首页
登录
职称英语
Apparently everyone knows that global warming only makes climate more extrem
Apparently everyone knows that global warming only makes climate more extrem
游客
2024-05-02
34
管理
问题
Apparently everyone knows that global warming only makes climate more extreme. A hot, dry summer has triggered another flood of such claims. And, while many interests are at work, one of the players that benefits the most from this story are the media: the notion of "extreme" climate simply makes for more compelling news.
Consider Paul Krugman, writing breathlessly in the New York Times about the "rising incidence of extreme events." He claims that global warming caused the current drought in America’s Midwest, and that supposedly record-high corn prices could cause a global food crisis.
But the United Nations climate panel’s latest assessment tells us precisely the opposite: For "North America, there is medium confidence that there has an overall slight tendency toward less dryness." Moreover, there is no way that Krugman could have identified this drought as being caused by global warming without a time machine: Climate models estimate that such detection will be possible by 2048, at the earliest.
And, fortunately, this year’s drought appears unlikely to cause a food crisis, as global rice and wheat supplies remain plentiful. Moreover, Krugman overlooks inflation: Prices have increased six-fold since 1969, so, while corn futures(期货)did set a record of about $8 per bushel(蒲式耳)in late July, the inflation-adjusted price of corn was higher throughout most of the 1970s, reaching $ 16 in 1974.
Finally, Krugman conveniently forgets that concerns about global warming are the main reason that corn prices have skyrocketed since 2005. Nowadays 40 percent of corn grown in the United States is used to produce ethanol(乙醇), which does absolutely nothing for the climate, but certainly distorts the price of corn—at the expense of many of the world’s poorest people.
Bill Mckibben similarly worries in The Guardian about the Midwest drought and corn prices. He confidently tells us that raging wildfires from New Mexico and Colorado to Siberia are "exactly" what the early stages of global warming look like.
In fact, the latest overview of global wildfire incidence suggests that fire intensity has declined over the past 70 years and is now close to its preindustrial level.
When well-meaning campaigners want us to pay attention to global warming, they often end up pitching beyond the facts. And, while this may seem justified by a noble goal, such "policy by panic" tactics rarely work, and often backfire.
Remember how, in the wake of Hurricane Katrina in 2005, Al Gore claimed that we were in store for ever more destructive hurricanes? Since then, hurricane incidence has dropped off the charts. Exaggerated claims merely fuel public distrust and disengagement.
That is unfortunate, because global warming is a real problem, and we do need to address it. [br] What is the chief reason for the rise in corn prices according to the author?
选项
A、Demand for food has been rising in the developing countries.
B、A considerable portion of corn is used to produce green fuel.
C、Climate change has caused corn yields to drop markedly.
D、Inflation rates have been skyrocketing since the 1970s.
答案
B
解析
推理判断题。定位句指出,目前在美国种植的玉米有40%被用于生产乙醇,这对气候绝埘没有任何影响,不过,它却实实在在地扭曲了玉米价格。这说明,玉米价格的上升与气候没有多大关系,而是与玉米的用途的改变有关,选项B)中的green fuel指的就是文章中由玉米作为原材料制造出来的乙醇,故答案为B)。
转载请注明原文地址:https://tihaiku.com/zcyy/3580160.html
相关试题推荐
Itseemslikeeveryonelovestohatecreditcardcompanies,butsomefirmsa
Itseemslikeeveryonelovestohatecreditcardcompanies,butsomefirmsa
Itseemslikeeveryonelovestohatecreditcardcompanies,butsomefirmsa
Apparentlyeveryoneknowsthatglobalwarmingonlymakesclimatemoreextrem
Apparentlyeveryoneknowsthatglobalwarmingonlymakesclimatemoreextrem
Apparentlyeveryoneknowsthatglobalwarmingonlymakesclimatemoreextrem
Thecontinuouspresentationofscarystoriesaboutglobalwarminginthepop
Thecontinuouspresentationofscarystoriesaboutglobalwarminginthepop
Thecontinuouspresentationofscarystoriesaboutglobalwarminginthepop
Thecontinuouspresentationofscarystoriesaboutglobalwarminginthepop
随机试题
WhichofthefollowingstatementsisINCORRECT?[originaltext]Alargeextinc
[originaltext]Atthetheater,shedisruptsthefirstactassheclimbsover
[originaltext]Moods,saytheexperts,arefeelingsthatarelikelytobefi
下列框架结构弯矩图正确的是:()A. B. C. D.
某水库工程总库容为1亿m3,年引水量为1亿m3,供水对象的重要性为比较重要,该水
A.肝肾综合征 B.上消化道出血 C.原发性肝癌 D.感染 E.肝性脑病
从所给的四个选项中,选择最合适的一个填入问号处,使之呈现一定的规律性: A.如
在教师与家长的关系上,下列哪一种观念是正确的()A.以教师为主,家长为辅 B
共用题干 一般资料:求助者,女性,28岁,无业。案例介绍:求助者由于孩子的问题
女,8个月,因发热2次,抽搐2次,伴呕吐,吃奶量减少,喜哭,易怒就诊。母乳喂养。
最新回复
(
0
)