VOA慢速英语2010年-Agriculture Report - New Alliance to S

This is the VOA Special English Agriculture Report.

Experts say that agriculture provides fourteen percent of the world's greenhouse gas emissions¹ each year. The gases released include carbon dioxide, a major cause of global warming.

Twenty-one nations around the world recently joined forces to better understand and prevent greenhouse gas emissions from farms. The Global Research Alliance² on Agricultural Greenhouse Gases was launched at the United Nations conference on climate change.

The meeting took place in Copenhagen, Denmark last month.

Milk cows at a farm outside Jerome, Idaho

Agricultural experts blame a number of farm activities for producing greenhouse gases. For example, animal waste and cattle digestive systems release methane³ gas. Fertilized⁴ soil and the burning of crop waste also release harmful gases into the air. Experts say some methods of tilling -- turning the soil to prepare for planting – also release harmful carbon dioxide.

An official of the European Commission's Directorate General for Research says agricultural greenhouse gas emissions can be cut. Maive Rute suggests feeding animals a diet designed to reduce emissions.

The new agricultural research group says protecting against global warming is only part of its purpose. It says the world also needs to develop better farming methods to feed growing populations in poor countries.

United States Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said no one single nation can fight agricultural greenhouse gas emissions and increase food production at the same time. This is why the alliance is important for combining resources and finding new ones.

The United States Department of Agriculture will increase spending on farm emissions research by ninety million dollars over the next four years. The total will reach one hundred thirty million dollars. The U.S.D.A. will share the research with other countries in the Global Research Alliance on Agricultural Greenhouse Gases.

The U.S.D.A. will support researchers from developing countries that belong to the alliance. Money from the Borlaug Fellowship⁵ program will let the researchers study agricultural climate change with American scientists.

Mister Vilsack said that just as climate change has no borders, there should be no borders for research.

And that's the VOA Special English Agriculture Report, written by Jerilyn Watson. You can comment on our programs at voaspecialenglish.com. I'm Steve Ember.

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 alliance   

n.同盟，同盟国，结盟，联姻

参考例句：

• China will not enter into alliance with any big power.中国不同任何大国结盟。
• The new alliance was very much in evidence.新的联盟上星期很引人注目。

3 methane   

n.甲烷，沼气

参考例句：

• The blast was caused by pockets of methane gas that ignited.爆炸是由数袋甲烷气体着火引起的。
• Methane may have extraterrestrial significance.甲烷具有星际意义。

4 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。

5 fellowship   

n.伙伴关系，团体，奖学金，研究员职位

参考例句：

• You'll lose your fellowship if you do that.你如果做那件事就会丧失研究员职位。
• It looks that they'll be admitted to the fellowship.看来他们要被吸收入会了。