Governments should set targets to reduce methane emissions

各国政府应设定甲烷减排目标

Today, methane is a central but under-appreciated part of the fight against climate change.

如今，在人类对抗气候变化的斗争中，甲烷是一个核心却被低估的部分。

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Human activity emits far less methane than carbon dioxide, but methane packs a heavier punch. Over the course of 20 years, a tonne of the gas will warm the atmosphere about 86 times more than a tonne of CO2.

人类活动排放的甲烷远远少于二氧化碳，但相比之下，甲烷的影响却更加显著。在排放后的 20 年内，一吨甲烷气体带来的大气层暖化效应比一吨二氧化碳高出 86 倍左右。

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Chief among the reasons for methane emissions are the gassy output of livestock farming (cows belch it), rice cultivation (soggy environments harbour micro-organisms that make it) and the fossil-fuel industry (pipelines and rigs leak it).

甲烷排放的主要来源包括畜牧业排出的大量气体（奶牛打嗝）、水稻种植（由潮湿环境中含有的微生物发酵产生）和化石燃料工业（管道和钻井设备泄漏）。

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Carbon dioxide lingers in the atmosphere for centuries, making it hard to reduce its atmospheric concentrations. By contrast, methane has a half-life of roughly ten years. If new emissions can be cut to below the rate at which old emissions deplete, the concentration of methane lingering in the atmosphere will soon fall, slowing global warming.

二氧化碳会在大气层中滞留几百年，浓度很难降低。甲烷则不同，其半衰期只有十年左右。若甲烷的新增排放能被减少，直至低于甲烷存量消耗的幅度，它在大气中的浓度就会很快下降，从而减缓全球变暖。

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A big step would be to stop millions of tonnes of methane from leaking out of fossil-fuel infrastructure each year. Natural-gas operators will be able to sell more gas in exchange for a moderate investment in monitoring and repairing leaks. The International Energy Agency estimates that 40% of methane emissions from fossil fuels can be eliminated at no net cost for firms.

减少甲烷排放的一大措施是阻止每年数百万吨的甲烷从化石燃料基础设施中泄出。天然气运营商只需在管道渗漏的监测和修缮方面进行适度投资，便能出售更多的天然气。据国际能源署估算，化石燃料产业可在企业净成本为零的情况下实现甲烷减排 40%。

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The harder task is to reduce emissions from agriculture, but even here farmers can draw on new ideas, including developing new forms of feed for livestock, and altering how rice is irrigated.

更艰巨的任务是减少来自农业的甲烷排放。即便是在这方面，农业生产者也可以运用一些新方法，比如开发新型牲畜饲料，改善稻田灌溉方式等。

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Politicians and the public tend to neglect the effects of cutting methane. But dealing with the gas would have a large effect rapidly and at relatively low cost.

政治领导人和公众往往会忽视甲烷减排的影响。但控制甲烷排放却能够以相对较低的成本迅速取得极大成效。

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主编：大仔

品控：大仔

审核：Amy

重点词汇

methane

/ˈme.θeɪn/

n. 甲烷

拓展发音：/ˈmiː.θeɪn/

文化补充：甲烷是一种有机化合物，分子式是 CH₄。甲烷在自然界的分布很广，是天然气，沼气，坑气等的主要成分。它可被作为原料用于生产制造氢气、炭黑、一氧化碳、乙炔、氢氰酸及甲醛等物质。作为全球第二大温室气体，甲烷的排放量占全球温室气体排放总量的 16%，仅次于二氧化碳。

emission

/iˈmɪʃ.ən/

n. 排放

相关词汇：emit（v. 散发，发出）

例句：Both dolphins and bats can emit ultrasonic sounds.（海豚和蝙蝠都能发出超声波。）

例句：Fireflies can emit green flashes.（萤火虫会闪出绿色的光。）

搭配短语：to emit carbon dioxide

搭配短语：to reduce greenhouse gas emissions（减少温室气体排放）

appreciate

/əˈpriː.ʃi.eɪt/

v. 意识到；欣赏；感激

例句：I'd appreciate it if you'd do me a favor.（如愿帮忙，我将感激不尽。）

搭配短语：to appreciate a work of art（欣赏艺术作品）

英文释义：to understand the nature, worth, quality, or significance of sth.

搭配短语：to appreciate the difficulties we are facing（认清我们眼前的困难）

pack a punch

有很大影响力，力度惊人；能重拳出击

Governments should set targets to reduce methane emissions

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