VOA常速英语2007-Scientists Confronting Climate Change

By Paul Sisco
Washington
18 October 2007
 

In today's Searching for Solutions report, Paul Sisco reports on what some scientists say can be done to reduce carbon emissions¹ and cool off global warming.

Many scientists believe that the problem of climate change is huge, but Princeton University's Michael Oppenheimer is among those scientists who believe it is solvable. He says, "Number one, there is no magic bullet; there is no one technology that is going to get us out of the problem. But number two, there are a lot of small pieces that can be put together."

Oppenheimer is a member of the United Nation's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change that, along with former U.S. Vice² President Al Gore³, received this year's Nobel Peace Prize.

He is also part of the Carbon Mitigation Initiative. It is a joint⁴ project of Princeton University, British Petroleum⁵ and the Ford⁶ Motor Company, that developed what is called the "wedge concept" to stabilize⁷ the environment.

Each wedge in the concept represents a different way that emissions can be reduced by one billion tons a year. By doubling fuel efficiency for automobiles⁸ worldwide, carbon emissions could be lowered one wedge.

And by adding 50 times more wind generators⁹ to replace coal plants, the carbon emissions from the production of electricity would be lowered another wedge. Turn another 1,400 coal fired plants into cleaner natural gas plants -- another billion tons saved.

Project scientists have identified 15 wedges. They say that any seven of them together could stabilize global emissions at current levels by about 2050.

Oppenheimer says, "Take small baby steps today, somewhat bigger steps tomorrow and even bigger steps 20 and 30 years from now and we can eventually get on a path that will stabilize the climate."

The steps, or wedge options, include:

• greater reliance on nuclear power Scientists say the steps needed to level off carbon emissions, though painful, are affordable¹⁰. Al Gore and all those honored by the Nobel committee agree the longer the world waits, the more costly¹¹ the solutions will be.
• more efficient farming
• use of cleaner technologies
• reversing rain forest destruction
• capturing and storing carbon emissions underground

 

1 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。

2 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

3 gore   

n.凝血，血污；v.（动物）用角撞伤，用牙刺破；缝以补裆；顶

参考例句：

• The fox lay dying in a pool of gore.狐狸倒在血泊中奄奄一息。
• Carruthers had been gored by a rhinoceros.卡拉瑟斯被犀牛顶伤了。

4 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

5 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。

6 Ford   

n.浅滩，水浅可涉处；v.涉水，涉过

参考例句：

• They were guarding the bridge,so we forded the river.他们驻守在那座桥上，所以我们只能涉水过河。
• If you decide to ford a stream,be extremely careful.如果已决定要涉过小溪，必须极度小心。

7 stabilize   

vt.（使）稳定，使稳固，使稳定平衡；vi.稳定

参考例句：

• They are eager to stabilize currencies.他们急于稳定货币。
• His blood pressure tended to stabilize.他的血压趋向稳定。

8 automobiles   

n.汽车( automobile的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• When automobiles become popular,the use of the horse and buggy passed away. 汽车普及后，就不再使用马和马车了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Automobiles speed in an endless stream along the boulevard. 宽阔的林荫道上，汽车川流不息。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

9 generators   

n.发电机，发生器( generator的名词复数 )；电力公司

参考例句：

• The factory's emergency generators were used during the power cut. 工厂应急发电机在停电期间用上了。
• Power can be fed from wind generators into the electricity grid system. 电力可以从风力发电机流入输电网。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 affordable   

adj.支付得起的，不太昂贵的

参考例句：

• The rent for the four-roomed house is affordable.四居室房屋的房租付得起。
• There are few affordable apartments in big cities.在大城市中没有几所公寓是便宜的。

11 costly   

adj.昂贵的，价值高的，豪华的

参考例句：

• It must be very costly to keep up a house like this.维修这么一幢房子一定很昂贵。
• This dictionary is very useful,only it is a bit costly.这本词典很有用，左不过贵了些。