美国国家公共电台 NPR--How the Biden administration's climate goals align with the military

How the Biden administration's climate goals align¹ with the military

Transcript²

The Pentagon held its first ever Energy Expo this week. One conclusion? The best way to sell the military on green tech may be to make sure it's lethal³.

A MARTINEZ, HOST:

The Department of Defense⁴ did something new this week. For the first time ever, it hosted an energy expo in the giant courtyard right in the center of the Pentagon. It was like a trade fair for renewable tech. NPR's Quil Lawrence stopped by to see how the military's mission is aligning⁵ with the Biden administration's climate goals.

QUIL LAWRENCE, BYLINE⁶: Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks moved quickly along the tents at the expo, asking questions about the hydrogen-powered drone or the giant autonomous⁷ tractor that serves as a remote-controlled power station and the hybrid⁸ electric tactical vehicle.

KATHLEEN HICKS: What's the charge time on something like this?

LAWRENCE: Hicks asked about fuel efficiency.

UNIDENTIFIED PERSON: What this does is save about 75% fuel when you're idling.

LAWRENCE: But the conversation quickly turned to tactical.

UNIDENTIFIED PERSON: So...

HICKS: Does that also help in survivability - heat signature, noise...

UNIDENTIFIED PERSON: So it will for silent watch.

HICKS: ...Sort of staying quiet?

LAWRENCE: Silent watch - troops can be hiding out using all their high-tech⁹ surveillance equipment silently instead of letting the diesel¹⁰ truck idle noise give them away.

(SOUNDBITE OF MOTOR RUNNING)

UNIDENTIFIED PERSON: And you just heard it power on. That was great timing¹¹.

LAWRENCE: Right on cue for contrast, the engine kicked in to recharge the battery.

HICKS: How often is it cycling?

LAWRENCE: The Biden administration has instructed the Pentagon and all federal agencies to prioritize climate change. But Hicks says that does not distract from the military's main mission of fighting wars.

HICKS: That mission alignment¹², the war fighter purpose and the view of climate as a national security challenge are fully¹³ aligned¹⁴ in cases like this.

LAWRENCE: Hicks mentions the KC-135. That's the tanker¹⁵ that refuels jets in midair. A new design that makes it just 5% more fuel efficient means fewer dangerous missions to fly and a longer time in the air and cost savings¹⁶.

HICKS: So for that KC-135 example, we're looking at cost savings of $35 million a year and also, by the way, 125 kiloton reduction in greenhouse gas emissions¹⁷.

LAWRENCE: Cutting greenhouse gases may be mentioned last, but the military does seem sold on the dangers of climate change, says Elizabeth Field with the Government Accountability Office.

ELIZABETH FIELD: Whether it is a training exercise that has to be postponed¹⁸ or an installation that is completely shut down for days or for months because of a severe weather event, it's becoming increasingly real to them. And so I don't think there's a lot of selling that has to happen, but there may be some real challenges when it comes to capacity.

LAWRENCE: Field says the GAO is looking into whether the Pentagon has the capacity to look away from the immediate¹⁹ conflicts or natural disasters or the next war to make long-term changes as sea levels rise and weather gets extreme. Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks says there has been a cultural shift, but it's clear that any changes here at the Pentagon need to be...

HICKS: Good for the climate - but more important than anything here in the Department of Defense is essential for our war fighters.

LAWRENCE: Quil Lawrence, NPR News.

1 align   

vt.使成一线，结盟，调节；vi.成一线，结盟

参考例句：

• Align the ruler and the middle of the paper.使尺子与纸张的中部成一条直线。
• There are signs that the prime minister is aligning himself with the liberals.有迹象表明首相正在与自由党人结盟。

2 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

3 lethal   

adj.致死的；毁灭性的

参考例句：

• A hammer can be a lethal weapon.铁锤可以是致命的武器。
• She took a lethal amount of poison and died.她服了致命剂量的毒药死了。

4 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

5 aligning   

n. (直线)对准 动词align的现在分词形式

参考例句：

• There are signs that the prime minister is aligning himself with the liberals. 有迹象表明首相正在与自由党人结盟。
• ToolTips provide textual hints that assist in drawing lines and aligning objects. 工具提示提供了协助画线和对象对齐的文本提示。 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓

6 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

7 autonomous   

adj.自治的；独立的

参考例句：

• They proudly declared themselves part of a new autonomous province.他们自豪地宣布成为新自治省的一部分。
• This is a matter that comes within the jurisdiction of the autonomous region.这件事是属于自治区权限以内的事务。

8 hybrid   

n.(动，植）杂种，混合物

参考例句：

• That is a hybrid perpetual rose.那是一株杂交的四季开花的蔷薇。
• The hybrid was tall,handsome,and intelligent.那混血儿高大、英俊、又聪明。

9 high-tech   

adj.高科技的

参考例句：

• The economy is in the upswing which makes high-tech services in more demand too.经济在蓬勃发展，这就使对高科技服务的需求量也在加大。
• The quest of a cure for disease with high-tech has never ceased. 人们希望运用高科技治疗疾病的追求从未停止过。

10 diesel   

n.柴油发动机，内燃机

参考例句：

• We experimented with diesel engines to drive the pumps.我们试着用柴油机来带动水泵。
• My tractor operates on diesel oil.我的那台拖拉机用柴油开动。

11 timing   

n.时间安排，时间选择

参考例句：

• The timing of the meeting is not convenient.会议的时间安排不合适。
• The timing of our statement is very opportune.我们发表声明选择的时机很恰当。

12 alignment   

n.队列；结盟，联合

参考例句：

• The church should have no political alignment.教会不应与政治结盟。
• Britain formed a close alignment with Egypt in the last century.英国在上个世纪与埃及结成了紧密的联盟。

13 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

14 aligned   

adj.对齐的，均衡的

参考例句：

• Make sure the shelf is aligned with the top of the cupboard.务必使搁架与橱柜顶端对齐。

15 tanker   

n.油轮

参考例句：

• The tanker took on 200,000 barrels of crude oil.油轮装载了二十万桶原油。
• Heavy seas had pounded the tanker into three parts.汹涌的巨浪把油轮撞成三载。

16 savings   

n.存款，储蓄

参考例句：

• I can't afford the vacation,for it would eat up my savings.我度不起假，那样会把我的积蓄用光的。
• By this time he had used up all his savings.到这时，他的存款已全部用完。

17 emissions   

排放物( emission的名词复数 )； 散发物（尤指气体）

参考例句：

• Most scientists accept that climate change is linked to carbon emissions. 大多数科学家都相信气候变化与排放的含碳气体有关。
• Dangerous emissions radiate from plutonium. 危险的辐射物从钚放散出来。

18 postponed   

vt.& vi.延期，缓办，（使）延迟vt.把…放在次要地位；[语]把…放在后面（或句尾）vi.（疟疾等）延缓发作（或复发）

参考例句：

• The trial was postponed indefinitely. 审讯无限期延迟。
• The game has already been postponed three times. 这场比赛已经三度延期了。

19 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。