2007年VOA标准英语-Green Seal Program Certifies Eco-Friendly Produ

By Mike O'Sullivan
Los Angeles
05 July 2007

Many consumers are concerned about the environment, and environmental organizations are helping¹ them make choices about how to spend their money.  VOA's Mike O'Sullivan spoke² with the president and chief executive of one environmental group, Arthur Weissman of Green Seal, which offers consumers advice about eco-friendly products and services.

Some three dozen organizations around the world certify³ products or commercial services as environmentally friendly.  In the United States, a government program called Energy Star evaluates products based on their energy efficiency.  Green Seal, a private program, certifies⁴ products and services based on their total impact on the environment.

Arthur Weissman, Green Seal's president and chief executive, says the organization works with individual companies, large institutions and individual sectors⁵, such as lodging⁶ and film and television production.

Arthur Weissman

"We have a whole green lodging program based on a standard for how a hotel operates," he said.  "We have worked in the past with the Hollywood industry.  In the mid-1990s, we developed an online environmental production guide for them.  And now we're looking into the possibility of developing an environmental standard for TV and move production."

He says Green Seal evaluates a wide range of products, from coffee filters to cleaning agents, from air conditioners to windows and doors.  He says the organization's staff members do a comprehensive study.

"We use what is called the life cycle approach to evaluate a product or service looking at how that product comes into being from the raw materials that it's made from, and its manufacturing," he added.  "And then, any transportation issues that are related to the manufacturing and distribution of the product.  And then the use phase, which in some products is the primary area of inspection⁷."

Finally, he says evaluators look at the disposal process.  He says the evaluation⁸ requires balancing many factors before the organization can make a recommendation.   He cites the case of fluorescent⁹ lamps, which are energy-efficient, but contain a toxic¹⁰ element.

"And that is mercury," he added.  "But they contain it in a very small amount, and it's required right now for the operation of a fluorescent lamp."

Still, he says, fluorescent lamps are better than older, incandescent¹¹ lamps, because the incandescents use more power, and cause more mercury to be released into the atmosphere from coal-fired power plants.  He says, in the larger context, the older lamps are less efficient and more polluting.

Weissman says Green Seal helps companies, government agencies and international institutions as they work to reduce their environmental impact.

"Because they have a big impact on the environment, and we're trying to help them green their operations, green their purchasing, green their facilities management," he explained.  "And so we have worked with many federal, state and local agencies.  We have worked with private entities¹² like the World Bank, the University of Miami, Harvard University coming up, to try to help them reduce their imprint¹³, or make their operations more sustainable."

Green Seal is a non-profit organization and its program is voluntary.  Companies pay a fee for the research and certification, and if their product or service is approved, they can use the Green Seal logo, together with a description of what it means.  Weissman says the process helps consumers make informed decisions that protect the environment.

1 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

2 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

3 certify   

vt.证明，证实；发证书(或执照)给

参考例句：

• I can certify to his good character.我可以证明他品德好。
• This swimming certificate is to certify that I can swim one hundred meters.这张游泳证是用以证明我可以游100米远。

4 certifies   

（尤指书面）证明( certify的第三人称单数 )； 发证书给…； 证明（某人）患有精神病； 颁发（或授予）专业合格证书

参考例句：

• Authority certifies the identity of sites on the internet. 权威负责向Internet网站授予其标识。
• The paper then certifies this algorithm by infrared image processing. 并且文中使用红外图像对这个算法进行了验证。

5 sectors   

n.部门( sector的名词复数 )；领域；防御地区；扇形

参考例句：

• Berlin was divided into four sectors after the war. 战后柏林分成了4 个区。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Industry and agriculture are the two important sectors of the national economy. 工业和农业是国民经济的两个重要部门。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

6 lodging   

n.寄宿，住所；(大学生的)校外宿舍

参考例句：

• The bill is inclusive of the food and lodging. 账单包括吃、住费用。
• Where can you find lodging for the night? 你今晚在哪里借宿?

7 inspection   

n.检查，审查，检阅

参考例句：

• On random inspection the meat was found to be bad.经抽查，发现肉变质了。
• The soldiers lined up for their daily inspection by their officers.士兵们列队接受军官的日常检阅。

8 evaluation   

n.估价，评价；赋值

参考例句：

• I attempted an honest evaluation of my own life.我试图如实地评价我自己的一生。
• The new scheme is still under evaluation.新方案还在评估阶段。

9 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。

10 toxic   

adj.有毒的，因中毒引起的

参考例句：

• The factory had accidentally released a quantity of toxic waste into the sea.这家工厂意外泄漏大量有毒废物到海中。
• There is a risk that toxic chemicals might be blasted into the atmosphere.爆炸后有毒化学物质可能会进入大气层。

11 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。

12 entities   

实体对像； 实体，独立存在体，实际存在物( entity的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Our newspaper and our printing business form separate corporate entities. 我们的报纸和印刷业形成相对独立的企业实体。
• The North American continent is made up of three great structural entities. 北美大陆是由三个构造单元组成的。

13 imprint   

n.印痕，痕迹；深刻的印象；vt.压印，牢记

参考例句：

• That dictionary is published under the Longman imprint.那本词典以朗曼公司的名义出版。
• Her speech left its imprint on me.她的演讲给我留下了深刻印象。