destroy homes and ruin livelihoods.

摧毀家園，破壞生計。

But how can the law help?

但是，法律能提供什麼幫助？

Can it help provide a solution?

它能幫助提供一個解決方案嗎？

You'll learn what lawmakers are doing to deal with this threat.

你將瞭解到立法者們正在做什麼來應對這一威脅。

What is behind rising sea levels

海平面上升的背後是什麼

and increasingly severe and unpredictable storms?

以及越來越嚴重和不可預測的風暴？

Can anyone be blamed?

這能怪誰呢？

Why those most affected are often least to blame...

為什麼受影響最嚴重的人往往最不應該受到責備...

and how the law can help them.

以及法律如何能夠幫助他們。

40% of people live within 100km of the coast

40%的人居住在距離海岸100公里以內的地方

and one in ten of us live in coastal areas

而我們有十分之一的人生活在沿海地區

that are less than 10m above sea level.

海平面以上不足10米的地方。

Sea levels are rising.

海平面正在上升。

According to the United Nations,

根據聯合國的說法。

recent rises are the fastest in nearly 3,000 years.

最近的上升是近3000年來的最快速度。

Rising seas and storms wash away the land, flood homes,

海水上漲和風暴沖走了土地，淹沒了房屋。

ruin drinking water supplies

破壞飲水供應

and poison our crops.

並毒害我們的農作物。

It's driven by rising temperatures melting polar ice

這是由氣溫上升導致的極地冰雪融化所推動的。

and even expanding the water that is already there.

甚至擴大已經存在的水。

And scientists agree:

科學家們也同意。

humans are the cause.

人類是原因。

It's impossible to blame any one person,

不可能責怪任何一個人。

country or company,

國家或公司。

but it's clear the impact won't be fair.

但很明顯，這種影響不會是公平的。

Smaller island countries will be hardest hit,

較小的島嶼國家將受到最嚴重的打擊。

but they often create very little pollution.

但它們通常只創造很少的汙染。

So, how can they get help?

那麼，他們如何才能得到幫助？

Francesco Sindico, from the University of Strathclyde

弗朗西斯科-辛迪科，來自斯特拉斯克萊德大學

and the Climate Change Litigation Initiative,

和氣候變化訴訟倡議。

explained why this issue would take a long time to solve internationally.

解釋了為什麼這個問題在國際上需要很長的時間來解決。

It will be very difficult for international law

國際法將很難

to operate at the same speed of national law,

以國家法律的相同速度運作。

where you have laws created by a parliament,

在那裡，你有由議會制定的法律。

enforced by – for example – the police,

由--比如說--警察來執行。

and judges that can take decisions.

和能夠作出決定的法官。

That's not how international law works,

國際法不是這樣運作的。

and because there are so many countries,

而且因為有這麼多的國家。

on such a very complex matters, often there is a compromise,

在這樣一個非常複雜的問題上，往往會有一個妥協。

which means that things will be dealt with slowly.

這意味著事情將被慢慢處理。

Unlike national law,

與國家法律不同。

international law doesn't have just one country making rules;

國際法並不是只有一個國家在制定規則。

lots of countries are involved,

很多國家都參與其中。

which means they take time to come to a compromise agreement.

這意味著他們需要時間來達成妥協的協議。

So, how easy is it to find out who's responsible?

那麼，找出責任人有多容易呢？

It is very difficult to pinpoint

準確定位是非常困難的

a country or an actor responsible

一個國家或一個行為者負責

for an island that may... or is already sinking.

為一個可能......或已經沉沒的島嶼。

The problem is climate change.

問題是氣候變化。

The emissions are coming from all over the world.

這些排放物來自世界各地。

Having said that, in the last five to ten years,

話雖如此，在過去的五到十年裡。

there is a clearer understanding

有了更清晰的認識

that some countries and some private actors

一些國家和一些私人行為者

are more responsible than others.

比其他人更負責任。

The nature of climate change makes it very hard to identify

氣候變化的性質使得它很難確定

who is responsible for something like a sinking island.

誰對沉沒的島嶼這樣的事情負責。

So, what have people done

那麼，人們都做了什麼

to identify who is responsible, legally?

以確定誰在法律上負責？

Five or ten years ago, a study called the Carbon Majors study

五年或十年前，一項名為 "碳主修 "的研究

highlighted that the overwhelming majority

著重指出，絕大部分的

of the emissions – of the problem –

排放的問題--的問題--的問題

really comes from a handful of companies.

真正來自於少數幾個公司。

And individuals have used this study

而個人也利用這項研究

to go in front of a judge and tell him or her:

到法官面前去告訴他或她。

'Look. Now, we know that there's a connection

'看。現在，我們知道，有一種聯繫

between the problem – climate change –

問題--氣候變化--之間的關係

and the activity of these companies.'

和這些公司的活動'。

More research is being done into climate change.

目前正在對氣候變化進行更多的研究。

Some campaigners use studies as evidence

一些運動者將研究作為證據

to prove a company's responsibility.

來證明一個公司的責任。

And who are these campaigners?

這些運動者又是誰？

We have children, literally,

我們有孩子，真的。

going after the governments of the countries where they live.

追求他們所居住國家的政府。

At the same time, you also have elderly people

同時，你也有老年人

who are seeing their livelihood suffering because of climate change

看到他們的生活因氣候變化而受到影響的人

and are using all sorts of law:

並正在使用各種法律。

human rights – they're using international law

人權--他們在利用國際法

and they're using a number of very interesting,

而且他們正在使用一些非常有趣的。

even creative, new legal strategies.

甚至創造性的、新的法律策略。

A huge range of people are campaigning.

有大量的人在進行競選。

Children and the elderly are getting involved,

兒童和老人正在參與其中。

using human rights and international laws in creative ways.

以創造性的方式利用人權和國際法。

So, that shows how hard it can be for the law

是以，這表明法律是多麼的困難

to protect a sinking island.

以保護一個下沉的島嶼。

Now, let's take a look at the people

現在，讓我們來看看這些人

who are trying to live on these vanishing islands.

試圖在這些消失的島嶼上生活的人。

The entire Pacific region contributes

整個太平洋地區的貢獻

just 0.03% of total greenhouse gas emissions.

僅佔溫室氣體總排放量的0.03%。

Seventeen-year-old Hereiti lives on Rarotonga,

17歲的Hereiti住在拉羅東加島。

one of the Cook Islands in the Pacific Ocean.

太平洋上的庫克群島之一。

As a Polynesian person, I have a connection to it.

作為一個波利尼西亞人，我與它有聯繫。

Since we first started voyaging across it,

自從我們第一次開始航行穿越它。

it's been the lifeblood of our islands and our culture.

它一直是我們島嶼和文化的命脈。

But with rising sea levels and pollution, I feel like that...

但隨著海平面的上升和汙染，我覺得這...

that history that we've had for thousands of years

我們幾千年來的那段歷史

might end up being lost.

可能最終會丟失。

Rising sea levels result in strong wave action and coastal flooding,

海平面上升導致強烈的波浪作用和沿海洪水。

causing the coast to erode.

導致海岸被侵蝕。

We're seeing a lot of coastal erosion happening

我們看到大量的海岸侵蝕正在發生

on all our islands here in the Cook Islands,

在我們庫克群島的所有島嶼上。

particularly around the northern islands

特別是在北部島嶼周圍

because there are low-lying atolls.

因為那裡有低窪的環礁。

We might have to consider relocating to higher areas –

我們可能不得不考慮搬遷到更高的地區 --

so, inland more – and abandon the coast.

是以，在內陸更多--而放棄海岸。

But where do people like these go?

但像這樣的人到哪裡去了？

And how can the law help them?

法律又能如何幫助他們？

We spoke to Simon Behrman,

我們採訪了西蒙-貝赫曼。

a law professor from the University of Warwick.

華威大學的一位法律教授。

He specialises in how the law helps refugees.

他專門研究法律如何幫助難民。

He explained the situation for people forced to move by climate change.

他解釋了因氣候變化而被迫遷移的人們的情況。

So, there's not much, in terms of laws,

是以，就法律而言，沒有什麼。

that allow people to move from one country to another.

允許人們從一個國家移動到另一個國家。

Some parts of the world have their own individual laws

世界上有些地方有自己的個別法律

that give some rights to people to enter for work visas,

賦予人們進入工作簽證的一些權利。

but in the main the only recourse that people will have

但主要的是，人們將有的唯一追索權

are to some aspects of human rights law,

是對人權法的某些方面。

such as, for example, the right to life,

比如說，生命權。

which may help people claim a right to live elsewhere.

這可能有助於人們要求獲得在其他地方生活的權利。

People aren't allowed to move to another country due to climate change.

人們不允許因為氣候變化而搬到另一個國家。

But human rights laws can help them try.

但人權法可以幫助他們嘗試。

He explains the limits of refugee law.

他解釋了難民法的侷限性。

But a refugee is defined in very narrow terms in international law.

但在國際法中，難民的定義非常狹窄。

Essentially, you have to prove that you have been persecuted

基本上，你必須證明你受到了迫害

and that is why you have left your country of origin,

這就是為什麼你離開了你的原籍國。

but obviously climate change – or the effects of climate change –

但顯然，氣候變化--或者說氣候變化的影響--的影響。

don't persecute people, and so as a result,

不迫害人，所以作為一個結果。

unfortunately, at the moment, people fleeing the effects of climate change

不幸的是，目前，逃離氣候變化影響的人們

do not have access to the protection of international refugee law.

沒有機會獲得國際難民法的保護。

You can only be a refugee if you are being persecuted –

只有當你受到迫害時，你才能成為難民 --

treated badly because of something like your gender, race or beliefs.

因為你的性別、種族或信仰等原因而受到惡劣對待。

Climate change doesn't persecute.

氣候變化並沒有迫害。

So, what laws are being used to help?

那麼，用什麼法律來幫助？

The main route at the moment is to bring cases

目前的主要途徑是將案件

related to the principle of non-refoulement.

與不驅回原則有關。

This principle simply means that people cannot be sent back

這一原則只是意味著不能將人送回

to places where they face a serious risk of harm.

到他們面臨嚴重傷害風險的地方。

Lawyers are attempting to argue that in some parts of the world

律師們正試圖論證，在世界的某些地方

the effects of climate change are so severe,

氣候變化的影響是如此嚴重。

that sending people back there would violate that principle.

將人們送回那裡將違反這一原則。

Without refugee status, lawyers are using 'non-refoulement' principles:

在沒有難民身份的情況下，律師採用'不驅回'原則。

they ban sending people back into a dangerous place

他們禁止把人送回危險的地方

where they are at risk of harm.

他們有可能受到傷害的地方。

So, is this enough?

那麼，這樣做夠嗎？

The numbers of climate refugees are estimated

氣候難民的數量估計為

to reach many tens of millions of people this century,

本世紀將有數千萬人受益。

possibly many more than those displaced by wars and persecution.

可能比那些因戰爭和迫害而流離失所的人多得多。

Already, millions of people every year are having to leave their homes

每年已經有數百萬人不得不離開他們的家園

because of climate change. Some entire countries,

因為氣候變化。一些整個國家。

such as certain Pacific island states,

如某些太平洋島國。

are predicted to become completely uninhabitable

預計將完全不適合居住

over the next ten to twenty years.

在未來10到20年內。

We have a responsibility to help these people.

我們有責任幫助這些人。

Simon thinks the size of the problem means

西蒙認為問題的規模意味著

the law around people forced out of their homes

圍繞人們被迫離開家園的法律

due to climate crisis should change.

由於氣候危機的影響，應該改變。

We've seen the scale of the problem for the law.

我們已經看到了法律問題的規模。

It's very hard to say who's responsible for a sinking island.

很難說誰該對一個沉沒的島嶼負責。

But we've seen that the law is changing to fix that.

但我們已經看到，法律正在改變，以解決這個問題。

And we've seen that lawyers are working to keep people

而且我們已經看到，律師正在努力讓人們

who are at risk safe in the future.

處於危險中的人在未來是安全的。