经济学人:再生能源目标:用绿色来转移注意力(2)

 Moreover, cleaning up electricity is only part of the battle. 此外，清洁电力只是斗争的一部分。

Even though gas-fired heating and cooking can be at least as big a source of greenhouse-gas emissions¹, renewable heating gets minuscule² attention. 尽管燃气取暖和烹饪至少是温室气体排放的一大源头，但是可再生能源供热还是得到极少被关注。

Transport policy is erratic³, too. 交通政策也有点古怪。

Carmakers may hit their goal of annual sales of 10m electric vehicles in a decade, but battery-powered road haulage, shipping⁴ and aviation are dreams. 汽车制造商可能会实现在十年之内每年销售一千万辆电动车的目标，但是电池驱动的道路运输，海运和航空则成了梦想。

A much-quoted claim that America could rely on wind, solar and hydro alone for its electricity has recently been witheringly criticised by a group of respected academics. 一份被广泛引述的声明称，美国可能仅仅依靠依赖风能，太阳能和水利发电，因为它的电力最近受到一群令人尊敬的学者难堪地批判。

Most important, a 100% renewables target confuses means with ends. 最重要的是，一个100%的可再生目标混淆本末。

The priority for the planet is to stop net emissions of greenhouse gases, especially carbon dioxide. 需要优先考虑地是停止地球上的温室气体排放，尤其是二氧化碳的排放。

Putting too much emphasis on wind, solar and other renewables may block off better carbon-reduction paths. 将太多重点放在风能，太阳能和其它的可再生能源上可能会阻挡更好的碳减排途径。

After decades of investment, it is wrong to leave nuclear power off the table. 经过几十年的调查，停止核能是不对的。

Carbon emissions in Germany actually rose because it chose to phase outnuclear power and so burned more coal. 在德国，碳排放增多了，是因为国家选择逐步淘汰核能，所以烧了更多的煤。

New technologies, such as “direct air capture” systems designed to separate carbon dioxide from the air, may in time prove vital. 就像“直接捕获空气”的系统设计是为了将二氧化碳从空气中分离，新技术可能是至关重要的。

Likewise, greater energy efficiency could reduce emissions by even more than deploying⁵ renewables would. 同样的，更高的能源效率可以降低排放量，甚至多于发展可再生能源后减少的排放量。

Indians last year consumed twice as much energy from newly installed air conditioners as they produced from new solar farms. 去年，印度人新安装的空调消耗了两倍的能量，因为它们产自新的太阳能农场。

More accurate metering of energy consumption could encourage companies and households to rein⁶ in power demand. 更准确的能耗计量可能会鼓励公司和家庭控制电力需求。

It would be better, as the Paris agreement urges, for countries to focus on reductions in emissions rather than to set goals for renewable energy. 如巴黎协定要求的那样，国家致力于减少排放量，而不是订立可再生能源的目标，这样更好。

Global emissions have stabilised in the past three years, which is encouraging. 在过去的三年里全球排放量已经稳定了，这是鼓舞人心的。

But to stand a chance of mitigating⁷ global warming, they must start falling sharply and keep doing so for decades. 但是为了有机会减轻全球变暖，它们必须开始急剧减少，并且这样保持几十年。

The world will move in that direction with the help of wind and solar. 这个世界会在风能和太阳能的帮助下朝着那个方向前进。

It will not get there without big advances on every other front as well. 没有其他各个方面的巨大进步，它也不会到达。

 

1 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。

2 minuscule   

adj.非常小的；极不重要的

参考例句：

• The human race only a minuscule portion of the earth's history.人类只有占有极小部分地球历史。
• As things stand,Hong Kong's renminbi banking system is minuscule.就目前的情况而言，香港的人民币银行体系可谓微不足道。

3 erratic   

adj.古怪的，反复无常的，不稳定的

参考例句：

• The old man had always been cranky and erratic.那老头儿性情古怪,反复无常。
• The erratic fluctuation of market prices is in consequence of unstable economy.经济波动致使市场物价忽起忽落。

4 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。

5 deploying   

（尤指军事行动）使展开( deploy的现在分词 )； 施展； 部署； 有效地利用

参考例句：

• Provides support for developing and deploying distributed, component-based applications. 为开发和部署基于组件的分布式应用程序提供支持。
• Advertisement, publishing, repair, and install-on-demand are all available when deploying your application. 在部署应用程序时提供公布、发布、修复和即需即装功能。

6 rein   

n.疆绳，统治，支配；vt.以僵绳控制，统治

参考例句：

• The horse answered to the slightest pull on the rein.只要缰绳轻轻一拉,马就作出反应。
• He never drew rein for a moment till he reached the river.他一刻不停地一直跑到河边。

7 mitigating   

v.减轻，缓和( mitigate的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Are there any mitigating circumstances in this case ? 本案中是否有任何情况可以减轻被告的罪行？ 来自辞典例句
• A sentencing judge is required to consider any mitigating circumstances befor imposing the death penalty. 在处死刑之前，要求量刑法官必须考虑是否有任何减轻罪行之情节。 来自口语例句