Climate Change Report and Coral Reef Heroes

News Bites

Hello and welcome back to another episode of News Bites! I’m Paz Bueno. And I’m Nancy Sun. In today's news: Hotter summers and wilder typhoons, saving coral reefs, and introducing our favorite singers! Stay tuned for more on those stories, coming up next. ________________________________ 台灣的氣候未來 Taiwan’s Climate Future Studying climate change is very important. Climate change means the weather is changing in ways that can be dangerous for our planet. By studying climate change, scientists can understand what is happening to our world. This helps us find ways to protect our environment (保護環境) and keep our planet safe for the future (讓地球未來更安全). Scientists in Taiwan are studying how our weather could change in the future if we don't do more to stop global warming. A new report says that if we don't control greenhouse gases (溫室氣體), Taiwan could have summers that last seven months by the end of the century. 一份新的報告指出，如果我們不控制溫室氣體，到本世紀末，台灣的夏天可能會長達七個月。 This means hotter days for much longer. In the worst case, temperatures in lowland areas (低窪地區) could reach 36 degrees Celsius for an extra 75 days a year. The report also talks about typhoons (颱風). There might be fewer typhoons hitting Taiwan in the future, but they could become stronger and more dangerous. Right now, we have about four to five typhoons each year. This could drop to (數字可能會降到) one or two by the end of the century. But there are more changes coming. We could see longer dry spells (更長的乾旱期), which means a higher risk of droughts (乾旱). At the same time, heavy rains could become more common, leading to more floods (洪水). If temperatures rise by 2 degrees Celsius, sea levels (海平面) could go up by 34.5 centimeters. Climate change will also impact (影響) our health. Diseases like dengue fever could become more common, and more people might suffer from respiratory diseases. 像登革熱這樣的疾病可能會變得更常見，患呼吸道疾病的人數可能也會增加。 The report was put together by 68 scientists and took 18 months to complete. It was a big job! They hope this report will help the government make good plans to deal with climate change. Let’s all think about how we can help protect our planet! ________________________________ 菲律賓的珊瑚英雄 The Philippines' Coral Heroes Coral reefs (珊瑚礁) are very important to our planet. They are like underwater cities where many fish and sea animals live. Coral reefs protect our coastlines (海岸線) from big waves and storms. Many people love to visit coral reefs to see the colorful fish and beautiful coral. But coral reefs are in danger from pollution, climate change, and other problems. It is also important to protect and help them so they can stay healthy and strong. In the coastal town of Bauan in the Philippines, scuba diving experts (潛水專家) are helping to save damaged coral reefs. They are setting up coral nurseries to help damaged corals grow and recover. 他們正在設立珊瑚苗圃，幫助受損的珊瑚生長和恢復。 Divers collect coral that has been damaged (受損) by natural disasters and human activities. In 2020, a mass coral bleaching event (一場大規模的珊瑚白化) affected about 72 kilometers of coastline in Bauan. Coral bleaching happens when high temperatures make corals lose their color and turn white. This event inspired (激發) Carmela Sevilla, a scuba diving instructor and resort owner (潛水教練和度假村老闆) in Bauan, to start coral nurseries. She invited other conservationists (保育人士) to join her in this important work. They save the living parts of these corals and place them in special nurseries. Coral nurseries not only provide a safe place for damaged corals to grow but also serve as a backup to replenish coral reefs in the future. 珊瑚苗圃不僅為受損的珊瑚提供了一個安全的生長環境，還可以在未來需要時補充珊瑚礁。 Sevilla believes that small efforts can make a big difference over time. So far, she and her volunteers (志願人員) have collected 64 pieces of damaged coral for their nurseries. These small actions help create a lasting impact on coral conservation. 這些小小的行動對於珊瑚保育都會有長遠的影響。 ________________________________ So, in today's News Bites: Scientists in Taiwan are studying how our weather could change in the future if we don't do more to stop global warming. A new report says that if we don't control greenhouse gases, Taiwan could have summers that last seven months by the end of the century. ________________________________ And, In the coastal town of Bauan in the Philippines, scuba diving experts are helping to save damaged coral reefs. They are setting up coral nurseries to help damaged corals grow and recover. ________________________________ 趣味小點 Tasty Tidbit Who is your favorite singer? My favorite band is Paramore. They are an American rock band. Zachary from Taiping Junior High School told us about his favorite musical group! […] ________________________________ If you have a fun fact, a joke, or interesting news you’d like to share with us, record your message and send us your Tasty Tidbit to [e-mail], and you might hear it at the end of an episode! We’ll see you next time for an exciting new episode of News Bites!