Current warming 'unparalleled' in 2,000 years



From the 'Roman Warm Period' to the 'Little Ice Age' that began in the 14th Century, the past two millennia have seen periods of hot and cold weather that have extended for centuries. As a result, many have argued that the current period of global warming that started with the Industrial Revolution is part of a natural pattern and the human role in creating it has been exaggerated.



This new study suggests that is not the case. Scientists reconstructed the major climate events of the past 2,000 years by looking at around 700 records, including tree rings, ice cores and lake sediments. Not one single event affected as much of the world as the present period of warming is now doing. Other scientists who've looked at the study have been impressed by the quality of the research.



The scientists involved argue that the new findings debunk many theories put forward by climate sceptics to explain the rise in temperatures, including variations in solar activity. The current period of climate change is mainly down to humans, they argue. Natural causes, they say, are simply not sufficient to explain the warming scene over the last century and a half.



词汇表

Roman Warm Period 罗马温暖期（指公元前250年至公元400年左右欧洲和北大西洋地区异常温暖的气候时期）

Little Ice Age 小冰河期（指大约从14世纪到19世纪全球气温相对较低的时期）

millennia [mɪ'leniə] 一千年（millennium [mɪ'leniəm] 的复数）

the Industrial Revolution [ɪn'dʌstriəl][ˌrevəˈluːʃ(ə)n] 工业革命

exaggerate [ɪɡˈzædʒəreɪt] 夸大，夸张，言过其实

reconstruct [ˌriːkənˈstrʌkt] 重现；重建，修复

tree ring 树木的年轮

ice core 冰芯，冰核（指从冰川、冰盖或永久冻土中钻取的圆柱形冰样）

lake sediment [ˈsedɪmənt] 湖泊沉积物

debunk [diːˈbʌŋk] 揭露……的真相，证明……是错误的

put forward 提出（想法或计划）

climate sceptic ['skeptɪk] 气候怀疑论者（对全球变暖及其原因持怀疑态度的人）

variation [ˌveərɪˈeɪʃ(ə)n] 变化，变动

solar activity [ˈsəʊlə(r)] 太阳活动

be down to 由…引起或造成

natural cause 自然因素

sufficient [sə'fɪʃ(ə)nt] 足够的，充足的



🗒️翻译和pdf见公众号【琐简英语】，回复1可加入【打卡交流群】