1989撒切尔夫人在联大上的讲话Word文件下载.docx

1989撒切尔夫人在联大上的讲话Word文件下载.docx

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Documentkind:

Speech

Venue:

UnitedNationsBuilding,NewYork

Source:

ThatcherArchive

Journalist:

-

Editorialcomments:

TextasprintedandreleasedbytheNo.10PressOffice.

Importanceranking:

Major

Wordcount:

4051

Themes:

Foreignpolicy（Internationalorganisations）,Environment,Foreignpolicy（generaldiscussions）,Energy,Scienceandtechnology,Transport,Agriculture,Foreignpolicy（development,aid,etc）

MrPresident,itgivesmegreatpleasuretoreturntothePodiumofthisassembly.WhenIlastspokeherefouryearsago,onthe40thanniversaryoftheUnitedNations,themessagethatIandotherslikemegavewasoneofencouragementtotheorganisationtoplaythegreatroleallottedtoit.

Ofallthechallengesfacedbytheworldcommunityinthosefouryears,onehasgrownclearerthananyotherinbothurgencyandimportance—Irefertothethreattoourglobalenvironment.Ishalltaketheopportunityofaddressingthegeneralassemblytospeakonthatsubjectalone.

INTRODUCTION

DuringhishistoricvoyagethroughthesouthseasontheBeagle,CharlesDarwinlandedoneNovembermorningin1835ontheshoreofWesternTahiti.

AfterbreakfastheclimbedanearbyhilltofindadvantagepointtosurveythesurroundingPacific.Thesightseemedtohimlike"

aframedengraving"

withbluesky,bluelagoon,andwhitebreakerscrashingagainsttheencirclingCoralReef.

Ashelookedoutfromthathillside,hebegantoformhistheoryoftheevolutionofcoral;

154yearsafterDarwin'

svisittoTahitiwehaveaddedlittletowhathediscoveredthen.

WhatifCharlesDarwinhadbeenable,notjusttoclimbafoothill,buttosoarthroughtheheavensinoneoftheorbitingspaceshuttles?

Whatwouldhehavelearnedashesurveyedourplanetfromthataltitude?

Fromamoon'

seyeviewofthatstrangeandbeautifulanomalyinoursolarsystemthatistheearth?

Ofcourse,wehavelearnedmuchdetailaboutourenvironmentaswehavelookedbackatitfromspace,butnothinghasmadeamoreprofoundimpactonusthanthesetwofacts.

First,astheBritishscientistFredHoylewrotelongbeforespacetravelwasareality,hesaid"

onceaphotographoftheearth,takenfromtheoutsideisavailable...anewideaaspowerfulasanyotherinhistorywillbeletloose"

.

Thatpowerfulideaistherecognitionofoursharedinheritanceonthisplanet.Weknowmoreclearlythanever[fo1] 

beforethatwecarrycommonburdens,facecommonproblems,andmustrespondwithcommonaction.

Andsecond,aswetravelthroughspace,aswepassonedeadplanetafteranother,welookbackonourearth,aspeckoflifeinaninfinitevoid.Itislifeitself,incomparablyprecious,thatdistinguishesusfromtheotherplanets.

Itislifeitself—humanlife,theinnumerablespeciesofourplanet—thatwewantonlydestroy.Itislifeitselfthatwemustbattletopreserve.

Foroverfortyyears,thathasbeenthemaintaskofthisUnitedNations.

Tobringpeacewheretherewaswar.

Comfortwheretherewasmisery.

Lifewheretherewasdeath.

Thestrugglehasnotalwaysbeensuccessful.Therehavebeenyearsoffailure.

Butrecenteventshavebroughtthepromiseofanewdawn,ofnewhope.RelationsbetweentheWesternnationsandtheSovietUnionandherallies,longfrozeninsuspicionandhostility,havebeguntothaw.

InEurope,thisyear,freedomhasbeenonthemarch.

InSouthernAfrica—NamibiaandAngola—theUnitedNationshassucceededinholdingoutbetterprospectsforanendtowarandforthebeginningofprosperity.

AndinSouthEastAsia,too,wecandaretohopefortherestorationofpeaceafterdecadesoffighting.

Whiletheconventional,politicaldangers—thethreatofglobalannihilation,thefactofregionalwar—appeartobereceding,wehaveallrecentlybecomeawareofanotherinsidiousdanger.

Itisasmenacinginitswayasthosemoreaccustomedperilswithwhichinternationaldiplomacyhasconcerneditselfforcenturies.

Itistheprospectofirretrievabledamagetotheatmosphere,totheoceans,toearthitself.

Ofcoursemajorchangesintheearth'

sclimateandthe[fo2] 

environmenthavetakenplaceinearliercenturieswhentheworld'

spopulationwasafractionofitspresentsize.

Thecausesaretobefoundinnatureitself—changesintheearth'

sorbit:

changesintheamountofradiationgivenoffbythesun:

theconsequentialeffectsontheplanktonintheocean:

andinvolcanicprocesses.

Allthesewecanobserveandsomewemaybeabletopredict.Butwedonothavethepowertopreventorcontrolthem.

Whatwearenowdoingtotheworld,bydegradingthelandsurfaces,bypollutingthewatersandbyaddinggreenhousegasestotheairatanunprecedentedrate—allthisisnewintheexperienceoftheearth.I