Currently, wealthy nations such as Britain offer donations following a natural disaster. But a group of nations came together to argue extreme events, such as droughts or typhoons, are becoming more frequent because of man-made global warming.
Brazil's representative called for countries which industrialised earlier - such as Britain - to bear the brunt of the financial burden because they have had higher greenhouse gas emissions for longer.
The issue has threatened to derail a fragile consensus at the two-week UN summit in Warsaw. The 191 nations addressed the idea of some members paying ‘compensation’ to poor countries for natural disasters. A group of 130 nations led by China even called for scientists to examine historical emissions dating back to the time of the industrial revolution in 1850.
全球氣候變遷造成自然災害頻發，誰該為氣候變化買單？過去30年，自然災害已經造成相當于2.96萬億歐元的損失，超過250萬人死亡，想必阻止全球暖化已是勢在必行。但聯合國的華沙氣候大會 (Cop)，由於政治和經濟的種種考量，各國難以達成共識…。
發展中國家強調其也深受天災損害，加強環保也漸被廣大發展中國家所重視。但擺脫貧困、發展經濟也是這些國家亟待解決的問題。應對氣候變化、發展環保技術需要大量資金，如僅憑自身定無力承擔；發展經濟迫在眉睫，卻也只能無可避免地增加排放。如何兼顧環保和發展，成為發展中國家面臨的現實問題。
於是，發展中國家呼籲聯合國設立災損因應機制，提供資金協助發展中國家度過氣候災害。他們認為早期工業化國家是造成氣候變化的主要責任方，他們對今日全球氣候變化負有不可推卸的歷史責任和現實責任。工業革命以來，已發展國家二氧化碳累積排放量佔將近70%，這是導致今天氣候變化的主要原因。但西方國家則不願承擔責任，特別是美國，一直拒絕討論溫室氣體歷史排放累積問題，而只考慮當前和未來的排放問題。
- Bail sb. Out【口】救助某人擺脫困境(尤指財務方面)
The club faced bankruptcy until a wealthy local businessman bailed them out.
俱樂部本來眼看就要破產, 但後來本地有位富商鼎力相助, 才擺脫困境。
- Call for 需要‥
This is a problem that calls for immediate solution.
這是個迫切需要解決的問題。
- Legally-binding (adj.) 具法律約束力的
- Representative (n.) 代表；代理人
She is the club's representative at the convention. 她是該俱樂部派來參加會議的代表。
- Bear the brunt of sth. 承受某事物的主要壓力
His secretary has to bear the brunt of his temper.
他的秘書成了他的出氣筒。
- Burden (n.) 負擔、重負
The hard work was a burden on those who were ill.
這繁重的工作, 對有病的人來說, 是個很大的負擔。
- Emission (n.) 排放
Britain has agreed to cut emissions of nitrogen oxide from power stations.
英國同意減少發電站一氧化氮的排放量。
- Derail (v.) 破壞；干擾(計劃、協議)
The dispute has temporarily derailed the arms control agreement.
這項爭端暫時破壞了軍備控制協議。
- Consensus (n.) 共識、看法一致
- Address (v.) 發表演說；探討(問題)
- Compensation (n.) 賠償、補償
The idea is that criminals should pay compensation to their victims.
這個想法就是罪犯應對受害者作出賠償。
- Date back to =date from / trace back to / go back to 追溯於‥
The castle dates back to the 14th century.
此城堡起源於十四世紀。
The principle has dominated the negotiations at Warsaw, with Britain and other developed nations refusing to countenance the idea of an automatic compensation fund, concerned over the repercussions over legal liability. Bangladeshi envoy Quamrul Chowdhury said the agreement was vital. ‘We won’t leave Warsaw without it,’ he said. ‘We can’t afford to.’
Energy Secretary Ed Davey last night insisted no compensation would be agreed. ‘We aren’t discussing compensation - that is a red line for us,’ he said. But the Liberal Democrat hinted that a compromise might be met with funding instead put into ‘adaptation’ projects such as flood defences and drought resistant crops.
Connie Hedegaard, EU commissioner for climate action, said: ‘We cannot have a system where there will be automatic compensation whenever severe weather events happen in one place or another around the planet. You can understand why that is not feasible.’
The World Bank estimates that economic losses caused by extreme weather currently stand at £120billion a year.
Negotiators were becoming increasingly frustrated by the issue, which they said was a ‘distraction’ from the main aim of the talks – to agree rules to bring down international emissions. They accused green campaign groups of whipping up anger among the world’s poorest countries on the issue and blamed them for risking derailment on the main issues.
A source close to the talks said: ‘This is an enormous distraction from the important issue of agreeing how emissions should be reduced and how we can help poor countries adapt. ‘The loss and damage agenda is being driven by a small number of countries and NGOs who want the Americans in particular to pay compensation for their past emissions. It is a symptom of an anti-American feeling in many parts of the world.’
More than 800 green campaigners staged a mass walk-out at the talks in protest at lack of progress over the issue. The bickering underscores the scale of the difficulty that negotiators face in forging a treaty by 2015 that could replace the Kyoto Protocol, the only international pact limiting fossil fuel emissions.
發展中國家認為，已發展國家履行資金承諾是發展中國家應對氣候變化的關鍵，但已發展國家卻經常不兌現或不全部兌現其承諾，致使發展中國家的＂應對＂行動難以有效開展。
過去在京都議定書中，針對不同經濟發展狀況的國家訂了不一樣的減碳標準。現在，已發展國家希望新的標準能夠適用於所有國家，特別是近來備受矚目的發展中國家─中國及印度。然而許多發展中的國家，例如委內瑞拉，希望新的氣候協定能夠延續京都議定書，給經濟狀況不同的國家訂定不一樣的減碳標準。
- Countenance (v.) 贊同；支持
Your father won't countenance you going abroad. 你父親不會贊同你出國。
- Concern over 關心‥；擔心‥
More and more people are concerning about environmental problems.越來越多的人關心起環境問題。
- Repercussion (n.) (常用複數表示)後果、影響
The break - up of the USSR has had world - wide repercussions.
蘇聯的解體造成了世界性的影響。
- Envoy (n.) 特使；外交官
A special envoy was sent to try to secure the release of the hostages.
派了一名特使以設法確保人質獲釋。
- Commissioner (n.) 部長
Commissioner Addo is responsible for Education.
Addo部長負責教育部的工作。
- Compromise (n.) 妥協
I hope we shall come to a compromise. 我希望我們能達成妥協。
- Feasible (adj.) 可行的；合理的
Your plan is not economically feasible. 你的計劃從經濟上考慮是行不通的。
- Bring down 結束‥；終止‥
The couple decided to bring down the curtain on their marriage after 5 years.
那對夫婦決定結束五年的婚姻關係。
- Accuse (v.) 指責；把‥歸因於‥
Man often accuses nature for his own misfortunes. 人類常把自己的不幸歸咎於天。
- Whip up 激起‥；喚起‥
The interview whipped up half the people into a frenzy of rage.
這次會談使半數人極為憤慨。
- Walk-out (n.) 抗議；罷工
- Bickering (adj.) 爭吵的
- Forge (v.) 建立聯繫
Gorbachev was able to forge new links between Russia and the West.戈巴契夫能建立俄羅斯和西方之間的新聯繫。
- Pact (n.) 契約；協定；條約
The two countries signed a non - aggression pact.
這兩國簽署了互不侵犯條約。
Mr Davey last night tried to shine a positive light on progress at the summit, arguing that the real aim was to sign an international agreement by 2015. He said: ‘We didn’t come to Warsaw expecting to sign a treaty, we expected to make modest progress, the nights and bolts on the way to Paris and I think that is what we will achieve.’
But others gave a bleaker analysis. China’s lead negotiator Su Wei said the conference was ‘on the verge of delivering virtually nothing’. He added: ‘This week saw a finance ministerial with almost no actual finance, and loss and damage talks that have stalled because developed countries refused to engage.’
The Polish hosts of the UN talks have been criticised for poor management and contributing towards the chaos of the negotiations. The man chairing the summit, Polish environment minister Marcin Korolec, was sacked in a government reshuffle midway through the talks. The country, which gets 90 per cent of its electricity from burning coal, has been one of the most reluctant EU members to reduce carbon emissions.
為期兩周的華沙氣候大會(Cop)在波蘭展開，經過長達30小時的僵局後，終於在2013年11月23日晚間落幕，並就預定2015年簽署的對抗全球暖化氣候協定的大綱達成協議。從許多大會參與者的報導中，可發現華沙氣候大會達成實質的進度相當少，環保團體對於各國未能做出明確的承諾也感到相當不滿。
但儘管實質進度相當少，但這次華沙氣候變遷大會已勾勒出全球共識的氣候協議藍圖，各國應共同合作，共同奠定2015年巴黎氣候大會的最終決議。：
- Summit (n.) 高峰會；最高級會議
The Prime Minister is attending the summit. 首相正在參加最高級會議。
- Bleak (adj.) 令人沮喪的；沒有希望的
The future looked bleak. 前途渺茫。
- On the verge of‥= on the edge of 瀕臨‥
- Sack (v.)【口】開除；解雇
One of the workmen was sacked for drunkenness. 一個工人因酗酒被解雇。
- Government reshuffle 政府改組
- Reluctant (adj.) 不情願的；勉強的
She was reluctant to give her money away. 她不願意把錢送給別人。
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2512324/Developing-countries-want-FORCE-rich-countries-bail-theyre-hit-natural-disasters.html#ixzz2qQxQFhqr
