PBS高端访谈:犹他州私有天然气钻井交易

 　　JEFFREY BROWN:And next, we continue our series on the big changes in energy production in the U.S.

　　In previous stories, Ray Suarez has looked at the impact of oil production on some boomtowns and how a demand for natural gas is changing the business for coal and alternative fuels.

　　Tonight, Ray visits Utah, his focus, the use of public lands for private development.

　　RAY SUAREZ:The banks of the White River in eastern Utah are perfectly¹ quiet, in a way it's sometimes hard to find in a world of seven billion people, just the sounds of gently flowing water, a hint of a breeze, the occasional bird.

　　The gorgeous vistas² and rare solitude³ sit on public land thousands of feet above a bonanza⁴ trapped deep in the earth. From high above, it's easy to see how the gas industry has changed the landscape, with gas wells by the thousands altering the fragile desert ecosystem⁵.

　　Utah environmentalists say the view from the air and from the canyon⁶ floor illustrate⁷ why they want these public lands protected.

　　STEPHEN BLOCH, Southern Utah Wilderness⁸ Alliance:You know, what families find when they come here, what outfitters, what Americans come to experience this place, it's the quiet, it's the solitude, it's that you don't have the sight and sounds of human development around you. It's a place where people can come and restore themselves.

　　There are more cliffs on this side. And that's an area where there really are just these fantastic spires⁹ and columns. And it's pretty remarkable¹⁰.

　　RAY SUAREZ:A year earlier, Stephen Bloch from the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance brought gas industry representatives from Anadarko Petroleum¹¹ Corporation to this same stretch of river to convince the industry giant to consider the impact on pristine¹² riverbanks in their pending¹³ request to drill in the Greater Natural Buttes region.

　　Anadarko's existing permits were expiring. The company wanted to bring out gas left behind by past wells and old-fashioned drilling methods and make a new plan with the United States Bureau of Land Management.

　　The Wilderness Alliance asked Anadarko to drill further away from the river floors, to erect¹⁴ wells away from the canyon rims¹⁵, so they can't be seen by canoers and hikers.

　　The energy company Anadarko had a lot riding on the Greater Natural Buttes project, and the numbers are staggering: 3,700 wells, six trillion cubic feet of gas reserves, billions to be paid in royalties¹⁶ to the state government of Utah and to the federal government, and thousands of jobs created.

　　The only question was, could they pull all that gas out of the ground and make peace with environmentalists and Indian tribes to save one of America's last great landscapes?

　　BRAD MILLER¹⁷, Anadarko:The several feet that we would see in this, we could drill in an hour or less.

　　RAY SUAREZ:Brad Miller, who runs regulatory affairs for Anadarko, understood the importance of bringing environmental groups on board.

　　BRAD MILLER:If people can come to an agreement before you have to go to a regulatory agency to discuss the opportunities for development, of course that's going to be a plus for the company and for all the stakeholders involved.

　　RAY SUAREZ:The secretary of the interior oversees¹⁸ the Bureau of Land Management. With the parties already in agreement, there's no litigation, less hassle and more natural gas going to market right away.

　　INTERIOR SECRETARY KEN¹⁹ SALAZAR:It is my view that protecting the environment and developing oil and gas are not mutually exclusive. Those who say they are, are providing us a false choice.

　　RAY SUAREZ: So, the Wilderness Alliance gets a pristine river valley for its constituents²⁰, and Anadarko gets the natural gas underneath²¹ it for its shareholders²².

　　STEPHEN BLOCH:I think what we have shown here and in a number of other places in Utah is that we can find that kind of middle ground, that there are compromises that can be reached that protect the special places, while still allowing for a vibrant²³, for a robust²⁴ level of natural gas and oil development.

　　BRAD MILLER:It is a shining model and a shining example of what we need to try to accomplish across the board in the industry. Let's work collaboratively with the environmental community and the other stakeholders, the local governments, the regulators as well, to meet everybody's need, because bringing the important natural gas resource to America is extremely important.

　　KEN SALAZAR:My advocacy to the industry is, follow those best practices that some companies are following. And, therefore, when we develop in those places, what we're going to do is to minimize the footprint by the new technologies on horizontal drilling and placing multiple wells on one pad and taking care of water and taking care of emissions²⁵. Those are hugely win-win solutions.

　　RAY SUAREZ:Multiple wells drilled from the same spot mean fewer roads kicking up dust across the wilderness, fewer truck runs carrying millions of gallons of water for high-pressure underground pumping to crack open gas deposits.

　　Natural gas isn't the only thing out here to sell. Wilderness recreation is a big industry. The White River is a popular spot for canoeing outfitters. Centennial Canoe has run trips on the river for 25 years.

　　MARTY GENEREUX, Centennial Canoe:You feel like you're on a wilderness adventure, rather than being at a zoo, where the animals are caged, or being in the city or an aquarium²⁶. This is all natural. It's real.

　　RAY SUAREZ:Are the battles over? Can Indian tribes, environmentalists, energy companies and the federal government walk shoulder-to-shoulder into a gorgeous Utah sunset? Not exactly.

　　STEPHEN BLOCH:This area is an island in a sea of natural gas wells.

　　RAY SUAREZ:For guys like Bloch, it's never really over. He pointed²⁷ out land near Utah's Desolation Canyon, where the Bureau of Land Management recently approved 1,298 new wells for the natural gas company Gasco.

　　STEPHEN BLOCH:The Desolation Canyon stretch of the Green River is truly one of the -- the gems²⁸ of American public lands. It's this remarkably²⁹ wild landscape, one of the largest roadless areas in the Lower 48. And that is going to be lost. The level of development will be significant. It will significantly impact that area.

　　RAY SUAREZ:The decision was a huge disappointment for Bloch, who says, once these places are developed, there's no going back. Though new leases require companies to leave the land the way they found it, a desert is very slow to heal and hard to reclaim³⁰.

　　JUDY WOODRUFF:As Ray has pointed out, modern drilling technology is largely responsible for the changing energy picture in this country. That technology involves a process known as fracking.

　　In earlier reports, the NewsHour has covered the intense debate about fracking itself, otherwise known as hydraulic³¹ fracturing.

　　You can find links to our reports, plus much more information about fracking, on our website.

1 perfectly   

adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The witnesses were each perfectly certain of what they said.证人们个个对自己所说的话十分肯定。
• Everything that we're doing is all perfectly above board.我们做的每件事情都是光明正大的。

2 vistas   

长条形景色( vista的名词复数 )； 回顾； 展望； （未来可能发生的）一系列情景

参考例句：

• This new job could open up whole new vistas for her. 这项新工作可能给她开辟全新的前景。
• The picture is small but It'shows broad vistas. 画幅虽然不大，所表现的天地却十分广阔。

3 solitude   

n. 孤独; 独居,荒僻之地,幽静的地方

参考例句：

• People need a chance to reflect on spiritual matters in solitude. 人们需要独处的机会来反思精神上的事情。
• They searched for a place where they could live in solitude. 他们寻找一个可以过隐居生活的地方。

4 bonanza   

n.富矿带，幸运，带来好运的事

参考例句：

• Bargain hunters enjoyed a real bonanza today.到处买便宜货的人今天真是交了好运。
• What a bonanza for the winning ticket holders!对于手持胜券的人来说，这是多好的运气啊。

5 ecosystem   

n.生态系统

参考例句：

• This destroyed the ecosystem of the island.这样破坏了岛上的生态系统。
• We all have an interest in maintaining the integrity of the ecosystem.维持生态系统的完整是我们共同的利益。

6 canyon   

n.峡谷，溪谷

参考例句：

• The Grand Canyon in the USA is 1900 metres deep.美国的大峡谷1900米深。
• The canyon is famous for producing echoes.这个峡谷以回声而闻名。

7 illustrate   

v.举例说明，阐明；图解，加插图

参考例句：

• The company's bank statements illustrate its success.这家公司的银行报表说明了它的成功。
• This diagram will illustrate what I mean.这个图表可说明我的意思。

8 wilderness   

n.杳无人烟的一片陆地、水等，荒漠

参考例句：

• She drove the herd of cattle through the wilderness.她赶着牛群穿过荒野。
• Education in the wilderness is not a matter of monetary means.荒凉地区的教育不是钱财问题。

9 spires   

n.（教堂的） 塔尖，尖顶( spire的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Her masts leveled with the spires of churches. 船的桅杆和教堂的塔尖一样高。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• White church spires lift above green valleys. 教堂的白色尖顶耸立在绿色山谷中。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 remarkable   

adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的

参考例句：

• She has made remarkable headway in her writing skills.她在写作技巧方面有了长足进步。
• These cars are remarkable for the quietness of their engines.这些汽车因发动机没有噪音而不同凡响。

11 petroleum   

n.原油，石油

参考例句：

• The Government of Iran advanced the price of petroleum last week.上星期伊朗政府提高了石油价格。
• The purpose of oil refinery is to refine crude petroleum.炼油厂的主要工作是提炼原油。

12 pristine   

adj.原来的，古时的，原始的，纯净的，无垢的

参考例句：

• He wiped his fingers on his pristine handkerchief.他用他那块洁净的手帕擦手指。
• He wasn't about to blemish that pristine record.他本不想去玷污那清白的过去。

13 pending   

prep.直到，等待…期间；adj.待定的；迫近的

参考例句：

• The lawsuit is still pending in the state court.这案子仍在州法庭等待定夺。
• He knew my examination was pending.他知道我就要考试了。

14 erect   

n./v.树立，建立，使竖立；adj.直立的，垂直的

参考例句：

• She held her head erect and her back straight.她昂着头，把背挺得笔直。
• Soldiers are trained to stand erect.士兵们训练站得笔直。

15 rims   

n.（圆形物体的）边( rim的名词复数 )；缘；轮辋；轮圈

参考例句：

• As she spoke, the rims of her eyes reddened a little. 说时，眼圈微红。 来自汉英文学 - 围城
• Her eyes were a little hollow, and reddish about the rims. 她的眼睛微微凹陷，眼眶有些发红。 来自辞典例句

16 royalties   

特许权使用费

参考例句：

• I lived on about £3,000 a year from the royalties on my book. 我靠着写书得来的每年约3，000英镑的版税生活。 来自辞典例句
• Payments shall generally be made in the form of royalties. 一般应采取提成方式支付。 来自经济法规部分

17 miller   

n.磨坊主

参考例句：

• Every miller draws water to his own mill.磨坊主都往自己磨里注水。
• The skilful miller killed millions of lions with his ski.技术娴熟的磨坊主用雪橇杀死了上百万头狮子。

18 oversees   

v.监督，监视( oversee的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• She oversees both the research and the manufacturing departments. 她既监督研究部门又监督生产部门。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The Department of Education oversees the federal programs dealing with education. 教育部监管处理教育的联邦程序。 来自互联网

19 ken   

n.视野，知识领域

参考例句：

• Such things are beyond my ken.我可不懂这些事。
• Abstract words are beyond the ken of children.抽象的言辞超出小孩所理解的范围.

20 constituents   

n.选民( constituent的名词复数 )；成分；构成部分；要素

参考例句：

• She has the full support of her constituents. 她得到本区选民的全力支持。
• Hydrogen and oxygen are the constituents of water. 氢和氧是水的主要成分。 来自《简明英汉词典》

21 underneath   

adj.在...下面，在...底下；adv.在下面

参考例句：

• Working underneath the car is always a messy job.在汽车底下工作是件脏活。
• She wore a coat with a dress underneath.她穿着一件大衣，里面套着一条连衣裙。

22 shareholders   

n.股东( shareholder的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The meeting was attended by 90% of shareholders. 90%的股东出席了会议。
• the company's fiduciary duty to its shareholders 公司对股东负有的受托责任

23 vibrant   

adj.震颤的，响亮的，充满活力的，精力充沛的，(色彩)鲜明的

参考例句：

• He always uses vibrant colours in his paintings. 他在画中总是使用鲜明的色彩。
• She gave a vibrant performance in the leading role in the school play.她在学校表演中生气盎然地扮演了主角。

24 robust   

adj.强壮的，强健的，粗野的，需要体力的，浓的

参考例句：

• She is too tall and robust.她个子太高，身体太壮。
• China wants to keep growth robust to reduce poverty and avoid job losses,AP commented.美联社评论道，中国希望保持经济强势增长，以减少贫困和失业状况。

25 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。

26 aquarium   

n.水族馆，养鱼池，玻璃缸

参考例句：

• The first time I saw seals was in an aquarium.我第一次看见海豹是在水族馆里。
• I'm going to the aquarium with my parents this Sunday.这个星期天，我要和父母一起到水族馆去。

27 pointed   

adj.尖的，直截了当的

参考例句：

• He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
• She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。

28 gems   

growth； economy； management； and customer satisfaction 增长

参考例句：

• a crown studded with gems 镶有宝石的皇冠
• The apt citations and poetic gems have adorned his speeches. 贴切的引语和珠玑般的诗句为他的演说词增添文采。

29 remarkably   

ad.不同寻常地，相当地

参考例句：

• I thought she was remarkably restrained in the circumstances. 我认为她在那种情况下非常克制。
• He made a remarkably swift recovery. 他康复得相当快。

30 reclaim   

v.要求归还，收回；开垦

参考例句：

• I have tried to reclaim my money without success.我没能把钱取回来。
• You must present this ticket when you reclaim your luggage.当你要取回行李时，必须出示这张票子。

31 hydraulic   

adj.水力的；水压的，液压的；水力学的

参考例句：

• The boat has no fewer than five hydraulic pumps.这艘船配有不少于5个液压泵。
• A group of apprentics were operating the hydraulic press.一群学徒正在开动水压机。