卫报：环保优先!希斯罗机场三跑道扩建被裁不合法(全文)

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8.希思罗机场第三跑道扩建

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The Guardian

卫报2020年2月27日

法院裁定希思罗机场扩建计划违法

社会文化

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背景介绍

随着经济的迅速发展，全社会的运输需求也在不断增加，航空业的重要性不言而喻，如何协调经济和环境问题也成为了航空业面临的重大挑战。本文从关于希思罗机场扩建计划的一项裁决出发，分析了其背后的意义和影响，并就如何协调航空业的经济发展和环境保护问题提出了自己的见解。扩建希思罗机场这一议题已在英国讨论多年，商界多数予以支持。但英国上诉法院裁定该计划是非法的，因为政府在规划希思罗机场第三条跑道时未考虑在签署《巴黎气候协定》时为应对气候变化做出的承诺。这是世界上第一个以《巴黎气候协定》为基础的裁决，也进一步突显了经济发展与环境保护之间的紧张关系。

篇章结构

第一段至第二段：（引出事件）

第一段：希思罗机场第三跑道扩建计划被判非法，使气候活动家们备受鼓舞。第二段：这项裁决开创了特别的先例。

第三段至第四段：（分析事件）

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第三段：分析这项裁决给英国带来的现实影响。

第四段：分析这项裁决背后的深层意义：经济和环境问题在航空业尤为突出。

第五段至第六段：（提出建议）

第五段：介绍并评价政府的官方建议：允许航空业逆脱碳趋势而上。第六段：作者的建议和总结：制定国家层面的航空计划。

原文

It’s not often that climate activists get to punch the air.News about the environment is alarming far more frequently than it is cheering.So campaigners were understandably jubilant on Thursday when the court of appeal issued its surprise ruling that the government’s plans to build a third runway at Heathrow are illegal.

The judges set an extraordinary precedent.This is because they made their ruling on grounds that the policy of expanding the airport is incompatible with commitments made by the government in the Paris climate agreement.While the law says that national policy must take account of the UK’s climate commitments,the 2018airport statement didn’t.

The effects reach beyond these shores.But the biggest impact will be in the UK,where it has already given a boost to activists depressed about the government’s lack of preparedness for Cop26,the hugely important round of UN climate negotiations it will host in November.Given Boris Johnson’s earlier opposition to Heathrow expansion,it is possible,if not yet certain,that he will take the opportunity offered by this week’s court ruling to abandon the third runway once and for all.Beyond the immediate significance of Heathrow,particularly to the west London residents who have consistently opposed it,the judgment highlights a deeper tension between economic development and climate policymaking.

There is probably no area in which economic and environmental problems are harder to reconcile than the aviation.Currently

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responsible for around 2%of global emissions,its share is predicted to grow fast.Aviation emissions rose by 32%between 2013and 2018,and in the UK are expected to overtake all other sources by 2050.While new batteries,sustainable fuels and new engine technology are all anticipated,the prospect of anything approaching “green”flying remains remote.

That’s why the government’s official advice is that aviation should be allowed to oppose the trend of decarbonisation,and to grow by up to 25%between now and 2050.But even if this is accepted,ministers must address the question of where this growth will take place,while working to reduce demand via new charges such as a frequent-flyer levy.

Britain needs a national airline plan to weigh the demands of different regions against each other.But nowhere must boosting air traffic be viewed as a shortcut to prosperity.In an era of climate breakdown,there is really no option other than to seek alternative routes to success.

【1】①It’s not often that climate activists get to punch the air .②News about the environment is alarming far more frequently than it is cheering.③So campaigners were understandably jubilant on Thursday when the court of appeal issued its surprise ruling that the government’s plans to build a third runway at Heathrow are illegal.【1】气候活动人士能够挥拳庆祝的机会并不多。有关环境的新闻往往是，令人担忧的远远多于让人欢欣鼓舞的。因此，当英国上诉法院在周四做出出人意料的裁决，判定政府在希思罗机场修建第三条跑道的计划是非法的时候，活动家们欢呼雀跃是可以理解的。

语篇分析

本段引出事件：一项裁决。

①-②介绍背景，指出“有关环境问题的新闻往往总是令人担忧”，①概述，②具体解释。①②和③之间形成对比，常态与特殊对比引出话题，③具体引出上诉法院对机场扩建计划的裁决内容，以及气候活动人士对此的赞扬态度。