密歇根新闻广播 过去15年美国秃鹰的数量翻了一倍

After nearly going extinct, the bald eagle population across the United States has been recovering. In Michigan, the number of nesting pairs of bald eagles in Michigan has doubled in the past 15 years.

Heather Good is the executive director of the Michigan Audubon Society. Good joined Stateside to talk about the bald eagle's recovery, and new challenges facing the birds of prey¹ today.

Good says even after the passage of the Bald Eagle Protection Act in 1940, the widespread use of pesticides² like DDT decimated Bald Eagle populations in Michigan. She says DDT bio-accumulates in animals like fish (a favorite food of Bald Eagles), and causes problems.

"In general … [DDT] can cause deformities, neurological damage, brittle³ eggs, or just the eggs wouldn’t hatch," Good said. "In the case of the bald eagle, it could impact their breeding season. They might not breed, or their breeding would be delayed."

Good says there were at one point fewer than 40 pairs of nesting eagles. Nowadays, it’s more than 800.

There are lasting⁴ effects of pollution from PCBs and lead. President Donald Trump’s interior secretary recently rescinded⁵ an Obama-era rule banning lead shot for shotgun shells and lead sinkers used in fishing.

Listen to the full interview to hear how lasting effects from pollutants⁶ like PCBs, lead and mercury which Good says still pose a "substantial threat" to bald eagle populations in Michigan.

1 prey   

n.被掠食者，牺牲者，掠食；v.捕食，掠夺，折磨

参考例句：

• Stronger animals prey on weaker ones.弱肉强食。
• The lion was hunting for its prey.狮子在寻找猎物。

2 pesticides   

n.杀虫剂( pesticide的名词复数 )；除害药物

参考例句：

• vegetables grown without the use of pesticides 未用杀虫剂种植的蔬菜
• There is a lot of concern over the amount of herbicides and pesticides used in farming. 人们对农业上灭草剂和杀虫剂的用量非常担忧。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 brittle   

adj.易碎的；脆弱的；冷淡的；(声音)尖利的

参考例句：

• The pond was covered in a brittle layer of ice.池塘覆盖了一层易碎的冰。
• She gave a brittle laugh.她冷淡地笑了笑。

4 lasting   

adj.永久的，永恒的；vbl.持续，维持

参考例句：

• The lasting war debased the value of the dollar.持久的战争使美元贬值。
• We hope for a lasting settlement of all these troubles.我们希望这些纠纷能获得永久的解决。

5 rescinded   

v.废除，取消( rescind的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Rescinded civil acts shall be null and void from the very beginning. 被撤销的民事行为从行为开始起无效。 来自互联网
• They accepted his advice and rescinded the original plan. 他们听从了他的劝告，撤销了原计划。 来自互联网

6 pollutants   

污染物质（尤指工业废物）( pollutant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Pollutants are constantly being released into the atmosphere. 污染物质正在不断地被排放到大气中去。
• The 1987 Amendments limit 301(g) discharges to a few well-studied nonconventional pollutants. 1987年的修正案把第301条（g）的普通排放限制施加在一些认真研究过的几种非常规污染物上。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法