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Here's a good news/bad news story.
這是需要權衡利弊的報道。
Scientists have been able to dramatically increase the yields for oil palm trees, a crop with a global market.
科學家們已經能夠極大地增加位居全球市場前列棕櫚樹的出油量。
Oil palms grow in the tropics, so that should mean more profit from less land, helping to protect tropical forests.
棕櫚樹在熱帶地區才可以種植，所以少量土地即可帶來更大的利潤，而且還能有助于保護熱帶森林。
Good news, right?
好消息，對吧？
But in an article in the journal Science, researchers show how the increased yield could in fact lead to even more tropical destruction.
但是在科學期刊上登載的一篇文章中，研究人員指出棕櫚油產量的提升實際上會導致更大的熱帶破壞。
Because as the value of palm oil planting increases, farmers could want to plant on even greater tracts of land.
因為隨著棕櫚油加工廠的增加，農民就會產生在更多的土地上更大面積種植的想法。
Which is bad news.
這是不利的一面。
Also, a future increase in supply could eventually lead to a decrease in prices.
此外，未來需求量的加大會最終導致棕櫚油價格的下降。
So palm oil could out-compete, say, rapeseed oil from Canada.
會出現棕櫚油勝過加拿大菜籽油的局面。
Which would lead to an even higher demand for palm oil.
這樣的話會導致更多對于棕櫚油的需求。
Which is worse news.
如此循環會造成更為糟糕的情況。
In addition, current low yields and high production costs means oil palm is not planted much in Africa and South America.
此外目前的低產量和高成本意味著棕櫚樹在非洲和南美洲并非大面積種植。
But higher yields could make oil palm attractive to planters in those regions, leading to even more tropical forest destruction.
但是更高的產量會吸引這些地區的種植者們，造成更多的熱帶森林遭到破壞。
To prevent these developments, the researchers write that policy makers need to be aware of and plan for the unintended negative consequences of technical advances.
為了阻止上述情況，研究人員表示政策制定者們需要有所意識并且規劃科技進步所產生的消極后果。
Which would be good news.
這應該是個好消息。
