国家林草局：我国首次实现所有调查省份荒漠化和沙化土地“双逆转”******
光明网讯（记者 张佳兴）“我国所有调查省份荒漠化和沙化土地整体逆转，全国荒漠化和沙化土地持续呈现逆转趋势”12月30日，国家林业和草原局召开新闻发布会，国家林业和草原局荒漠司司长孙国吉介绍第六次全国荒漠化沙化调查结果时表示，我国首次实现了所有调查省份荒漠化和沙化土地“双逆转”。
国家林业和草原局新闻发布会现场（摄影：宋峥）
我国是世界上荒漠化面积最大、受影响人口最多、风沙危害最重的国家之一。为掌握全国荒漠化和沙化现状及动态变化情况，我国每5年组织开展一次全国荒漠化和沙化土地调查工作。去年又新增年度动态监测。2019年，国家林业和草原局组织开展了第六次全国荒漠化和沙化调查工作。
调查结果显示，截至2019年，全国荒漠化土地面积257.37万平方公里，占国土面积的26.81%；沙化土地面积168.78万平方公里，占国土面积的17.58%；具有明显沙化趋势的土地面积27.92万平方公里，占国土面积的2.91%。
孙国吉介绍，调查结果表明，我国首次实现所有调查省份（所有调查省份，指荒漠化18个省，沙化30个省，下同）荒漠化和沙化土地“双逆转”，面积持续“双缩减”，程度持续“双减轻”，沙漠、沙地植被盖度和固碳能力持续“双提高”，沙区生态状况呈现“整体好转、改善加速”态势，荒漠生态系统呈现“功能增强、稳中向好”态势。
孙国吉表示，我国荒漠化和沙化土地面积持续减少。与2014年相比，全国荒漠化和沙化土地面积分别净减少37880平方公里、33352平方公里，年均减少分别为7576平方公里、6670平方公里。我国荒漠化土地和沙化土地面积已经连续四个监测期保持了“双缩减”。
荒漠化和沙化程度稳步减轻。与2014年相比，重度荒漠化土地减少19297平方公里，极重度荒漠化土地减少32587平方公里。
沙区植被状况持续向好。2019年沙化土地平均植被盖度为20.22%，较2014年上升1.90个百分点。植被盖度大于40%的沙化土地呈现明显增加的趋势，5年间累计增加791.45万公顷，与上个调查期相比增加了27.84%。
八大沙漠、四大沙地土壤风蚀总体减弱。2019年风蚀总量为41.79亿吨，比2000年减少27.95亿吨，减少40%。
据悉，第六次调查以国土“三调”为底版，直接参与的技术人员达5100余人，中国科学院、水利部、中国气象局等相关单位以及北京师范大学、北京林业大学等单位参加了相关专题研究工作。
中新网评：美国众议长选举“连续剧”暴露美式民主痼疾******
中新网北京1月9日电(蒋鲤)在15轮投票表决后，美国众议院议长选举这场“连续剧”终于落下帷幕，众议院共和党领袖凯文·麦卡锡最终成功当选第55任美国众议院议长。这是美国国会过去164年来耗时最久的一次议长选举记录，将美国“对抗式民主”的弊端暴露无遗。
资料图：美国众议院共和党领袖麦卡锡。中新社记者 沙晗汀摄
由于两党对立加剧、党派内斗、利益分配不均等因素，众议长选举陷入一场拉锯战。在此次众议长竞选中，美国民主党议员继续抱团，多轮投票中，一票不投麦卡锡，共和党右翼“强硬派”领头的约20人小团体也拒绝投票麦卡锡。
麦卡锡的当选之路一波三折，除了本人的“政治投机派”角色在国会不受欢迎外，与共和党内部政治分歧关系密切。
一方面，共和党党内反对者认为，麦卡锡对民主党态度过于软弱，无力对抗民主党控制的参议院和拜登政府，另一方面，因为共和党的多数优势微弱，党内一些影响力较小的派系的政治力量则被放大，有利于他们巩固自己的选票。
此外，党内反对者也认为，自己的选票没有换取更多利益，希望以此作为筹码换取麦卡锡更大的让步，比如让他们获得众议院重要委员会中的职务。
作为仅次于美国总统、副总统的政坛三号人物，众议院议长通常由众议院多数党领袖担任，选举几乎没有悬念。然而，麦卡锡此次为当选，不得不做出多个关键让步，其中可能包括恢复一项罢黜议长动议机制，使得众议长的权力被削弱，难以掌控众议院。
美国有线电视新闻网CNN称，麦卡锡在这场不合时宜的政治勒索中作出让步，这种绥靖政策只会让极端主义势力更加强大。
这场引发全世界围观的尴尬选举暴露出美国政治存在严重的对立和分化。在权力博弈思维的裹挟下，党派利益凌驾于国家和人民利益之上，美国两党相互拆台，陷入“为反对而反对”的无脑对垒。而即便是一党内，也会因为利益分配问题产生不同的小派系，相互对抗，选票变成了谋利益的工具。
从国会山骚乱到打破记历史记录的15轮众议长选举，“对抗式民主”让美国政治陷入瓶颈，长期对抗势必会让政客们丧失客观公正的判断能力，其政治阶层是否有能力治理国家也会引发质疑。
两党之争和党派内斗进一步放大了美国政治体制弊病，美国所谓的“民主”形象，让全世界大跌眼镜。鼓吹以选民利益为先的美式选举，变成了政客们利益置换的游戏，进一步彰显出美国“民主政治”日渐失能，不断极化的党争已使美国政治制度陷入死循环。
House speaker election reveals deep-rooted problems in U.S. democracy
(ECNS) -- The Republican leader Kevin McCarthy was elected as the 55th speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives after 15 ballots. As the most grueling House speaker election in the past 164 years, the election has highlighted the defects of the country’s "confrontational democracy".
The election once reached a stalemate due to intense partisan strife, inner-party struggle among the Republicans, uneven distribution of interests, and more. Democratic Party members forged a close alliance, refusing to vote for McCarthy, while about 20 Republicans also declined to cast ballots for the GOP leader.
Except for his unpopular role as a "political speculator" in Congress, McCarthy’s hard-won election can be attributed to turmoil within the Republican Party.
On the one hand, opponents in the Republican Party believe that the GOP leader's attitude toward the Democrats is too weak to confront the Senate controlled by Democrats and the Biden administration.
On the other hand, the political power of some less influential factions in the Republican Party has been amplified due to the Party’s weak majority advantage in the House of Representatives, which is conducive to consolidating their ticket warehouses.
Meanwhile, these opponents believe that their votes failed to win them more benefits, hoping to use this as a bargaining chip for McCarthy's further concessions, such as getting them positions in important House Committees.
As the third political figure after the President and Vice President of the U.S., the speaker, by tradition, is the head of the majority party in the House of Representatives.
But McCarthy has made many concessions in order to bring the ultra conservatives along, involving what’s known as the “motion to vacate,” a mechanism by which members can force a vote to depose the speaker. The reported concessions will empower individual members at the expense of McCarthy’s sway as speaker.
CNN thought the concessions he made during this unseemly political shakedown would only make the extremist faction more powerful.
This embarrassing election, which has drawn global attention, exposed the serious opposition and polarization in American politics. Both Democrats and Republicans put their interests before that of the country and its people, attacking and opposing each other irrationally.
Besides, different factions arise within a single party and confront each other because of the distribution of interests. Votes have become a tool to win more benefits.
From Capitol riots to the House Speaker election with record-breaking ballots, "confrontational democracy" has become a bottleneck of American politics. Long-term confrontation will surely impede politicians to think objectively and fairly while their capacity of governing the country will also raise doubts among the public.
Both parties’ struggle and infighting among the Republicans have further amplified the defects of the American political system, with its "democratic" image shocking the world.
The U.S.-style election, which advocates putting voters' interests first, has become a game of interest exchange among politicians. In addition, it further demonstrates the malfunction of American "democratic politics" and the constantly polarized party struggle that has trapped the American political system into an infinite cycle.
