ScientistsstudyingtheimpactofclimatechangeontheArcticneedtoconsiderwaystoreducetheirowncarbonfootprints(碳排放量)saysRyanBrookaresearcherwhoregularlyfliesnorthtostudythehealthofcaribous(驯鹿).Hecallsonscientiststoshowleadershipbyexaminingandsharingwaystoreducetheimpactofworkinginpolarregions.

“Theimportanceoftheresearchisnotatquestionhere.Itisimportanttoourunderstandingofandadaptingtoclimatechange.Butweneedtothinkaboutbetterapproaches”saysBrook.

“Thisisanissueforallscientiststhoughpolarresearchersoftentravelparticularlylongdistancesusingcommercialairtravel.Wealsorelyextensivelyonsmallaircrafticebreakersandsnowmobilesallofwhichproducelargeamountsofcarbon.”

BrookstudiesthehealthofcaribouherdsinNunavutandNorthwestTerritories.Heworkswithnorthernwildlifemanagers.Thisworktypicallytakeshimnorthfiveorsixtimesperyearandwhenhecalculatedhisowncarbonfootprinthewasnothappywiththeresult.

“MyresearchfootprintsareaboutthesameastheannualfootprintsofanaverageTorontoresident.BasicallyIhavetwofootprints—myownpersonallifewhichismoderateandmyresearchfootprint.”

ClimatescientistscanrightlyarguethatArcticresearchisaspecializedfieldandthecommunityofscientistswhotravelnorthisrelativelysmall.Evenifallscientistsworkinginthenorthreducedtheircarbonemissionsitwouldnotmakeabigimpactontheglobalscale.ForBrookit’stheoptionthatmatters.

Therearewaysresearcherscanreducetheamountofcarbontheyuse.Somehelicoptersuselessfuelthanothers.Solarandwindpowerarealternativestogas-firedgenerators.Andwhilecarbonoffsets(抵消)don’treducetheamountofcarbonemittedtheyareaneasyfirststep.

“Therearen’tnecessarilyanyeasyanswersbutweneedtostarttalkingaboutit”saysBrook.“ThisisparticularlyimportantforthenextgenerationofscientistsbeingtrainedandIhopetoseethembecomeleadersinthisissue.”

WhatdidBrookfindwhenhecalculatedhisowncarbonfootprints?

A.HiscarbonfootprintsaremorethantheannualfootprintsofaTorontoresident.

B.Hispersonallifefootprintsaremoreth