1989撒切尔夫人在联大上的讲话.docx
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1989撒切尔夫人在联大上的讲话
1989Nov8We
MargaretThatcher
SpeechtoUnitedNationsGeneralAssembly(GlobalEnvironment)
Documenttype:
publicstatement
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