第1738期:The greenhouse effect

Our planet is heating up due to something called the greenhouse effect. This is one of the reasons why Earth is seeing more extreme weather events, such as heatwaves, forest fires and floods each year. But what exactly is the greenhouse effect, and what can we do to reduce it?

由于称为温室效应的现象，我们的星球正在升温。这就是为什么地球每年都会发生更多极端天气事件，例如热浪、森林火灾和洪水的原因之一。但究竟什么是温室效应，我们可以做些什么来减少它呢？

Let's first think about a greenhouse – you may have one in your garden! It's a glass structure that protects plants against low temperatures by trapping heat inside. But, while this helps your plants grow, Earth is trapping heat in the same way, and it's causing global warming. When fossil fuels, such as coal, oil and gas, are burnt for power, carbon dioxide is released as a waste product. It enters the atmosphere and acts like a blanket around the planet, which means heat radiation can't escape and the temperature increases.

让我们首先考虑温室——您的花园中可能有一个！它是一种玻璃结构，通过将热量收集在内部来保护植物免受低温影响。但是，虽然这有助于植物生长，但地球也在以同样的方式吸收热量，并导致全球变暖。燃烧煤炭、石油和天然气等化石燃料发电时，会释放出二氧化碳作为废物。它进入大气层并像毯子一样包裹着地球，这意味着热辐射无法逸出，温度升高。

The impact of gases on the Earth's climate was first investigated in the 1820s. Eunice Foote, a scientist and women's rights activist, tested the effects of sunlight on different gases that she put into glass cylinders. Her results showed that carbon dioxide traps heat more than other gases. The idea of the greenhouse effect was born.

气体对地球气候的影响最早是在 1820 年代研究的。科学家和妇女权利活动家尤尼斯·富特 (Eunice Foote) 测试了阳光对她放入玻璃瓶中的不同气体的影响。她的研究结果表明，二氧化碳比其他气体更能吸收热量。温室效应的想法诞生了。

So, what can we do to reduce the greenhouse effect? The UN recommends using more energy-efficient electrical appliances at home and switching to LED lightbulbs. Also, by washing your clothes at 30° instead of a higher temperature, around 40% less electricity is used over a year, according to the Energy Saving Trust. A change in diet is also something to consider. The charity A Well-Fed World, claim that plant-based foods, as opposed to meat and dairy, need less land and water to be produced. So, switching saves energy and lowers emissions, which contribute to climate change. We only have one planet, so let's try and take care of it as much as we can.

那么，我们可以做些什么来减少温室效应呢？联合国建议在家中使用更节能的电器，并改用 LED 灯泡。此外，根据 Energy Saving Trust 的数据，通过在 30° 而不是更高的温度下洗涤衣服，一年内的用电量减少了大约 40%。饮食的改变也是需要考虑的事情。慈善机构 A Well-Fed World 声称，与肉类和奶制品相比，植物性食品需要更少的土地和水来生产。因此，转换可以节省能源并减少排放，从而导致气候变化。我们只有一个星球，所以让我们尽可能多地照顾它。