VOA标准英语2010年-Agriculture Seeks Bigger Role in Clima

When the world's biggest polluters gathered this past December at the U.N. Climate Summit in Copenhagen, they managed to forge a non-binding agreement that could help put the brakes on global warming. The 12-paragraph document outlines a way to move forward on climate changing emissions² reductions, verification, deforestation and finance. 

Poor people in rural areas of the developing world are expected to be hardest hit by climate change. Conference goers in Copenhagen lobbied for a greater role for agriculture in the negotiations³, especially the small land holder⁴

The director of the U.S. Agriculture Department's Climate Change Program, Bill Hohenstein, sums up how agriculture faired. "[It was] more so than any meeting that I've been at. Not just within the rooms, but also in the corridors and in the hallways and in the side events."

The warming temperatures, increased rainfall, droughts and floods resulting from industrial emissions threaten to disrupt farming systems around the world, with developing nations expected to fare the worst. The most immediate⁵ agriculture issues brought to Copenhagen focused on food security, carbon emission¹ curbs⁶ and farming-system adaptation in the face of climate change.

On the one hand, the sector⁷ contributes 14 percent of global warming emissions largely from crop residues⁸, decaying manure⁹ and fertilized¹⁰ soils. On the other hand, farmers are faced with the dilemma¹¹ of the need to increase food production as populations grow, a move that can lead to deforestation.

World Resources Institute President Jonathan Lash¹² says among the most positive outcomes of the non-binding Copenhagen Accord was its support for REDD, an acronym¹³ for the U.N.'s Program for Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation¹⁴. "In Copenhagen, a plus was clearly added which extends this regime also to cover reforestation, that is the other 50 percent of the land that was once forest."

The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced in Copenhagen that U.S. dairy farmers would reduce climate changing emissions by 25 percent by 2020. Agriculture is responsible for 14 percent of global greenhouse emissions, 8 percent in the United States

Lash says that REDD brings large deforested nations like China, India and South Africa into play. "It restores water flows, provides jobs and improves ecosystems¹⁵." Lash adds degraded lands also open up the carbon trading market. Gerald Nelson, senior research fellow with the International Food Policy Research Institute says work needs to be done to ensure that agriculture is part of the trading scheme. "[We need to figure out] ways by which people who are interested in buying carbon credits can pay for activities in the developing world that can help small farmers and supports soil carbon in particular or agro-forestry practices."

Countries that signed the Copenhagen Accord are expected to submit pledges for carbon emissions reductions by the end of the January. Advocates at the meeting want agriculture to figure in the language and substance of those actions. 

Soil scientist Ron Follett examines a soil profile beneath a native grassland¹⁶ site near Woodward, Oklahoma, before collecting samples for soil carbon analysis. USDA will commit up to $90 million dollars to Global Research Alliance to share results from studies

Although not part of the Copenhagen Accord or negotiations, one of the biggest steps forward in Copenhagen was the announcement of the Global Research Alliance on Agriculture and Greenhouse Gas Emissions. Twenty-one nations pledged $150 million to the effort, which USDA's Bill Hohenstein says is focused on better understanding and controlling greenhouse gas emissions from farms. He says the alliance would coordinate¹⁷ programs and research on livestock¹⁸, croplands and rice. "We would then identify countries who could help coordinate those efforts to identify the technical experts, get them together and work on the substantive¹⁹ priorities in terms of developing technologies and practices to reduce emissions or increase sequestration within those critical work areas."

Hohenstein says the new Alliance will help set priorities and define roles for the international research agencies, private sector and commodity groups. 

Investing in improved varieties of pearl millet²⁰ and sorghum²¹ has helped to significantly reduce food security in India's arid²² and semi-arid tropics

Gerald Nelson with the International Food Policy Research Institute says as countries work together on shared problems the results may be incorporated into future climate treaty negotiations.     

Experts say farming systems must be better managed, even as farmers take steps to adapt, as well as they can, to the earth's changing climate. The Global Research Alliance countries plan to meet in a few months to advance this agenda.

 

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 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 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。

4 holder   

n.持有者，占有者；(台，架等)支持物

参考例句：

• The holder of the office of chairman is reponsible for arranging meetings.担任主席职位的人负责安排会议。
• That runner is the holder of the world record for the hundred-yard dash.那位运动员是一百码赛跑世界纪录的保持者。

5 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

6 curbs   

v.限制，克制，抑制( curb的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• In executing his functions he is not bound by any legal curbs on his power. 在他履行职务时，他的权力是不受任何法律约束的。 来自辞典例句
• Curbs on air travel were being worked out and would shortly be announced. 限制航空旅行的有关规定正在拟定中，不久即将公布。 来自辞典例句

7 sector   

n.部门，部分；防御地段，防区；扇形

参考例句：

• The export sector will aid the economic recovery. 出口产业将促进经济复苏。
• The enemy have attacked the British sector.敌人已进攻英国防区。

8 residues   

n.剩余，余渣( residue的名词复数 )；剩余财产；剩数

参考例句：

• pesticide residues in fruit and vegetables 残留在水果和蔬菜中的杀虫剂
• All organic and metallic residues on the wafers must be removed. 片子上所有的有机和金属残留物均必须清除。 来自辞典例句

9 manure   

n.粪，肥，肥粒；vt.施肥

参考例句：

• The farmers were distributing manure over the field.农民们正在田间施肥。
• The farmers used manure to keep up the fertility of their land.农夫们用粪保持其土质的肥沃。

10 Fertilized   

v.施肥( fertilize的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The study of psychology has recently been widely cross-fertilized by new discoveries in genetics. 心理学研究最近从遗传学的新发现中受益匪浅。
• Flowers are often fertilized by bees as they gather nectar. 花常在蜜蜂采蜜时受粉。

11 dilemma   

n.困境，进退两难的局面

参考例句：

• I am on the horns of a dilemma about the matter.这件事使我进退两难。
• He was thrown into a dilemma.他陷入困境。

12 lash   

v.系牢；鞭打；猛烈抨击；n.鞭打；眼睫毛

参考例句：

• He received a lash of her hand on his cheek.他突然被她打了一记耳光。
• With a lash of its tail the tiger leaped at her.老虎把尾巴一甩朝她扑过来。

13 acronym   

n.首字母简略词，简称

参考例句：

• That's a mouthful of an acronym for a very simple technology.对于一项非常简单的技术来说，这是一个很绕口的缩写词。
• TSDF is an acronym for Treatment, Storage and Disposal Facilities.TSDF是处理，储存和处置设施的一个缩写。

14 degradation   

n.降级；低落；退化；陵削；降解；衰变

参考例句：

• There are serious problems of land degradation in some arid zones.在一些干旱地带存在严重的土地退化问题。
• Gambling is always coupled with degradation.赌博总是与堕落相联系。

15 ecosystems   

n.生态系统( ecosystem的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• There are highly sensitive and delicately balanced ecosystems in the forest. 森林里有高度敏感、灵敏平衡的各种生态系统。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Madagascar's ecosystems range from rainforest to semi-desert. 马达加斯加生态系统类型多样，从雨林到半荒漠等不一而足。 来自辞典例句

16 grassland   

n.牧场，草地，草原

参考例句：

• There is a reach of grassland in the distance.远处是连绵一片的草原。
• The snowstorm swept the vast expanse of grassland.暴风雪袭击了辽阔的草原。

17 coordinate   

adj.同等的，协调的；n.同等者；vt.协作，协调

参考例句：

• You must coordinate what you said with what you did.你必须使你的言行一致。
• Maybe we can coordinate the relation of them.或许我们可以调和他们之间的关系。

18 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。

19 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。

20 millet   

n.小米，谷子

参考例句：

• Millet is cultivated in the middle or lower reaches of the Yellow River.在黄河中下游地区，人们种植谷子。
• The high quality millet flour was obtained through wet milling.采用湿磨法获得了高品质的小米粉。

21 sorghum   

n.高粱属的植物，高粱糖浆，甜得发腻的东西

参考例句：

• We can grow sorghum or maize on this plot.这块地可以种高粱或玉米。
• They made sorghum into pig feed.他们把高粱做成了猪饲料。

22 arid   

adj.干旱的；(土地)贫瘠的

参考例句：

• These trees will shield off arid winds and protect the fields.这些树能挡住旱风,保护农田。
• There are serious problems of land degradation in some arid zones.在一些干旱地带存在严重的土地退化问题。