科学家告别第一个因气候变化而失去的冰岛冰川

Scientists say they are bidding farewell to Okjökull, the first Icelandic glacier lost to climate change, in a funeral of sorts.

科学家们表示，他们将向Okjokull冰川告别。Okjokull是冰岛第一个因气候变化而消失的冰川。

It can displace people

它可以取代人类

By 2100, up to 2 billion people -- or about a fifth of the world's population -- could be displaced from their homes and forced to move inland because of rising ocean levels, according to a 2017 study.

2017年的一项研究显示，到2100年，由于海平面上升，多达20亿人(约占全球人口的五分之一)可能被迫背井离乡，迁往内陆。

Bangladesh is particularly at risk. About 15 million people in the country could become climate refugees if sea levels rise 1 meter. And more than 10% of the country would be underwater.

孟加拉国尤其面临风险。如果海平面上升1米，该国大约1500万人可能成为气候难民。超过10%的国土将被淹没。

Some of the people who are displaced might not have anywhere to go. They're not protected by international laws, so industrialized countries aren't legally obligated to grant them asylum.

一些流离失所的人可能无处可去。他们不受国际法保护，因此工业化国家没有法律义务给予他们庇护。

It can put some islands underwater

它能把一些岛屿淹没

If sea levels continue to rise at a rapid rate, some remote island nations would be at risk of disappearing, including Tuvalu, the Maldives and the Marshall Islands.

如果海平面继续快速上升，一些偏远的岛国将面临消失的危险，包括图瓦卢、马尔代夫和马绍尔群岛。

It can diminish drinking water

它会减少饮用水

Millions of people depend on glaciers for drinking water, particularly in the Hindu Kush Himalayan region and the Andes Mountains.

数百万人依赖冰川获取饮用水，特别是在兴都库什喜马拉雅地区和安第斯山脉。

In dry climates near mountains, glaciers collect freshwater and store it as ice during colder months. When summer comes along, the ice melts and runs off into rivers and streams, providing drinking water.

在靠近山脉的干燥气候中，冰川收集淡水，并在较冷的月份以冰的形式储存起来。当夏天来临，冰融化，流入河流和小溪，提供了饮用水。

It can threaten our food supply

它可以威胁我们的食物供应

Rising sea levels contribute to warmer global temperatures, changing what kinds of crops farmers can grow. Some climates will become too hot for what farmers are growing now. Other climates will see more flooding, more snow or more moisture in the air, also limiting what can be grown.

海平面上升导致全球气温上升，改变了农民可以种植的农作物种类。有些气候使农民现在种植的作物来说会变得太热。在其他气候条件下，将会有更多的洪水、更多的雪或更多的空气湿度，也会限制作物的生长。

It can cause a health crisis

它会导致健康危机

As sea levels rise, coastal communities are more susceptible to flooding.

随着海平面上升，沿海社区更容易受到洪水的影响。

Floods can cause massive amounts of untreated sewage to flow into rivers, streams, streets and even homes. That pollutes sources of water, harms wildlife and helps spread diseases.

洪水会导致大量未经处理的污水流入河流、小溪、街道甚至家庭。污染水源，危害野生动物，并有助于传播疾病。

It can change life as we know it

它可以改变我们所知道的生活

Those massive white surfaces work to reflect rays from the sun back into the environment, keeping temperatures mild. As more and more glaciers melt, energy from the sun will instead be absorbed into the ocean. As the oceans get warmer, global temperatures become hotter and cause even more glaciers to melt. That creates a cycle that amplifies the climate crisis, Briner said.

这些巨大的白色表面可以将太阳光反射回环境中，保持温和的温度。随着越来越多的冰川融化，来自太阳的能量将被吸收到海洋中。随着海洋变暖，全球温度变得越来越高，导致更多的冰川融化。布里纳说，这就形成了一个加剧气候危机的循环。