译者 菁萤
The six natural resources most drained by our 7 billion people
如果没有了这些资源，人类将何去何从？
For how long can we realistically expect to have oil? And which dwindling element is essential to plant growth?
石油末日何时到来？哪些对植物生长的有益元素正在急剧减少？
A woman collects freshwater from a public well in San Cayetano, west Nicuragua. Photograph: Oswaldo Rivas/Reuters
在尼加拉瓜西部的圣卡耶塔诺，一位中年妇女正从井里提水。
With 7 billion people on the planet – theoretically from today – there will be an inevitable increase in the demand on the world's natural resources. Here are six already under severe pressure from current rates of consumption:
今天，世界人口突破了70亿。越来越多的人口只会加速地球自然资源的不断耗竭。如果持续下去，那么越来越多的资源将面临匮乏。下文列举了至今为止形势最严峻的6种自然资源。
1. WaterFreshwater only makes 2.5% of the total volume of the world's water, which is about 35 million km3. But considering 70% of that freshwater is in the form of ice and permanent snow cover and that we only have access to 200,000km3 of freshwater overall, it isn't surprising that demand for water could soon exceed supply. The Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations is predicting that by 2025, 1.8 billion people will be living in countries or regions with absolute water scarcity.
1 淡水资源：世界淡水资源面积是3500万公倾，占地球总体水资源的2.5%。如果除去70%的冰层和常年积雪覆盖的资源面积，那么我们实际可用淡水资源只有20万公倾。如此看来，淡水的供应将远远不能满足人类日益增长的需求。美国食品和农业组织预测到2025年，18亿人口所住地区将面临水资源缺乏。
2. OilThe fear of reaching peak oil continues to haunt the oil industry. The BP Statistical Review of World Energy in June measured total global oil at 188.8 million tonnes, from proved oil resources at the end of 2010. This is only enough to oil for the next 46.2 years, should global production remain at the current rate.
2 石油：对石油峰值（某一区域石油最大值来临的时间）降临的担忧由来已久。根据6月份英国石油公司（世界上最大的石油和石化集团公司）发布的世界能源统计结果显示，从2010年底开始勘探到的全球总原油量是1.888亿砘。这只能持续供应46.2年，前提还必须是全球生产保持与当前同等水平。
3. Natural gasA similar picture to oil exists for natural gas, with enough gas in proven reserves to meet 58.6 years of global production at the end of 2010.
3 天然气：与原油一样，天然气的供应形势也非常严峻。按照2010年底的全球生产量，现有天然气高级储量只够在未来58.6年使用。
4. PhosphorusWithout this element, plants cannot grow. Essential for fertiliser, phosphate rock is only found in a handful of countries, including the US, China and Morocco. With the need to feed 7 billion people, scientists from the Global Phosphorus Research Initiative predict we could run out of phosphorus in 50 to 100 years unless new reserves of the element are found.
4 磷元素：植物不能离开磷元素而生存。作为重要肥料之一，磷盐岩只存在于少数国家，如美国，中国和摩洛哥。据世界磷元素研究协会的科学家们预测，在发现新的磷元素库前，现有的磷储量只能供应未来50-100年。
5. CoalThis has the largest reserves left of all the fossil fuels, but as China and other developing countries continue to increase their appetite for coal, demand could finally outstrip supply. As it is, we have enough coal to meet 188 years of global production.
5 煤：这是世界上储量最大的化石燃料。地球总储量是足以供应未来188年内的人类生产生活。但是在中国及其他以煤作为主要能源的发展中国家，供不应求的时代将很快到来。
6. Rare earth elementsScandium and terbium are just two of the 17 rare earth minerals that are used in everything from the powerful magnets in wind turbines to the electronic circuits in smartphones. The elements are not as rare as their name suggests but currently 97% of the world's supply comes from China and they can restrict supplies at will. Exact reserves are not known.
6 稀土元素：钪（Sc）和铽（Tb）是17种稀土元素中最常用的两种元素，用途非常广泛。能用于制作磁性材料，如风力发电机组中的超强磁场，智能手机中的电子电路。这些元素并不稀少，特别是中国的稀土资源非常丰富，有开采价值的储量达97%。但如果不加以合理开发和利用，或许终有一天也将面临匮乏。
from 译言-每日精品译文推荐 http://article.yeeyan.org/view/189182/228546