大数据分析揭示了人们对环境未来的巨大担忧，但也带来了机遇
大数据分析揭示了人们对环境未来的巨大担忧，但也带来了机遇
A new commentary paper published in Nature Communications has taken a frank look at the state of our Earth's environment using "Big Data." Trends in these large datasets suggest our clock is running out to make the necessary changes. That said, researchers report "bright spots" and opportunities to turn this around.
《自然通讯》上发表的一篇新评论文章用“大数据”坦率地审视了我们地球环境的现状。这些大型数据集的趋势表明，我们的时钟即将耗尽，需要做出必要的改变。尽管如此，研究人员报告了“亮点”和扭转这一局面的机会。
The unprecedented amount of data we now have about the natural world is great for research, but it won’t help us unless it leads to changes in policies and political actions, note the team. We've recently seen what political will can do with research during the Covid-19 pandemic.
该团队指出，我们现在拥有的关于自然界的空前数量的数据对研究来说是很好的，但它不会帮助我们，除非它导致政策和政治行动的改变。我们最近已经看到，在Covid-19大流行期间，政治意愿能够对研究产生什么影响。
Alfredo Carpineti
"In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently seeing governments making rapid (health) decisions based on fairly sophisticated data analysis," lead author Dr Rebecca Runting, from the University of Melbourne, said in a statement. "There may be opportunities to learn from this and achieve a similarly tight coupling of analysis and decision-making in the environmental sector."
研究报告的主要撰写者、墨尔本大学的丽贝卡·朗廷博士在一份声明中说:“鉴于19日爆发的全球流行性感冒，我们目前看到各国政府根据相当复杂的数据分析，迅速做出(卫生)决定。”“也许有机会从中吸取教训，在环境部门实现分析和决策的紧密结合。”
Large companies already have the skills and tech to find solutions, write the team, and these must be shared and then taken on-board by governments around the world.
大公司已经具备了找到解决方案的技能和技术，这个团队写道，这些技能和技术必须被分享，然后被世界各地的政府采纳。
Big data has been able to identify many dramatic changes to the environment. For example, 2.3 million square kilometers (888,000 square miles) of forest were destroyed between 2000 and 2012. Meanwhile, 700,000 satellite images showed that 20,000 square kilometers (7,700 square miles) of tidal flats have vanished over the last 35 years. These and many other large dataset studies have revealed the perilous state of our planet.
大数据已经能够识别环境的许多重大变化。例如，2000年至2012年间，有230万平方公里(88.8万平方英里)的森林遭到破坏。与此同时，70万张卫星图像显示，在过去35年里，2万平方公里(7700平方英里)的滩地消失了。这些和许多其他大型数据集研究揭示了我们星球的危险状态。
"What the big data revolution has helped us understand is the environment is often doing worse than what we thought it was. The more we map and analyse, the more we find the state of the environment, albeit Antarctic ice sheets, wetlands, or forests, is dire. Big data tells us we are running out of time," co-author Professor James Watson, from the University of Queensland, added.
“大数据革命让我们明白，环境往往比我们想象的更糟糕。我们绘制和分析的越多，我们就越能发现环境的状况，尽管南极冰盖、湿地或森林是可怕的，大数据告诉我们，我们的时间不多了。”来自昆士兰大学的詹姆斯·沃森教授补充道。
"The good news is the big data revolution can help us better understand risk. For example, we can use data to better understand where future ecosystem degradation will take place and where these interact with wildlife trade, so as to map pandemic risk."
“好消息是，大数据革命可以帮助我们更好地理解风险。例如，我们可以利用数据更好地了解未来生态系统将在何处发生退化，以及这些退化在何处与野生动物贸易相互作用，从而绘制大流行风险地图。”
Some of this tech is already being used. From tracking illegal fishing to enforcing forest conservation, big data can be an instrument of action too, not just provide knowledge about the state of our planet. We just need to start using it more, conclude the team.
其中一些技术已经在使用。从追踪非法捕捞到加强森林保护，大数据也可以成为一种行动工具，而不仅仅是提供有关我们星球现状的知识。我们只需要开始更多地使用它，团队总结道。
