干旱和山火持续在澳大利亚本土肆虐了将近4个月的时间,愈演愈烈,已经到了失控的境地。
据生态学家估算,2019年9月以来,仅新南威尔士州就有至少4.8亿只野生动物在大火中丧生,让澳洲成为了人间炼狱。
3日,丛林大火袭击澳大利亚第三大岛袋鼠岛,烧毁超15万公顷森林。不仅行动缓慢的考拉遭重创,跑跳速度很快的袋鼠也死伤无数。
视频来源:看见video
在人们为这些触目惊心的画面扼腕痛惜时,澳大利亚南部一土著领导人却下令射杀一万只当地野生骆驼,目的是防止野骆驼占用干旱地区宝贵的饮用水资源。
Australia is engulfed in bushfires and it is running out of water to be able to control it. The solution the authorities there have come up with? 澳大利亚被丛林大火吞没,为了控制火势,当地水资源即将耗尽。
To kill thousands of feral camels in South Australia, to stop the animals drinking water in the drought-ravaged region. 当局提出的解决办法是什么?在南澳大利亚杀死数千头野生骆驼,阻止这些动物在干旱地区饮水。
澳大利亚经常受到当地各类野生动物泛滥的困扰,有的时候当地政府会采取手段强加控制。
今年澳大利亚受山火影响,多地气温过高,再加上炎热干燥的天气,澳大利亚南部多地水源匮乏,河道干涸。很多野生骆驼就溜进当地居民家里找水喝,令居民备受困扰,纷纷向政府投诉。
According to The Australian, 10,000 camels will be culled by professional shooters in helicopters from Wednesday after an order from Aboriginal leaders in the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara lands (AYP). 据《澳大利亚人报》报道,从周三(1月8日)开始,根据澳大利亚土著阿南古原住民领袖的命令,1万只骆驼将由专业的直升机射杀。
Apparently the local communities have been complaining about the feral creatures invading properties in search of water. There also seems to be a concern that these animals are contributing to global warming as they emit methane equal to one tonne of carbon dioxide a year.当地社区一直在抱怨这些野生动物为了寻找水源而入侵。人们似乎还担心,这些动物每年排放相当于一吨二氧化碳的甲烷,会加剧全球变暖。
“We have been stuck in stinking hot and uncomfortable conditions, feeling unwell, because the camels are coming in and knocking down fences, getting in around the houses and trying to get to water through air conditioners,” The Australian quoted APY executive board member, Marita Baker, as saying.《澳大利亚人报》援引APY土地执行委员会委员贝克的话,“我们一直被困在又热又臭的环境里,感觉很不舒服,因为骆驼会推倒围栏,进入房屋周围,试图通过空调取水。”
According to the National Feral Camel Management Plan, the feral camel population will double every nine years if the ‘pest control’ is not done. 澳大利亚野骆驼管理项目指出,如果不进行控制,野生骆驼的数量将每9年翻一番。
Chief executive of carbon farming specialists RegenCo, Tim Moore, said ‘one million feral camels emitting the effect of a tonne of CO2 per year was the equivalent of an additional 400,000 cars on the road’.碳农业专家RegenCo的首席执行官蒂姆·摩尔说:“100万头野生骆驼每年排放一吨二氧化碳,相当于路上多跑了40万辆车。”
The Department of Energy and Environment said that the emissions from feral animals should not be considered in a country’s emissions estimate - 'Australia does not report on emissions from feral animals.澳大利亚能源和环境部表示,野生动物的排放不应计入一个国家的排放估算。
Therefore, activities that change the emissions from feral animals cannot be subject to an Emissions Reduction Fund method, as they are unable to result in eligible carbon abatement and cannot contribute to Australia’s emissions reduction targets'. 因此,改变野生动物排放的活动不能被纳入减排基金的方法,因为它们不能带来合格的碳减排,也不能为澳大利亚的减排目标做出贡献。
天灾面前,人类向来渺小。
但是,当人类生命受到天灾威胁时,不去思考如何解决威胁,而是用另一个物种的生命进行无力的补救。那么末日终究是人类的末日。
英文、图片来源:IndiaTimes