NPR 2012-03-23

 US intelligence officials are warning that global water supplies are unlikely to keep up with demands, and that will pose risks to world food markets and economic growth. NPR's Michele Kelemen has more on feared water wars we could see in the coming decades.

 

A US intelligence assessment¹ says that while wars over water are unlikely within the next ten years, water challenges could lead to regional tensions and state failure. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton requested the report and calls the finding sobering.

 

“As the world's population continues to grow, demand for water will go up, but our fresh water supplies will not keep pace.”

 

She says water resources could be targeted by terrorists or manipulated as a political tool increasing instability within and between countries. Michele Kelemen, NPR News, the State Department.

 

President Obama is defending himself against criticism that he’s not doing enough to control rising gas prices in the US. In Cushing, Oklahoma today, he highlighted plans to speed up the building of a section of the contentious² Keystone XL pipeline³ that would run for Oklahoma to the Texas Gulf⁴ Coast. 

 

“The southern leg of it, we’re making a priority, and we’re going to go ahead and get that done. The northern portion of it, we’re going to have to review properly to make sure that the health and safety of the American people are protected.”

 

But House Speaker John Boehner says the president is looking to take credit where it is not due.

 

“It’s already gotten his approvals, and this idea that the president is going to expedite this will have no impact on the construction of this pipeline.”

 

Boehner and another Republican say the president's failure to approve the Keystone pipeline's construction from Canada perpetuates⁵ US dependence⁶ on foreign oil.

 

More evidence today that the job market is gaining strength. The Labor⁷ Department says initial claims for unemployment fell more than expected last week to 348,000. As NPR's Yuki Noguchi explains, that's a four-year low.

 

The number of people filing for unemployment benefits has been falling. And over the last four weeks, the average has been 355,000. That average has been dropping, which suggests hiring may also be improving this month. And since late last year, the weekly average has been below the 400,000, a weak level that economists⁸ believe represents a stable level of job loss. Still in February, there were nearly 13 million Americans out of work, and a large minority of them have been jobless for more than six months. Yuki Noguchi, NPR News, Washington.

 

At last check on Wall Streets, the Dow Jones Industrial Average down 87 points at 13,037; that's more than 0.5%. NASDAQ off 16, more than 0.5% as well, at 3,059.

 

This is NPR News.

 

Well, more jobs are headed to Chattanooga, Tennessee. Rabbit Zielke of member station WUTC reports the Volkswagen Group of America is ramping⁹ up production in its Chattanooga plant as the demand for Motor Trend's 2012 Car of the Year, the Passat, rises.

 

The Volkswagen plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee is adding a third shift. The plant employs more than 2,700 workers and is adding 800 new jobs this week with the goal of 1,000 new jobs by the end of the year. Volkswagen CEO Frank Fischer says the additional jobs will help make the growing demand for the award-winning Passat.

 

“The market is showing a strong demand, which is a wonderful situation to be, and so we can actually build more vehicles and sell them. Now by hiring a third shift team, we will increase capacity and at the same time decrease the overtime¹⁰ dramatically.”

 

Volkswagen plant in Chattanooga is hiring production workers as well as maintenance positions. For NPR News, this is Rabbit Zielke.

 

Still no end in sight to the fighting in Syria. The military has been exchanging gunfire with rebels despite a new UN resolution that calls for all violence to end. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon says the statement approved this week is laid out in “unmistakable” terms. However, that message apparently¹¹ rendered muted in southern Daraa and Hama, where the latest battles have been occurring. 

 

Russia is sounding the warning again about the US missile shield in Europe. Today, Deputy Defense¹² Minister Anatoly Antonov said the issue is a litmus test of whether the West is ready to consider Russia an equal partner in defining global security. Russia is worried the missile defense system will undermine Moscow's nuclear deterrent¹³.

 

I'm Lakshmi Sing, NPR News in Washington.

1 assessment   

n.评价；评估；对财产的估价，被估定的金额

参考例句：

• This is a very perceptive assessment of the situation.这是一个对该情况的极富洞察力的评价。
• What is your assessment of the situation?你对时局的看法如何？

2 contentious   

adj.好辩的，善争吵的

参考例句：

• She was really not of the contentious fighting sort.她委实不是好吵好闹的人。
• Since then they have tended to steer clear of contentious issues.从那时起，他们总想方设法避开有争议的问题。

3 pipeline   

n.管道，管线

参考例句：

• The pipeline supplies Jordan with 15 per cent of its crude oil.该管道供给约旦15%的原油。
• A single pipeline serves all the houses with water.一条单管路给所有的房子供水。

4 gulf   

n.海湾；深渊，鸿沟；分歧，隔阂

参考例句：

• The gulf between the two leaders cannot be bridged.两位领导人之间的鸿沟难以跨越。
• There is a gulf between the two cities.这两座城市间有个海湾。

5 perpetuates   

n.使永存，使人记住不忘( perpetuate的名词复数 )；使永久化，使持久化，使持续

参考例句：

• Giving these events a lot of media coverage merely perpetuates the problem. 媒体大量地报道这些事件只会使问题持续下去。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Lack of water perpetuates poverty, increases the risk of political instability, and affects global prosperity. 水资源短缺导致贫穷，使政局不稳，且影响全球的繁荣。 来自互联网

6 dependence   

n.依靠，依赖；信任，信赖；隶属

参考例句：

• Doctors keep trying to break her dependence of the drug.医生们尽力使她戒除毒瘾。
• He was freed from financial dependence on his parents.他在经济上摆脱了对父母的依赖。

7 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

8 economists   

n.经济学家，经济专家( economist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The sudden rise in share prices has confounded economists. 股价的突然上涨使经济学家大惑不解。
• Foreign bankers and economists cautiously welcomed the minister's initiative. 外国银行家和经济学家对部长的倡议反应谨慎。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 ramping   

土堤斜坡( ramp的现在分词 )； 斜道； 斜路； （装车或上下飞机的）活动梯

参考例句：

• The children love ramping about in the garden. 孩子们喜欢在花园里追逐嬉戏，闹着玩。
• Have you ever seen a lion ramping around? 你看到过狮子暴跳吗？

10 overtime   

adj.超时的，加班的；adv.加班地

参考例句：

• They are working overtime to finish the work.为了完成任务他们正在加班加点地工作。
• He was paid for the overtime he worked.他领到了加班费。

11 apparently   

adv.显然地；表面上，似乎

参考例句：

• An apparently blind alley leads suddenly into an open space.山穷水尽，豁然开朗。
• He was apparently much surprised at the news.他对那个消息显然感到十分惊异。

12 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。

13 deterrent   

n.阻碍物，制止物；adj.威慑的，遏制的

参考例句：

• Large fines act as a deterrent to motorists.高额罚款是对开车的人的制约。
• I put a net over my strawberries as a deterrent to the birds.我在草莓上罩了网，免得鸟歇上去。