VOA标准英语2011--Pacific Northwest Looks to Jump-Start Gr

Pacific Northwest Looks to Jump-Start Green Jet Fuel Industry

The U.S. Navy's F-18 fighter planes ran test flights last year using jet fuel partially¹ made from plant oils. In May the U.S. Air Force's famed Thunderbirds unit of F-16 fighter/bombers became the first aerial demonstration² team to fly on so-called biofuel.
Also this year successful tests were conducted with the Air Force's big C-17 transport aircraft.
Emerging biojet fuel market
These biofuel test runs are signs of an emerging market, according to the new report released by a private consortium called Sustainable Aviation Fuels Northwest, which supports a renewable jet fuel industry in America's Pacific Northwest.
The report says running a jet engine on a blend of biofuel, which is an alcohol refined from plants such as algae³, maize⁴ or soybeans is much less polluting, and less costly⁵, than using pure petroleum⁶-based fuel.
And using biofuels more extensively in aircraft could reduce U.S. dependence⁷ on foreign petroleum and protect airline companies, in particular, from volatility⁸ in the fuel market.
Keith Loveless, a vice⁹ president with Alaska Airlines, says his company saw a 47 percent hike in aircraft fuel prices this year.
"Other airlines have had even worse effects. The wild swings and prices have resulted in the loss of hundreds and thousands of jobs in our industry."
Jump-starting the industry
Loveless says unlike other industries, aviation has limited alternatives to improve energy efficiency or stabilize¹⁰ cost.
"We don't have anything like an electric car that's out there. You are not going to see solar panels on wings any time soon so we really need to prioritize the application of sustainable biofuels to the aviation sector¹¹."
The report finds the Pacific Northwest is a good place for a renewable jet fuel industry because many airline companies and airplane manufacturers, such as Boeing, are based there.
And, report co-author Patrick Mazza with the environmental group Climate Solutions says the region has a wide variety of biomass resources to choose from.
"Unlike our current bio-fuel industry which largely relies on two crops - corn and soy beans - we're talking about a whole range of feed stocks sources including oil seed crops, algae and forest residues¹²."
The new report envisions a supply chain of growers to produce biomass, refineries¹³ to make the fuel and a market of airline companies to purchase it.
John Plaza¹⁴ is the founder¹⁵ and chief executive officer of Imperium Renewables.
Since its launch in 2004, the company has become one of the largest independent bio-diesel producers in the United States. Its refinery¹⁶ has the capacity to produce 400 million liters (100 million gallons) of bio-diesel fuel a year.
Plaza says Imperium is ready to be a major supplier of sustainable jet fuel.
"Imperium is focused on building that technology at our existing bio-diesel plant and adding on to the facility's capabilities¹⁷. So in other words, we are not talking about converting bio-diesel. We're talking about building additional capacity at our existing facility and using much of the infrastructure¹⁸ that's there, for example, the storage and the logistics that we have with shipping¹⁹ and rail and truck."
Plaza says biofuels have met rigorous tests for use in military and commercial aircraft. To forge ahead and build a jet-fuel industry, he believes new federal energy policies and production incentives²⁰ will be needed.
"And I think that that is really the next step is getting federal support in the realm of long-term policy and ideally purchase commitments from the Department of Defense²¹ for these type of fuels to allow for the investors²² to feel comfortable that this is a credible²³, solid business that they will get a return on."
Seeking government support
Washington State representative Jay Inslee has introduced a law in Congress that would extend those Department of Defense contracts from five to 15 years.
"This should be a totally bi-partisan issue.This is good for national security.This is good for economic growth. I'm hopeful on this long-term contract issue that we get this done this year.I'm hopeful."
Experts predict the potential biofuel market in the United States could be 76 trillion liters a year, supplying both military and commercial aircraft. The Boeing Company's vice president for environment and aviation policy,
Billy Glover, hopes renewables can capture at least one percent of that market within five years. "We've set that as a near term target. But the first one percent is the hardest one percent." And, Glover adds, from there it's a matter of scaling up to grow the market, with a model that can meet the demand for jet biofuel not only in the United States but around the world.

1 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。

2 demonstration   

n.表明，示范，论证，示威

参考例句：

• His new book is a demonstration of his patriotism.他写的新书是他的爱国精神的证明。
• He gave a demonstration of the new technique then and there.他当场表演了这种新的操作方法。

3 algae   

n.水藻，海藻

参考例句：

• Most algae live in water.多数藻类生长在水中。
• Algae grow and spread quickly in the lake.湖中水藻滋蔓。

4 maize   

n.玉米

参考例句：

• There's a field planted with maize behind the house.房子后面有一块玉米地。
• We can grow sorghum or maize on this plot.这块地可以种高粱或玉米。

5 costly   

adj.昂贵的，价值高的，豪华的

参考例句：

• It must be very costly to keep up a house like this.维修这么一幢房子一定很昂贵。
• This dictionary is very useful,only it is a bit costly.这本词典很有用，左不过贵了些。

6 petroleum   

n.原油，石油

参考例句：

• The Government of Iran advanced the price of petroleum last week.上星期伊朗政府提高了石油价格。
• The purpose of oil refinery is to refine crude petroleum.炼油厂的主要工作是提炼原油。

7 dependence   

n.依靠，依赖；信任，信赖；隶属

参考例句：

• Doctors keep trying to break her dependence of the drug.医生们尽力使她戒除毒瘾。
• He was freed from financial dependence on his parents.他在经济上摆脱了对父母的依赖。

8 volatility   

n.挥发性，挥发度，轻快，（性格）反复无常

参考例句：

• That was one reason why volatility was so low last year.这也是去年波动性如此低的原因之一。
• Yet because volatility remained low for so long,disaster myopia prevailed.然而，由于相当长的时间里波动性小，灾难短视就获胜了。

9 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

10 stabilize   

vt.（使）稳定，使稳固，使稳定平衡；vi.稳定

参考例句：

• They are eager to stabilize currencies.他们急于稳定货币。
• His blood pressure tended to stabilize.他的血压趋向稳定。

11 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。

12 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

13 refineries   

精炼厂( refinery的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The efforts on closedown and suspension of small sugar refineries, small saccharin refineries and small paper mills are also being carried out in steps. 关停小糖厂、小糖精厂、小造纸厂的工作也已逐步展开。
• Hence the sitting of refineries is at a distance from population centres. 所以，炼油厂的厂址总在远离人口集中的地方。

14 plaza   

n.广场，市场

参考例句：

• They designated the new shopping centre York Plaza.他们给这个新购物中心定名为约克购物中心。
• The plaza is teeming with undercover policemen.这个广场上布满了便衣警察。

15 Founder   

n.创始者，缔造者

参考例句：

• He was extolled as the founder of their Florentine school.他被称颂为佛罗伦萨画派的鼻祖。
• According to the old tradition,Romulus was the founder of Rome.按照古老的传说，罗穆卢斯是古罗马的建国者。

16 refinery   

n.精炼厂，提炼厂

参考例句：

• They built a sugar refinery.他们建起了一座榨糖厂。
• The purpose of oil refinery is to refine crude petroleum.炼油厂的主要工作是提炼原油。

17 capabilities   

n.能力( capability的名词复数 )；可能；容量；[复数]潜在能力

参考例句：

• He was somewhat pompous and had a high opinion of his own capabilities. 他有点自大，自视甚高。 来自辞典例句
• Some programmers use tabs to break complex product capabilities into smaller chunks. 一些程序员认为，标签可以将复杂的功能分为每个窗格一组简单的功能。 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓

18 infrastructure   

n.下部构造，下部组织，基础结构，基础设施

参考例句：

• We should step up the development of infrastructure for research.加强科学基础设施建设。
• We should strengthen cultural infrastructure and boost various types of popular culture.加强文化基础设施建设，发展各类群众文化。

19 shipping   

n.船运（发货，运输，乘船）

参考例句：

• We struck a bargain with an American shipping firm.我们和一家美国船运公司谈成了一笔生意。
• There's a shipping charge of ￡5 added to the price.价格之外另加五英镑运输费。

20 incentives   

激励某人做某事的事物( incentive的名词复数 )； 刺激； 诱因； 动机

参考例句：

• tax incentives to encourage savings 鼓励储蓄的税收措施
• Furthermore, subsidies provide incentives only for investments in equipment. 更有甚者，提供津贴仅是为鼓励增添设备的投资。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法

21 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

22 investors   

n.投资者，出资者( investor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• a con man who bilked investors out of millions of dollars 诈取投资者几百万元的骗子
• a cash bonanza for investors 投资者的赚钱机会

23 credible   

adj.可信任的，可靠的

参考例句：

• The news report is hardly credible.这则新闻报道令人难以置信。
• Is there a credible alternative to the nuclear deterrent?是否有可以取代核威慑力量的可靠办法？