SCIENCE IN THE NEWS

SCIENCE IN THE NEWS
By

Broadcast: Tuesday, August 10, 2004

VOICE ONE:

This is Science in the News in VOA Special English. I'm Sarah Long.

VOICE TWO:

 
Graphic¹ Image
And I'm Bob Doughty². This week: a full program of environmental news, from land and sea. We have reports on the problem of whales and military sonar ...

VOICE ONE:

The future of the Endangered Species Act in the United States ...

VOICE TWO:

And the reason why researchers are exploring some old shipwrecks³ off the American coast.

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VOICE ONE:

In nineteen seventy-three the United States Congress passed the Endangered Species Act. President Richard Nixon signed the measure into law in December of that year.

The Endangered Species Act is designed to protect rare animals and plants. It requires the government to take steps to save threatened wildlife. The Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Marine⁵ Fisheries Service are two agencies that enforce this law.

These agencies decide which animals and plants to list as either threatened or endangered. They decide how much of an area these species need to live safely. And they decide how much human activity is acceptable in those areas.

VOICE TWO:

In some cases, the two agencies must work with a third, the Environmental Protection Agency. One of the jobs of the E.P.A. is to approve new pesticides⁶. Under the law, the agency has had to first make sure that these agricultural poisons would not harm endangered wildlife. The E.P.A. has been required to consult with the other two agencies to seek their opinion.

But a new policy by the Bush administration says these consultations⁷ are no longer necessary. The new policy permits the E.P.A. to decide independently if new pesticides are likely to harm endangered species.

VOICE ONE:

More than sixty members of the House of Representatives have expressed opposition⁸ to the change. They say public health and the survival of endangered wildlife could be threatened. They say harmful chemicals could enter the environment without enough supervision⁹ or study.

The administration, however, says the new rules will speed up the approval process for agricultural chemicals. Officials say the old process was too complex. They say it was impossible to consider every likely interaction between hundreds of chemicals and more than one thousand species. That is how many are currently listed as threatened or endangered. As a result, administration officials say few consultations have taken place in the past ten years.

VOICE TWO:

Last year, a judge ruled that the Environmental Protection Agency violated the Endangered Species Act when it failed to seek such an opinion. The case involves an action brought in federal court by a coalition¹⁰ of environmental and fishing groups in Washington state.

The issue is the possible threat from a group of pesticides to Pacific salmon¹¹ protected by the act. The judge said the E.P.A.'s own reports showed serious risks from the chemicals to the survival of the fish. This past January, the judge temporarily restricted the use of almost forty pesticides near salmon waterways.

VOICE ONE:

This case and others led to action in Congress. Last month the House Committee on Resources passed two bills. One bill would change the process by which land is set aside for endangered species. The other would change the process by which animals and plants are listed as threatened or endangered. Similar legislation has been proposed in the Senate.

Supporters say the proposed changes would modernize¹² and improve the Endangered Species Act. Opponents say the changes would weaken thirty-year-old protections needed for endangered animals and plants to survive.

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VOICE TWO:

You are listening to SCIENCE IN THE NEWS, in VOA Special English.

The scientific committee of the International Whaling Commission has blamed military sonar for harm to whales.

Sonar technology sends sound waves through water to find objects. Naval¹³ forces search for submarines. But the power of sonar has increased since World War Two. Today, the sound may be as loud as an airplane engine.

Scientists say the noise can cause whales to suffer bleeding in the brain and the tissue near their ear bones. The sound may also interfere¹⁴ with communication among whales and their ability to guide themselves through the water. Scientists say whales may rise to the surface so quickly, gas bubbles form in their blood.

VOICE ONE:

The scientific committee of the International Whaling Commission noted¹⁵ some recent incidents that appeared to involve sonar. One was the movement toward shore of two hundred melon-headed whales in Hawaii. This took place during American and Japanese naval training in the area. One whale died.

Also, three beaked¹⁶ whales died off the Canary Islands of Spain. NATO had military exercises off the nearby coast of Morocco at the time. Scientists reported damage to the navigation systems and organs in the whales.

Energy companies also use sonar, to search for oil and gas. The whaling commission said this threatens the survival of the last of the gray whales near the Pacific coast of Russia.

The United States Marine Mammal Commission has been studying the effects of sonar and other underwater noise on sea animals. Congress is expected to receive a report next year.

VOICE TWO:

For now, the Navy continues with plans to develop a sonar testing area off the eastern United States. The Navy says it needs the area to train sailors to find the quieter submarines now used by other nations. Environmental groups say the training area would needlessly harm ocean life.

These groups may take legal action to restrict the use of middle-frequency sonar. The Navy has already agreed to limit its use of low-frequency sonar. Such waves can travel huge distances. A group called the Natural Resources Defense¹⁷ Council brought action against the Navy. The Navy agreed to limit the use of low-frequency sonar to an area of the Pacific off East Asia.

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VOICE ONE:

Scientists are exploring seven ships that sank during World War Two off the southern United States. The wrecks⁴ lie in waters that are between eighty-five and almost two thousand meters deep. They are not far from each other in the Gulf¹⁸ of Mexico. Over more than sixty years, the wrecks may have become reefs where underwater animals and plants live.

Man-made objects have been used to create such conditions closer to the surface. For example, old structures for oil and gas drilling at sea have been sunk in shallow water. They are thought to help increase fish production.

But during the current exploration, the scientists want to learn if man-made reefs can also improve deep-water environments. At the same time, they want to learn more about the history of the ships. The exploration is to end later this month.

The study team includes government agencies and a company from Louisiana called C and C Technologies. Researchers are using an unpiloted diving vehicle that can make video recordings¹⁹ and do other jobs in deep water.

VOICE TWO:

One of the wrecks is the German submarine known as U-one-sixty-six. The submarine lies about seventy-two kilometers off the Mississippi River Delta²⁰. Two oil companies identified it in two thousand one. During World War Two, it was among about twenty-four German submarines active in the Gulf of Mexico. They sank fifty-six ships.

At one point, in nineteen-forty-two, they destroyed three ships. These carried oil, food and other supplies for America's European allies. Then U-one-sixty-six began to chase a ship named the Robert E. Lee. The Lee carried passengers in addition to supplies. The German submarine fired a missile and sank the ship. Twenty-five people were killed.

For years, American officials thought the submarine escaped for a short time after that attack. Now they know that a ship guarding the Robert E. Lee sank the German U-boat when the Lee went down. U-one-sixty-six had fifty-two crew members.

The U-boat and the other wrecks are now being explored as candidates for protection on the National Register of Historic Places.

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VOICE- ONE:

SCIENCE IN THE NEWS was written by Jill Moss²¹, Nancy Steinbach, and Jerilyn Watson. Caty Weaver²² was our producer. This is Sarah Long.

VOICE ONE:

And this is Bob Doughty. Join us again next week for more news about science, in Special English, on the Voice of America.

1 graphic   

adj.生动的，形象的，绘画的，文字的，图表的

参考例句：

• The book gave a graphic description of the war.这本书生动地描述了战争的情况。
• Distinguish important text items in lists with graphic icons.用图标来区分重要的文本项。

2 doughty   

adj.勇猛的，坚强的

参考例句：

• Most of successful men have the characteristics of contumacy and doughty.绝大多数成功人士都有共同的特质：脾气倔强，性格刚强。
• The doughty old man battled his illness with fierce determination.坚强的老人用巨大毅力与疾病作斗争。

3 shipwrecks   

海难，船只失事( shipwreck的名词复数 )； 沉船

参考例句：

• Shipwrecks are apropos of nothing. 船只失事总是来得出人意料。
• There are many shipwrecks in these waters. 在这些海域多海难事件。

4 wrecks   

n.沉船( wreck的名词复数 )；（事故中）遭严重毁坏的汽车（或飞机等）；（身体或精神上）受到严重损伤的人；状况非常糟糕的车辆（或建筑物等）v.毁坏[毁灭]某物( wreck的第三人称单数 )；使（船舶）失事，使遇难，使下沉

参考例句：

• The shores are strewn with wrecks. 海岸上满布失事船只的残骸。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• My next care was to get together the wrecks of my fortune. 第二件我所关心的事就是集聚破产后的余财。 来自辞典例句

5 marine   

adj.海的；海生的；航海的；海事的；n.水兵

参考例句：

• Marine creatures are those which live in the sea. 海洋生物是生存在海里的生物。
• When the war broke out,he volunteered for the Marine Corps.战争爆发时，他自愿参加了海军陆战队。

6 pesticides   

n.杀虫剂( pesticide的名词复数 )；除害药物

参考例句：

• vegetables grown without the use of pesticides 未用杀虫剂种植的蔬菜
• There is a lot of concern over the amount of herbicides and pesticides used in farming. 人们对农业上灭草剂和杀虫剂的用量非常担忧。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 consultations   

n.磋商（会议）( consultation的名词复数 )；商讨会；协商会；查找

参考例句：

• Consultations can be arranged at other times by appointment. 磋商可以通过预约安排在其他时间。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Consultations are under way. 正在进行磋商。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

8 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

9 supervision   

n.监督，管理

参考例句：

• The work was done under my supervision.这项工作是在我的监督之下完成的。
• The old man's will was executed under the personal supervision of the lawyer.老人的遗嘱是在律师的亲自监督下执行的。

10 coalition   

n.结合体，同盟，结合，联合

参考例句：

• The several parties formed a coalition.这几个政党组成了政治联盟。
• Coalition forces take great care to avoid civilian casualties.联盟军队竭尽全力避免造成平民伤亡。

11 salmon   

n.鲑，大马哈鱼，橙红色的

参考例句：

• We saw a salmon jumping in the waterfall there.我们看见一条大马哈鱼在那边瀑布中跳跃。
• Do you have any fresh salmon in at the moment?现在有新鲜大马哈鱼卖吗？

12 modernize   

vt.使现代化，使适应现代的需要

参考例句：

• It was their manifest failure to modernize the country's industries.他们使国家进行工业现代化，明显失败了。
• There is a pressing need to modernise our electoral system.我们的选举制度迫切需要现代化。

13 naval   

adj.海军的，军舰的，船的

参考例句：

• He took part in a great naval battle.他参加了一次大海战。
• The harbour is an important naval base.该港是一个重要的海军基地。

14 interfere   

v.(in)干涉，干预；(with)妨碍，打扰

参考例句：

• If we interfere, it may do more harm than good.如果我们干预的话，可能弊多利少。
• When others interfere in the affair,it always makes troubles. 别人一卷入这一事件，棘手的事情就来了。

15 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

16 beaked   

adj.有喙的，鸟嘴状的

参考例句：

• A Fox invited a long-beaked Stork to have dinner with him. 狐狸请长嘴鹳同他一起吃饭。 来自互联网
• Most of the other fossils come from rhynchosaurs (parrot-beaked reptiles). 其他大部分化石来自剪嘴龙（嘴像鹦鹉的爬行动物）。 来自互联网

17 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。

18 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。

19 recordings   

n.记录( recording的名词复数 )；录音；录像；唱片

参考例句：

• a boxed set of original recordings 一套盒装原声录音带
• old jazz recordings reissued on CD 以激光唱片重新发行的老爵士乐

20 delta   

n.（流的）角洲

参考例句：

• He has been to the delta of the Nile.他曾去过尼罗河三角洲。
• The Nile divides at its mouth and forms a delta.尼罗河在河口分岔，形成了一个三角洲。

21 moss   

n.苔，藓，地衣

参考例句：

• Moss grows on a rock.苔藓生在石头上。
• He was found asleep on a pillow of leaves and moss.有人看见他枕着树叶和苔藓睡着了。

22 weaver   

n.织布工；编织者

参考例句：

• She was a fast weaver and the cloth was very good.她织布织得很快，而且布的质量很好。
• The eager weaver did not notice my confusion.热心的纺织工人没有注意到我的狼狈相。