On 16 February, the Kyoto protocol comes into force. Whetheryou see this as a triumph of international cooperation or a case of too little, too late, there is no doubt that it was only made possible by decades of dedicated work by climate scientists. Yet as these same researchers celebrate their most notable achievement, their work is being denigrated as never before. The hostile criticism is coming from sceptics who question the reality of climate change. Critics have always been around, but in recent months their voices have become increasingly prominent and influential. One British newspaper called climate change a "global fraud" based on "left-wing, anti-American, anti-west ideology". A London-based think tank described the UK's chief scientific adviser, David King, as "an embarrassment" for believing that climate change is a bigger threat than terrorism. And the bestselling author Michael Crichton, in his much publicised new novel State of Fear, portrays global warming as an evil plot perpetrated by environmental extremists.
展开▼
机译：2月16日，《京都议定书》生效。无论您是将其视为国际合作的胜利，还是太少，为时太晚的案例，毫无疑问，只有通过气候学家数十年的专心研究，才有可能实现这一目标。然而，当这些研究人员庆祝他们最显着的成就时，他们的工作却受到前所未有的贬低。持怀疑态度的人来自怀疑论者，他们质疑气候变化的现实。批评家们一直存在，但在最近几个月中，他们的声音变得越来越突出和有影响力。一家英国报纸称气候变化为基于“左翼，反美，反西方意识形态”的“全球欺诈”。总部位于伦敦的智囊团称英国首席科学顾问戴维·金（David King）为“尴尬”，因为他认为气候变化比恐怖主义更具威胁性。畅销书作家迈克尔·克里顿（Michael Crichton）在他广为宣传的新小说《恐惧状态》（State of Fear）中将全球变暖描绘为环境极端主义者所犯下的邪恶阴谋。
展开▼
