report predicted the average global temperature would likely rise by up to 4.8 C from the average for the two decades from 1986 to 2005. The report also warned of the high possibility that heat waves and heavy rain would occur more often around the world.
 十分な対策を講じないと、今世紀末の世界の平均気温は、1986~2005年の平均に比べ、最大4・8度上がると予測した。世界中で熱波や豪雨が増える可能性が非常に高いとも警告した。

It also predicted sea levels could rise a maximum of 82 centimeters by the end of the century. Arctic sea ice is expected to be nonexistent in the summer in the not-so-distant future.
 海面も今世紀末には最大82センチ上昇する。夏の北極海の海氷も遠からず消滅する恐れがある。

It may be said that the report painted an extremely serious vision for the future of the Earth.
 極めて深刻な地球の未来図を描き出したと言えよう。

The report is reviewed every five to six years. The latest one assigned human culpability for global warming in the strongest tone ever, saying there is a “more than 95 percent” possibility that global warming has been caused by human activities.
 報告書は5~6年ごとに見直されている。今回は、温暖化について、「95%以上の確率」で人間の活動が原因とし、これまでで最も強く人類の責任を指摘した。

Reference has also been made to the phenomena already caused by global warming. The duration and frequency of heat waves have increased in Asia, Europe and Australia since 1950, according to the report.
 すでに生じている影響にも触れた。例えば、1950年以降、アジア、欧州、豪州で熱波の期間と頻度が増えているという。

Unusual phenomena reported

In Japan, this summer saw record rainfall and a series of tornadoes. As things stand at present, it is impossible to determine that global warming is responsible for such phenomena. But many people believe there have been abnormal climate changes.
 日本でも今夏、記録的な豪雨や竜巻が連続して発生した。現時点では温暖化の影響と断じられないものの、異変を実感している人は多いのではないか。

The report’s predictions are uncertain. There are currently 195 countries represented in the IPCC, which calls for neutrality and fairness. However, its views are not unanimously shared in many areas. In the case of its previous report, inadequate handling of data emerged as a problem.
 予測には不確かな部分もある。IPCCは195か国の政府が関与し、中立公正を標榜(ひょうぼう)しているが、見解への異論は少なくない。前回の報告書では、データの不適切な扱いが問題になった。

In the case of the latest report, its contents were made public while it was being drafted as part of procedural improvement measures. This indicated the IPCC’s efforts to regain public confidence.
 今回は報告書の作成段階で草稿を広く公開するなど、手続きを改善した。信頼を取り戻そうというIPCCの姿勢がうかがえる。

If the most drastic measures are taken to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, the report estimated it would be possible to limit the temperature increase to 0.3 C to 1.7 C at the end of this century. Effective measures must be taken as early as possible.
 報告書は、最大限の対策を取れば、今世紀末の気温上昇を0・3~1・7度に抑えられると試算している。有効な対策が急務だ。

Attention is now on the future course of the Conference of the Parties to the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change. Efforts are centered on a new framework scheduled to take effect in 2020 to replace the Kyoto Protocol, which has served as a pillar of emission control measures.
 焦点は、国連気候変動枠組み条約締約国会議の交渉の行方だ。対策の柱だった京都議定書に代わり、2020年にスタート予定の新たな枠組みが重要になる。

China and the United States, the two largest emission producers, are not obliged to reduce greenhouse effect gases under the Kyoto Protocol. A new framework must involve all major industrial countries to be effective.
 京都議定書では温室効果ガスの削減義務を負っていない2大排出国の中国、米国など、すべての主要排出国が参加する実効性のある枠組みにせねばならない。

Of course, every country must make every effort to reduce gas emissions as much as possible even before a new framework will take effect.
 無論、新たな枠組みが発効するまでの間も、各国は可能な限り対策に取り組む必要がある。

Use of nuclear power generation that produces no carbon dioxide is also indispensable for tackling global warming.
 温暖化対策には、発電時にCO2を排出しない原子力発電の活用も欠かせない。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Oct. 4, 2013)
(2013年10月4日02時12分 読売新聞)
by kiyoshimat | 2013-10-06 06:33 | 英字新聞

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