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Environmental Protection – Today on Congressional Moment.

 

Voice2: "Only within the moment of time represented by the present century, has one species– man– acquired significant power to alter the nature of his world."

 

ANNCR: That was from Rachel Carson's 1962 book, "Silent Spring," one of the strongest voices for environmental protection.

 

During the 1960s, many Americans were becoming increasingly concerned about ongoing¹ abuses of land, air, water, and wildlife. As a result, the first Earth Day was planned internationally, and held on April 22nd, 1970. Millions of Americans participated.

 

It was such a huge event that Congress was shut down for the day, so that members could participate in local Earth Day events in their home districts. By May of 1971, the environment had become a major concern for 25% of Americans, up from only 1% in 1969.

 

The Environmental Protection Agency, or EPA, was created when a Republican President, Richard Nixon, and a Democratic–controlled Congress worked together to consolidate² 44 Federal agencies into a new federal agency with the power to enforce national standards. Earth Day proved to be the catalyst³.

 

The EPA officially started on December 2nd, 1970. Over the years, Congress has steadily⁴ expanded its authority into new areas. The challenge remains⁵ to balance environmental concerns with the needs of an ever-growing population. 

 

STANDARD CLOSE: This is Lee Hamilton. Congressional decisions impact all our lives. To find out more about how Congress works, or to get involved in your government, visit the Center on Congress website at congress.indiana.edu

1 ongoing   

adj.进行中的，前进的

参考例句：

• The problem is ongoing.这个问题尚未解决。
• The issues raised in the report relate directly to Age Concern's ongoing work in this area.报告中提出的问题与“关心老人”组织在这方面正在做的工作有直接的关系。

2 consolidate   

v.使加固，使加强；(把...)联为一体，合并

参考例句：

• The two banks will consolidate in July next year. 这两家银行明年7月将合并。
• The government hoped to consolidate ten states to form three new ones.政府希望把十个州合并成三个新的州。

3 catalyst   

n.催化剂，造成变化的人或事

参考例句：

• A catalyst is a substance which speeds up a chemical reaction.催化剂是一种能加速化学反应的物质。
• The workers'demand for better conditions was a catalyst for social change.工人们要求改善工作条件促进了社会变革。

4 steadily   

adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地

参考例句：

• The scope of man's use of natural resources will steadily grow.人类利用自然资源的广度将日益扩大。
• Our educational reform was steadily led onto the correct path.我们的教学改革慢慢上轨道了。

5 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。