2007年VOA标准英语-Life of Incandescent Light Bulbs may Soon Burn

By Paul Sisco
Washington
16 March 2007
 
watch Light Bulb report

From Australia to California efforts are underway to phase out the traditional, incandescent¹ light bulb. Wal-Mart, the world's largest retailer², is getting into the act. It has announced a campaign to more than double its sales of  more efficient, compact florescent bulbs by 2008.  VOA's Paul Sisco reports.

 
Incandescent light bulbs
Thomas Edison perfected the incandescent light bulb 128 years ago... lighting³ up a nation and the world ever since.

Many would prefer those bulbs be switched off today and replaced with compact fluorescent⁴ bulbs, which are up to 70 percent more efficient.

Environmentalist Mike Tidwell says their use can save money and energy. "[With them there is] dramatically less money you're spending for electricity -- and you fight global warming. It's pretty simple."

Just five percent of the electricity in a standard bulb is used to light it.  The rest is heat. Not so with these fluorescents. They provide the same light without the heat, reducing the demand for electricity from coal-fired power plants that produce carbon dioxide and contribute to global warming.

To reduce its greenhouse gases, Australian officials hope to phase out incandescent light bulb use by 2009. And they have launched an educational campaign to do just that. 

Malcolm Turnbull, the Australian Environmental Minister says, "[If] the whole world switched to these bulbs today, we would reduce our consumption of electricity by an amount equal to five times Australia's annual consumption of electricity." 

 
A compact fluorescent bulb
Legislators in the western U.S. state of California are debating a similar proposal. And Wal-Mart, the world’s largest retailer, has announced a drive to sell 100 million compact fluorescent bulbs a year by 2008. The chain sold 40 million in 2005.

Noah Horowitz is with the Natural Resources Defense⁵ Council in the United States. He says we can eliminate the use of coal burning power plants. "So, once we make the shift, roughly 10 years from now, we'll eliminate the need for about 50 to 75 coal burning power plants, and we'll cut our nation's electricity bill by over $10 billion a year."

The U.S. Department of Energy says the three to four billion incandescent light bulbs in America's homes and businesses use about 10 percent of all U.S. electricity.  Federal officials say switching to compact florescent bulbs could significantly reduce energy demands every year.

1 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。

2 retailer   

n.零售商(人)

参考例句：

• What are the retailer requirements?零售商会有哪些要求呢？
• The retailer has assembled a team in Shanghai to examine the question.这家零售商在上海组建了一支团队研究这个问题。

3 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。

4 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。

5 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。