2007年VOA标准英语-Climate Study Calls for Alternative Technologie

By Paul Sisco
Washington
04 May 2007
 

The United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change on Friday plans to issue a third report on ways to offset¹ global warming. Scientists and government administrators² from more than 120 countries have been hammering out the text of the report this week in Bangkok, Thailand.  Early drafts indicate that countries that start now to back away from fossil fuels, will not have to wait generations to see benefits. VOA's Paul Sisco has more.

The climate change panel studied how a united world can avert³ the worst effects of global warming.

Jean-Pascal van Ypersele

Jean-Pascal van Ypersele is with the delegation⁴ from Belgium. "Probably the most important thing is to improve energy efficiency.  There's a lot of energy wastage everywhere in the world and that's probably one of the first things to do.  The other thing to do is to understand that in the long term we won't have fossil fuel anymore.  So we have to improve on the way we use renewable energy."

The report says emissions⁵ can be cut below current levels if the world shifts away from carbon heavy fuels like coal, significantly reduces deforestation and moves towards widespread energy efficiency requirements and practices.

The European Union's Tom van Ierland said, "If you say the kind of commitments we ask from India China and Brazil, let's be very clear, we don't ask them to do the same things we ask from developed countries  which are taking kind of binding⁶ targets to reduce their emissions. But indeed we would like to cooperate with them better to ensure we can find the kinds of technologies -- introduce them into their markets that does see a reduction of the goal of emissions.

Lalith Chandrapala, a delegate from Sri Lanka stated his position. "Cleaner technologies developed by the developed countries should be transferred to the developing nations because we do not have the funds to develop these technologies."

The U.N. report's overall message is that the worst consequences of global warming can be averted⁷ if a united world embraces alternative technologies and is willing to change.

1 offset   

n.分支，补偿；v.抵消，补偿

参考例句：

• Their wage increases would be offset by higher prices.他们增加的工资会被物价上涨所抵消。
• He put up his prices to offset the increased cost of materials.他提高了售价以补偿材料成本的增加。

2 administrators   

n.管理者( administrator的名词复数 )；有管理（或行政）才能的人；（由遗嘱检验法庭指定的）遗产管理人；奉派暂管主教教区的牧师

参考例句：

• He had administrators under him but took the crucial decisions himself. 他手下有管理人员，但重要的决策仍由他自己来做。 来自辞典例句
• Administrators have their own methods of social intercourse. 办行政的人有他们的社交方式。 来自汉英文学 - 围城

3 avert   

v.防止，避免；转移(目光、注意力等)

参考例句：

• He managed to avert suspicion.他设法避嫌。
• I would do what I could to avert it.我会尽力去避免发生这种情况。

4 delegation   

n.代表团；派遣

参考例句：

• The statement of our delegation was singularly appropriate to the occasion.我们代表团的声明非常适合时宜。
• We shall inform you of the date of the delegation's arrival.我们将把代表团到达的日期通知你。

5 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。

6 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。

7 averted   

防止，避免( avert的过去式和过去分词 )； 转移

参考例句：

• A disaster was narrowly averted. 及时防止了一场灾难。
• Thanks to her skilful handling of the affair, the problem was averted. 多亏她对事情处理得巧妙，才避免了麻烦。