VOA常速英语2007年-India's Dilemma: How to Continue Economic Growt

By Steve Herman
New Delhi
26 November 2007

The United Nations wants its upcoming conference on climate change in Bali to devise a uniform strategy for reducing greenhouse gas emissions¹. India, with a booming economy and a billion-plus population, is on track to become the third largest carbon emitter behind the United States and China. As VOA correspondent Steve Herman reports from New Delhi, India is looking at how to maintain domestic growth while stabilizing² its greenhouse gas emissions.

In India's cities, sales of electric appliances are booming. This washing machine salesman touts³ the features on one of the latest imported washing machines.

As hundreds of millions of households in India move into the middle class and buy their first appliances and automobiles⁴, the downside of economic growth is beginning to emerge.

Billions of appliances and cars consume huge amounts of energy. And nearly all that energy is derived⁵ from carbon-based sources, primarily coal and oil.

Leena Srivastava, executive director of The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), says India's long-term challenge is to meet rising energy demand and make electricity affordable⁶ while minimizing carbon emissions.

"We have about 400-plus million people in this country who today do not have access to electricity. And if we are to bring these people into the clean-energy mode, then we have to be able to provide low-cost energy options to them," she said.

Srivastava says with electrical demand forecast to grow as much as five-fold in the next quarter century, the government is planning to build more plants fired by coal, the dirtiest pollutant⁷.

"Total power-generating capacity will probably be closer to a 1,000 gigawatts. This translates actually into a coal import requirement for this country [annually] of almost a billion tons of coal, which is huge," added Srivastava.

Still, India is resisting international calls for binding⁸ emissions cuts.

The director-general of the Power Ministry's Bureau of Energy Efficiency, Ajay Mathur, says India will be able to stabilize⁹ its carbon consumption, but achieving its self-imposed targets is going to take a long time.

"The prime minister has committed that the per-capita emissions of India will never exceed those of developed countries," said Mathur. "And assuming that all of us are moving towards a target of about two tons of carbon dioxide per person per year by 2050, 2060, 2070, we should be at that level."

Environmentalists are pressing for India to turn to alternate energy production instead of additional conventional power plants.

Greenpeace India executive director G. Ananthapadmanabhan believes both the Indian jet set and those hoping to trade in their hand fans for air conditioners can be part of the solution.

"We're not saying don't have air travel, don't have air conditioners. We are saying do it in such a way that two things happen: you pay the true price of it, which is common sense, which is good economics," said Ananthapadmanabhan. "The second thing, do it in such a way that you reduce the carbon footprint associated with it by changing the way you produce that energy."

Greenpeace also wants the government to impose mandatory¹⁰ efficiency standards and carbon taxes.

Nuclear power is another option. At present, nuclear power accounts for only about four percent of India's energy needs. If the country gets access to advanced technology and is allowed to import the needed fuel, something that would happen under a controversial civil nuclear deal with the United States, then India might achieve its goal of increasing nuclear power generation ten-fold over the next 25 years.

But many environmentalists do not want India relying more on nuclear because of the long-term environmental risks and hazards.

Greenpeace's Anathapadmanabhan says a partial solution could be as simple as changing to more efficient light bulbs.

"In one shot by changing all the lighting¹¹ in India, five percent of India's emissions can be cut by changing simply the way we do household lighting - essentially¹², the single-point lighting in the form of incandescent¹³ bulbs," continued Anathapadmanabhan. "Replace them with efficient compact fluorescent¹⁴ lamps."

If the predicted results of climate change for India - flooding, drought, extreme weather, famine and disease - come true, the country could face a devastating¹⁵ human and financial toll¹⁶.

Already, says Energy Efficiency Bureau boss Ajay Mathur, India spends 2.5 percent of its gross domestic product on alleviating¹⁷ the impact of natural disasters.

"You can imagine that as climate change impacts become more visible, this would only rise. So in a sense our greatest challenge is the adverse¹⁸ impacts of climate change," said Mathur. "We need to reduce the vulnerability of people and ensure the development that occurs is quote, unquote, 'climate proof.'"

And for that, contends Leena Srivastava of The Energy and Resources Institute, India needs help.

"To be able to contribute positively¹⁹ to the problem of climate change we will need financial and technical assistance," she said. "And that is something that we haven't been able to work out between all the countries in the world."

The dilemma²⁰ facing India will be starkly²¹ apparent at the upcoming United Nations climate conference in Bali. The president of the host nation, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, has warned that governments must answer the public demand for what he calls "concrete and bold action" on climate change.

But, the Indonesian leader says, that should not come at the cost of jeopardizing²² development.

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 stabilizing   

n.稳定化处理[退火]v.（使）稳定， （使）稳固( stabilize的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• The disulfide bridges might then be viewed primarily as stabilizing components. 二硫桥可以被看作是初级的稳定因素。 来自辞典例句
• These stabilizing design changes are usually not desirable for steady-state operation. 这些增加稳定性的设计改变通常不太符合稳态工作的要求。 来自辞典例句

3 touts   

n.招徕( tout的名词复数 )；（音乐会、体育比赛等的）卖高价票的人；侦查者；探听赛马的情报v.兜售( tout的第三人称单数 )；招揽；侦查；探听赛马情报

参考例句：

• Many vouchers are returned for cash, allowing touts and middle men to make a healthy margin. 许多月饼券都被兑换成现金，这让券贩子和中间商赚取了不蜚的利润。 来自互联网
• Spotting prey, the customary crowd of hustlers and touts swarmed around, jostling for my business. 照例有大群的拉客黄牛在寻觅猎物，他们争相过来抢我的生意。 来自互联网

4 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》

5 derived   

vi.起源；由来；衍生；导出v.得到( derive的过去式和过去分词 )；（从…中）得到获得；源于；（从…中）提取

参考例句：

• Many English words are derived from Latin and Greek. 英语很多词源出于拉丁文和希腊文。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He derived his enthusiasm for literature from his father. 他对文学的爱好是受他父亲的影响。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 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。

7 pollutant   

n.污染物质，散布污染物质者

参考例句：

• Coal itself is a heavy pollutant.煤本身就是一种严重的污染物。
• Carbon dioxide may not be a typical air pollutant.二氧化碳可能不是一种典型的污染物。

8 binding   

有约束力的，有效的，应遵守的

参考例句：

• The contract was not signed and has no binding force. 合同没有签署因而没有约束力。
• Both sides have agreed that the arbitration will be binding. 双方都赞同仲裁具有约束力。

9 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。

10 mandatory   

adj.命令的；强制的；义务的；n.受托者

参考例句：

• It's mandatory to pay taxes.缴税是义务性的。
• There is no mandatory paid annual leave in the U.S.美国没有强制带薪年假。

11 lighting   

n.照明，光线的明暗，舞台灯光

参考例句：

• The gas lamp gradually lost ground to electric lighting.煤气灯逐渐为电灯所代替。
• The lighting in that restaurant is soft and romantic.那个餐馆照明柔和而且浪漫。

12 essentially   

adv.本质上，实质上，基本上

参考例句：

• Really great men are essentially modest.真正的伟人大都很谦虚。
• She is an essentially selfish person.她本质上是个自私自利的人。

13 incandescent   

adj.遇热发光的， 白炽的，感情强烈的

参考例句：

• The incandescent lamp we use in daily life was invented by Edison.我们日常生活中用的白炽灯，是爱迪生发明的。
• The incandescent quality of his words illuminated the courage of his countrymen.他炽热的语言点燃了他本国同胞的勇气。

14 fluorescent   

adj.荧光的，发出荧光的

参考例句：

• They observed the deflections of the particles by allowing them to fall on a fluorescent screen.他们让粒子落在荧光屏上以观察他们的偏移。
• This fluorescent lighting certainly gives the food a peculiar color.这萤光灯当然增添了食物特别的色彩。

15 devastating   

adj.毁灭性的，令人震惊的，强有力的

参考例句：

• It is the most devastating storm in 20 years.这是20年来破坏性最大的风暴。
• Affairs do have a devastating effect on marriages.婚外情确实会对婚姻造成毁灭性的影响。

16 toll   

n.过路(桥)费；损失，伤亡人数；v.敲(钟)

参考例句：

• The hailstone took a heavy toll of the crops in our village last night.昨晚那场冰雹损坏了我们村的庄稼。
• The war took a heavy toll of human life.这次战争夺去了许多人的生命。

17 alleviating   

减轻，缓解，缓和( alleviate的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• If it's alleviating pain,who knows what else it's doing? 如果它减轻了疼痛，天知道还影响什么？
• Measuring poverty is not the same as alleviating it, of course. 当然，衡量贫困和减轻贫困是截然不同的。

18 adverse   

adj.不利的；有害的；敌对的，不友好的

参考例句：

• He is adverse to going abroad.他反对出国。
• The improper use of medicine could lead to severe adverse reactions.用药不当会产生严重的不良反应。

19 positively   

adv.明确地，断然，坚决地；实在，确实

参考例句：

• She was positively glowing with happiness.她满脸幸福。
• The weather was positively poisonous.这天气着实讨厌。

20 dilemma   

n.困境，进退两难的局面

参考例句：

• I am on the horns of a dilemma about the matter.这件事使我进退两难。
• He was thrown into a dilemma.他陷入困境。

21 starkly   

adj. 变硬了的,完全的 adv. 完全,实在,简直

参考例句：

• The city of Befast remains starkly divided between Catholics and Protestants. 贝尔法斯特市完全被处在天主教徒和新教徒的纷争之中。
• The black rocks stood out starkly against the sky. 那些黑色的岩石在天空衬托下十分显眼。

22 jeopardizing   

危及，损害( jeopardize的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Plans may also become inefficient in the attainment of objectives by jeopardizing group satisfactions. 用危及群体利益方法去达到目标的计划，也是无效率的。
• That boosted government revenues in the short term, but is now jeopardizing them. Morales将天然气工业，电信业和部分采矿业收归国有的举措吓跑了投资者们。