VOA标准英语2009年-Global Warming Reductions Could Benefi

Rosanne Skirble 03 December 2009

Increased walking and cycling will benefit health and climate more than lower emission¹ vehicles

Driving less, walking more, reducing household energy use and modifying diets can lessen² the impact of global warming and improve our lives.  A series of articles published in the British journal The Lancet, highlights the health benefits that derive³ from cutting carbon emissions⁴ in four areas that include household energy use, transportation, electricity generation and agriculture. 

 

Fighting pollution and saving millions of lives

In each case, the articles compare business-as-usual scenarios⁵ with those that reach the emissions targets scientists say must be met to avert⁶ the devastating⁷ impacts of climate change.   Research for "The Lancet Health and Climate Change" series was conducted by an international team of scientists led by Andrew Haines, director of the London School of Hygiene⁸ and Tropical Medicine.

Cooking over an open fire, a common practice in developing countries, raises the risk of heart and respiratory problems

In the household energy study, for example, the authors predict dramatic health benefits with the introduction of 150 million clean-burning cook stoves in India.  Haines says the initiative cuts emissions, lowers health costs and saves lives. "By 2020 we would avoid roughly 30 percent of the deaths from acute respiratory infections and from chronic⁹ airways¹⁰ disease and a smaller proportion of deaths from ischemic heart disease," Haines says. He adds the program would avert two million deaths.

 

Less driving reduces pollution - and heart attacks

In the transportation study, authors focused on London, England and Delhi, India.  Both showed substantial health gains from increased walking and cycling and reduced driving.  The researchers found the strategy lowered the rate of heart attacks and strokes by 10-20 percent and depression by 5 percent.

The third paper in the series looks at case studies of renewable electric power generation in the European Union, China and India, where Haines says a move to wind power or other alternative sources of energy, would avert 90,000 premature¹¹ deaths in India, 60,000 in China and 10,000 in European Union nations. "The reason for that is that levels of air pollution in India and China are higher than those in the EU. So, if you reduce the levels of air pollution further, by moving towards these new technologies, then obviously you are going to reduce the deaths further," Haines says.

While the initial costs of these energy initiatives might be high, the authors conclude expenses would be partially¹² offset¹³ by health gains and fuel savings¹⁴.

Study finds dual¹⁵ climate and health benefits for agriculture

 

The Lancet series also addresses emission reduction strategies in agriculture, which produces 10-12 percent of global warming emissions.

A study of the livestock¹⁶ industries in Brazil and England concludes that a 30 percent reduction in meat animal production that was matched with a 30 percent reduction in consumption of animal products would not only slow climate change but also prevent diet-related deaths.  Haines says the study focused on the links between heart disease and diets high in saturated¹⁷ animal fat. "There would be substantial benefits in the UK, perhaps a 15 percent reduction. In Sao Paulo something about the same in the burden of disease, and that would translate into about 18,000 premature deaths averted¹⁸ in the UK and about 1,000 in Sao Palo [each year]."  Haines adds that the public health benefits would have been even greater had the authors also included obesity¹⁹ and diet-related cancers.

Author concludes reducing global warming is a good investment

Richard Horton, editor of The Lancet, says the articles seek to strengthen the case for bold steps to reduce emissions by policy makers²⁰ and negotiators in Copenhagen.  Until now, he says, action on climate change has been stalled because of the perception that such efforts would mean unacceptable loss on many levels.  "A loss economically because there has to be so much investment, a loss in freedom in lifestyles that people have grown accustomed to, and a loss for people in low-to-middle income countries because maybe their trajectory²¹ for development has to slow or grow in a different direction."

Horton says the way the climate change discussion has been framed politically is wrong.  The series seeks to show that aggressively addressing climate change can produce a net gain for individuals, households and families. "Then you can begin to see an incredible political motivation for acting," he says. 

This new perspective, Horton adds, can help build public support for the otherwise unpalatable and politically difficult choices necessary to mitigate²² global climate change.

1 emission   

n.发出物，散发物；发出，散发

参考例句：

• Rigorous measures will be taken to reduce the total pollutant emission.采取严格有力措施，降低污染物排放总量。
• Finally,the way to effectively control particulate emission is pointed out.最后，指出有效降低颗粒排放的方向。

2 lessen   

vt.减少，减轻；缩小

参考例句：

• Regular exercise can help to lessen the pain.经常运动有助于减轻痛感。
• They've made great effort to lessen the noise of planes.他们尽力减小飞机的噪音。

3 derive   

v.取得；导出；引申；来自；源自；出自

参考例句：

• We derive our sustenance from the land.我们从土地获取食物。
• We shall derive much benefit from reading good novels.我们将从优秀小说中获得很大好处。

4 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。

5 scenarios   

n.[意]情节；剧本；事态；脚本

参考例句：

• Further, graphite cores may be safer than non-graphite cores under some accident scenarios. 再者，根据一些事故解说，石墨堆芯可比非石墨堆芯更安全一些。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法
• Again, scenarios should make it clear which modes are acceptable to users in various contexts. 同样，我们可以运用场景剧本来搞清楚在不同情境下哪些模式可被用户接受。 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓

6 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。

7 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。

8 hygiene   

n.健康法，卫生学 （a.hygienic）

参考例句：

• Their course of study includes elementary hygiene and medical theory.他们的课程包括基础卫生学和医疗知识。
• He's going to give us a lecture on public hygiene.他要给我们作关于公共卫生方面的报告。

9 chronic   

adj.(疾病)长期未愈的，慢性的；极坏的

参考例句：

• Famine differs from chronic malnutrition.饥荒不同于慢性营养不良。
• Chronic poisoning may lead to death from inanition.慢性中毒也可能由虚弱导致死亡。

10 AIRWAYS   

航空公司

参考例句：

• The giant jets that increasingly dominate the world's airways. 越来越称雄于世界航线的巨型喷气机。
• At one point the company bought from Nippon Airways a 727 jet. 有一次公司从日本航空公司买了一架727型喷气机。

11 premature   

adj.比预期时间早的；不成熟的，仓促的

参考例句：

• It is yet premature to predict the possible outcome of the dialogue.预言这次对话可能有什么结果为时尚早。
• The premature baby is doing well.那个早产的婴儿很健康。

12 partially   

adv.部分地，从某些方面讲

参考例句：

• The door was partially concealed by the drapes.门有一部分被门帘遮住了。
• The police managed to restore calm and the curfew was partially lifted.警方设法恢复了平静，宵禁部分解除。

13 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。

14 savings   

n.存款，储蓄

参考例句：

• I can't afford the vacation,for it would eat up my savings.我度不起假，那样会把我的积蓄用光的。
• By this time he had used up all his savings.到这时，他的存款已全部用完。

15 dual   

adj.双的；二重的，二元的

参考例句：

• The people's Republic of China does not recognize dual nationality for any Chinese national.中华人民共和国不承认中国公民具有双重国籍。
• He has dual role as composer and conductor.他兼作曲家及指挥的双重身分。

16 livestock   

n.家畜，牲畜

参考例句：

• Both men and livestock are flourishing.人畜两旺。
• The heavy rains and flooding killed scores of livestock.暴雨和大水淹死了许多牲口。

17 saturated   

a.饱和的，充满的

参考例句：

• The continuous rain had saturated the soil. 连绵不断的雨把土地淋了个透。
• a saturated solution of sodium chloride 氯化钠饱和溶液

18 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。

19 obesity   

n.肥胖，肥大

参考例句：

• One effect of overeating may be obesity.吃得过多能导致肥胖。
• Sugar and fat can more easily lead to obesity than some other foods.糖和脂肪比其他食物更容易导致肥胖。

20 makers   

n.制造者，制造商（maker的复数形式）

参考例句：

• The makers of the product assured us that there had been no sacrifice of quality. 这一产品的制造商向我们保证说他们没有牺牲质量。
• The makers are about to launch out a new product. 制造商们马上要生产一种新产品。 来自《简明英汉词典》

21 trajectory   

n.弹道，轨道

参考例句：

• It is not difficult to sketch the subsequent trajectory.很容易描绘出它们最终的轨迹。
• The path followed by a projectile is called its trajectory.抛物体所循的路径称为它的轨道。

22 mitigate   

vt.（使）减轻，（使）缓和

参考例句：

• The government is trying to mitigate the effects of inflation.政府正试图缓和通货膨胀的影响。
• Governments should endeavour to mitigate distress.政府应努力缓解贫困问题。