熱到流汗變冷得發抖 氣溫波動加劇

A September heat wave switching into a snowstorm over one day in the Rocky Mountains. Winter snowfall suddenly melting and saturating fields of dormant crops, before refreezing and encasing them in damaging ice. Early spring warmth prompting plants to blossom followed by a cold snap that freezes and drops their petals.

落磯山脈去年9月一天之內，天氣從熱浪變成降下暴風雪。冬季降雪突然融化，休眠作物的農田被雪水浸透，天氣隨後重返冰天雪地並將它們冰封在具破壞性的冰層中。初春的溫暖促使植物開花，卻被隨後的氣溫驟降凍傷，花瓣因此凋落。

Rapid temperature change events like these have increased in frequency and intensity over recent decades, a new study found.

一項新研究發現，這類氣溫快速變化事件在近數十年發生的頻率和強度增加。

The transition periods for these abrupt temperature shifts have also shortened, according to the study, published Tuesday in the journal Nature Communications.

發表在「自然通訊」期刊的研究顯示，這些突如其來溫度變化的過渡期也有所縮短。

Because the quick changes in temperature give communities and ecosystems little chance to respond, they may pose greater challenges than heat waves or cold snaps alone, said Wei Zhang, an assistant professor of climate science at Utah State University and one of the lead authors of the study.

猶他州立大學氣候科學助理教授、該研究主要作者之一張偉表示，由於氣溫快速變化使社區和生態系統幾乎沒有機會反應，它們可能相較於單獨的熱浪和寒流帶來更大挑戰。

The researchers warned these temperature flips could have damaging effects on people and natural environments, including destruction of crops, harm to ecosystems and strains on power infrastructure. And low-income countries, where there is less access to weather forecasting and infrastructure is less resilient, are more vulnerable.

研究員警告，這些氣溫驟變可能對人們和自然環境有破壞性影響，包括破壞作物、傷害生態系統及對電力基礎設施造成壓力。而且低收入國家因較難以取得天氣預報，基礎設施適應力也較弱，更容易受影響。

The researchers examined temperature data from 1961 to 2023 to identify global patterns in sudden weather shifts, where temperatures in an area either jumped from cold temperatures to warm or plunged from warm to cold within five days. They found that instances of these flips increased in more than 60% of regions they surveyed.

研究員仔細檢查1961年至2023年氣溫數據，以確定全球天氣突然變化的模式，即一個地區五天內從寒冷氣溫驟升至暖和，或溫暖氣溫驟降至寒冷。它們發現，在所調查的地區中，超過60%的地區氣溫驟變狀況增加。

The largest increases in frequency were observed in South America, West Europe, Africa, and South and Southeast Asia. Some areas, including the polar regions, showed different behavior and experienced fewer events.

氣溫驟變頻率增幅最多的地區是南美洲、西歐、非洲，及南亞和東南亞。包括極區在內的有些地區呈現不同狀況，且發生的事件較少。

While the climate mechanisms driving changes to these temperature-flip events are not yet fully understood, Zhang said, there is a significant trend showing that these events are becoming more frequent, stronger and quicker in many areas of the globe.

張偉表示，儘管目前尚未完全了解促使這些氣溫驟變事件變化的氣候機制，但有個明顯的趨勢表明，這些事件在全球許多地區變得更頻繁、更強烈且更快速。

Sudden temperature changes can disrupt the growth of plants, posing challenges for agriculture.

氣溫突然改變可能擾亂植物生長，為農業帶來挑戰。

In natural environments, plant loss from these flip events could set off a series of other consequences, like less available food for animals, Zhang said. Another risk from back-to-back severe temperatures is increased pressure on power systems, which can cause people to lose heat or air conditioning during dangerous temperatures.

張偉表示，在自然環境中，植物因氣溫翻轉受損，可能引發連鎖反應，例如動物可利用的食物減少。另一項風險是極端氣溫連續發生，對電力系統造成更大壓力，導致在危險氣候下民眾失去暖氣或者空調等基本生活所需。

川普將開放阿拉斯加荒野鑽探和採礦

The Trump administration said Monday that it planned to eliminate federal protections across millions of acres of Alaskan wilderness, a move that would allow drilling and mining in some of the last remaining pristine wilderness in the country.

川普政府周一表示，計畫取消對數百萬英畝阿拉斯加荒野的聯邦保護，這項舉措將允許在全美僅存最原始的荒野之一進行鑽油與採礦活動。

Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said the Biden administration had exceeded its authority last year when it banned oil and gas drilling in more than half of the 9.2 million-hectare area, known as the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska.

內政部長柏根表示，拜登政府去年越權禁止在920萬公頃的阿拉斯加國家石油儲備區中一半以上區域進行石油和天然氣鑽探。

The proposed repeal is part of President Donald Trump’s aggressive agenda to “drill, baby, drill,” which calls for increased oil and gas extraction on public lands and the repeal of virtually all climate and environmental protections.

這項擬議中的撤銷計畫，是川普積極推動的「鑽吧，寶貝，鑽吧」政策的一環，主張在公共土地上擴大石油與天然氣開採，並幾乎撤銷所有氣候與環境保護措施。

“We’re restoring the balance and putting our energy future back on track,” Burgum said in a statement.

「我們正在恢復平衡，並讓我們的能源未來重回正軌，」柏根在聲明中說。

The National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska is an ecologically sensitive expanse of land about 965 kilometers north of Anchorage, bounded by the Chukchi Sea to the west and the Beaufort Sea to the north. It is the largest single area of public land in the United States. It covers crucial habitat for grizzly bears, polar bears, caribou, thousands of migratory birds and other wildlife.

「阿拉斯加國家石油儲備區」是片生態敏感區，位於安克拉治以北約965公里，西臨楚科奇海，北接波弗特海。這裡是美國最大單一公共土地區域，涵蓋灰熊、北極熊、馴鹿、數千種候鳥及其他野生動物的重要棲地。

Created in the early 1900s, the reserves were originally envisioned as a fuel supply for the Navy in times of emergency. But in 1976, Congress authorized full commercial development of the federal land and ordered the government to balance oil drilling with conservation and wildlife protection.

該儲備區始於20世紀初，最初被設想為海軍在緊急時期的燃料供應來源。但到了1976年，國會授權對這片聯邦土地進行全面商業開發，並要求政府在石油鑽探與保育及野生動物保護之間取得平衡。

The announcement came as Burgum traveled to Alaska, accompanied by Lee Zeldin, the administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, and Chris Wright, the secretary of the Energy Department. The three were expected to encourage companies to drill in sensitive areas such as the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and to support a liquefied natural gas pipeline in the state.

這項聲明是在柏根前往阿拉斯加州時發布的，陪同他的是環保署長李修頓和能源部長萊特。三人將鼓勵企業在北極國家野生動物保護區等敏感地區鑽探，並支持在該州建造液化天然氣管線。

Matt Jackson, the Alaska state senior manager at The Wilderness Society, an environmental group, called the repeal of environmental protections an outrage.

環境團體「荒野協會」阿拉斯加州資深經理傑克森稱，廢除環境保護措施「令人憤慨」。

“This move will accelerate the climate crisis at a time when the ground beneath Alaska communities is literally melting away and subsistence foods are in decline,” Jackson said.

傑克森說：「這項舉措將加速氣候危機，而此時阿拉斯加社區下的土地實際上正在融化，賴以為生的糧食正在減少。」