Climate Talks Near Deal to Save Forests

气候谈判就拯救森林即将达成协议

COPENHAGEN — Negotiators have all but completed a sweeping deal that would compensate countries for preserving forests, and in some cases, other natural landscapes like peat soils, swamps and fields that play a crucial role in curbing climate change.

哥本哈根--谈判人员已经达成了一项压倒性的协定，该协议将补偿保护森林的国家，而且在某些情况下，对于保护诸如泥炭土，沼泽和其他对遏制气候变化发挥关键作用自然资源的国家也给与补偿。

Environmental groups have long advocated such a compensation program because forests are efficient absorbers of carbon dioxide, the primary heat-trapping gas linked to global warming. Rain forest destruction, which releases the carbon dioxide stored in trees, is estimated to account for 20 percent of greenhouse gas emissions globally.

环保团体很久之间就倡导这样的补偿金项目，因为森林能有效地吸收二氧化碳，而二氧化碳是造成全球升温最主要的吸收热量的气体。热带雨林的破坏，释放出了保存在树木中的二氧化碳，据估计这些产生的气体构成了全球温室气体的20%。

The agreement for the program, if signed as expected, may turn out to be the most significant achievement to come out of the Copenhagen climate talks, providing a system through which countries can be paid for conserving disappearing natural assets based on their contribution to reducing emissions.      link

如果能像预期的那样签署该协议，借助这个协议，能够建立一个系统，那些国家因为保护正在消失的自然资源，根据他们对减排所做出的贡献而给予资金支持。这项协议也许将是哥本哈根气候会谈最重要的成果之一。