Havingbadfeelingaboutworld?“Cheerup.”sayssciencewriterMattRidley.“Theworldhasneverbeenabetterplacetoliveinanditwillkeepongettingbetterbothforhumansandfornature.”361)37

Havingbadfeelingaboutworld?“Cheerup.”sayssciencewriterMattRidley.“Theworldhasneverbeenabetterplacetoliveinanditwillkeepongettingbetterbothforhumansandfornature.” 36

1) 37

ItisreportedthattherearemorethantenbilliondifferentproductsforsaleinLondonalone.Evenallowingforthemanypeoplewhostillliveinpovertyourowngenerationhasaccesstomorenutritiousfoodmoreconvenienttransportbiggerhousesandbettercars. 38 Thiswillcontinueaslongasweusethesethingstomakeotherthings.Themorewespecializeandexchangethebetteroffwe'llbe.

2)Brilliantadvances

Onereasonwearericherhealthiertallerclevererlongerlivedandfreerthaneverbeforeisthatthefourmostbasichumanneeds—foodclothingfuelandshelter—havegrownalotcheaper.Takeoneexample.In1800acandleprovidingonehour'slightcostsixhours'work.Inthe1880sthesamelightfromanoillamptook15minutes'worktopayfor. 39 Todayit'shalfsecond.

3)Let'snotkillourselvesforclimatechange

40 Achildthatdiesfromindoorsmokeinavillagewheretheuseoffossil-fuel(化石燃料)electricityisforbiddenbywell-meaningmembersofgreenpoliticalmovementstryingtosavetheworldisjustasgreatatragedyasachildthatdiesinafloodcausedbyclimatechange.Ifclimatechangeprovestobemildbutcuttingcarboncausesrealpainwemaywellfindthatwehavestoppedanose-bleedbyputtingatourniquet(止血带)aroundournecks.

A. Ridleycallshimselfarationaloptimist—rationalbecausehe'scarefullyweighedtheevidence.

B. Overreactiontoclimatechangecouldprovejustasdamagingtohumanwelfareasclimatechangeitself.

C. Shoppingfuelsinvention.

D. Andofcourseweearnmorepoundsanddollarsthananywholivedbeforeus.

E. In1950itwaseightseconds.

F. It’shightimethatwetookimmediateactiontofightclimatechange.

G. Here'showheexplainshisviews.