2007年VOA标准英语-G-8 Leaders Reach Compromise on Climate Change;

By Sonja Pace
Heiligendamm
07 June 2007

G-8 Summit host German Chancellor¹ Angela Merkel says leaders have reached what she described as a substantial compromise on climate change, by agreeing on the need for substantial cuts in greenhouse gas emissions². But critics are calling it weak, as VOA's Sonja Pace reports from near the summit site at Heiligendamm, in northern Germany.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel, left, next to US President George Bush during second working meeting at G8 Summit in Heiligendamm, 07 Jun 2007

Speaking to reporters outside the conference center, Mrs. Merkel described the compromise as a major step forward.

Mrs. Merkel said G-8 members agreed to curb³ the rise of global warming gases and also agreed that substantial emissions cuts will be necessary. A strategy to achieve this is to be worked out within the United Nations for 2009.

Mrs. Merkel made global warming a cornerstone of this summit, but she failed to overcome U.S. reluctance⁴ to commit to reducing emissions by at least 50 percent by the year 2050. She said, however, that those specific goals would be under serious consideration.

Philip Clapp, president of the Washington-based National Environmental Trust, describes the compromise as weak.

"The only thing that President Bush was willing to agree to was that there should be a new treaty to replace the Kyoto Protocol⁵ when it expires in 2012 and that treaty should be negotiated by his successor in 2009," said Clapp. "He rejected every single substantive⁶ emissions reduction proposal, he even rejected proposals that the industrialized economies should improve the energy efficiency of their economies by 30 percent over the next decade and a half. The communiqué is fundamentally meaningless."

But British Prime Minister Tony Blair sees progress.

"Now we have an agreement that there will be a climate change deal, it will involve everyone, including America and China, and it will mean a substantial cut in greenhouse gas emissions and we are going to be, from a starting position, of considering the halving⁷ of emissions by 2050, which is a huge thing," he said.

Environmental advocate Philip Clapp says the one positive aspect is that even though President Bush refused to concede major points, he has paved the way for other G-8 leaders to begin to create a consensus⁸ on a new climate change agreement and then work on it with the next U.S. president.

1 chancellor   

n.(英)大臣；法官；(德、奥)总理；大学校长

参考例句：

• They submitted their reports to the Chancellor yesterday.他们昨天向财政大臣递交了报告。
• He was regarded as the most successful Chancellor of modern times.他被认为是现代最成功的财政大臣。

2 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。

3 curb   

n.场外证券市场，场外交易；vt.制止，抑制

参考例句：

• I could not curb my anger.我按捺不住我的愤怒。
• You must curb your daughter when you are in church.你在教堂时必须管住你的女儿。

4 reluctance   

n.厌恶，讨厌，勉强，不情愿

参考例句：

• The police released Andrew with reluctance.警方勉强把安德鲁放走了。
• He showed the greatest reluctance to make a reply.他表示很不愿意答复。

5 protocol   

n.议定书，草约，会谈记录，外交礼节

参考例句：

• We must observe the correct protocol.我们必须遵守应有的礼仪。
• The statesmen signed a protocol.那些政治家签了议定书。

6 substantive   

adj.表示实在的；本质的、实质性的；独立的；n.实词，实名词；独立存在的实体

参考例句：

• They plan to meet again in Rome very soon to begin substantive negotiations.他们计划不久在罗马再次会晤以开始实质性的谈判。
• A president needs substantive advice,but he also requires emotional succor. 一个总统需要实质性的建议，但也需要感情上的支持。

7 halving   

n.对分，二等分，减半[航空、航海]等分v.把…分成两半( halve的现在分词 )；把…减半；对分；平摊

参考例句：

• You searched those halving your salary cut your enthusiasm. 你呈现，薪水减半降低了你的任务热情。 来自互联网
• Halving the repeater spacing made it possible to quadruple the bandwidth. 把增音机间隔缩小一半，就能使带宽增加三倍。 来自互联网

8 consensus   

n.(意见等的)一致，一致同意，共识

参考例句：

• Can we reach a consensus on this issue?我们能在这个问题上取得一致意见吗？
• What is the consensus of opinion at the afternoon meeting?下午会议上一致的意见是什么？