气候斗争显示出俄勒冈州的政治分歧

Climate Fight Shows Political Divide in Oregon

Americans are divided on the issue of climate change. This divide is most apparent in Oregon, where state lawmakers had been considering a climate bill.

On one side are lawmakers representing cities, where many of the state’s liberals live. On the other side are lawmakers from conservative and economically depressed¹ rural areas.

Recently, 11 members of Oregon’s state senate led a nine-day walkout to deny the number of lawmakers needed to vote on the climate bill.

All 11 members belong to the Republican Party. Nine of them returned to the state senate on Saturday after learning that Democratic Party lawmakers did not have enough of their own votes to pass the bill.

On Saturday, senators voted 17-10 to kill the measure.

Most Senate Democrats² had supported the bill. Its aim was to cut production of carbon gases. The measure would have been the second law of its kind in the United States.

Actions surrounding the climate bill speak to larger political issues taking place in Oregon.

The climate bill story has received international attention, in part because some militias⁴ have supported the Republican senators.

Oregon’s political divisions

Experts say the senate protest was unavoidable given the state’s political divisions.

In recent years, Oregon has been known nationally as a liberal state. But though its cities are liberal, about 40 percent of people always vote Republican. Those voters live mainly in rural areas, says Priscilla Southwell, a professor at the University of Oregon.

“The reality is that it is a much more divided state than people realize,” she told The Associated Press (AP).

That political divide is also causing an economic divide. The city of Portland has grown, but huge parts of the state do not have enough money to keep public libraries open or staff police departments.

Logging was historically one of Oregon’s most profitable industries. But the industry has experienced cuts as a result of environmental restrictions⁵ and a changing world economy. Rural voters worried the climate legislation would cause the end of logging and trucking.

Bridger Hasbrouck is a self-employed logger in Dallas, Oregon. He said the climate bill would “ruin so many lives” and “put so many people out of work.” He told the AP that if the people he works for lose too much money, he would have to find different work.

The climate bill aimed to reduce carbon over 30 years by setting a limit on total carbon pollution and making companies buy or trade “allowances” within that limit. The method is known as cap and trade.

Democratic Senator Sara Gelser said the bill had taken many years to develop. She added that many Oregonian voters are unhappy with its defeat.

Senate Democrats said the legislation was critical to give Oregon a lead in the fight against climate change. They also said it would create jobs in the long-term and improve the economy.

Senate Republicans said the bill would kill jobs, raise the cost of fuel and other goods and hurt small businesses. They also said they had been left out of policy negotiations⁶, a claim the governor denies.

Chris Shortell leads Portland State University’s political science department. He said rural Oregonians feel their problems are not being heard but wrongly blame climate legislation. He offered such examples as militia³ groups like the Oregon Three Percenters.

Some worry the state’s climate divide could incite⁷ an anti-government movement in Oregon, like that of three years ago. In 2016, two militia members put together an armed takeover of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge.

In the recent political crisis, one militia group had offered to act as security to Republican senators. The Capitol was temporarily closed because of what police said was a real “militia threat.”

Eric Ward⁸ leads the Western States Center, a nonprofit group. He said extremist groups have expanded in Oregon over the past five years as rural voters grow more hopeless.

Ward said there are organizations and people who are taking leadership. “But that leadership is led by ... bigotry⁹ and threats of violence.”

Patty Limerick is with the Center of the American West at the University of Colorado, Boulder¹⁰. She said that, over the past 50 years, the rural U.S. West has seen big changes, such as federal protections for forests and animals.

Limerick added that sometimes, such big changes take time for people to accept. “And sometimes it takes a couple of centuries.”

For now, it’s unclear what will happen next.

I’m Bryan Lynn. And I’m Alice Bryant.

Words in This Story

walkout – n. the act of leaving a meeting or organization as a way of showing disapproval¹¹

staff – n. a group of people who work for an organization or business

logging – n. an industry that cuts down trees in an area for wood and paper products

allowance – n. an amount of something (such as time) that is allowed or available

bigotry – n. beliefs or acts of a person who hates or refuses to accept the members of a particular group of people

1 depressed   

adj.沮丧的，抑郁的，不景气的，萧条的

参考例句：

• When he was depressed,he felt utterly divorced from reality.他心情沮丧时就感到完全脱离了现实。
• His mother was depressed by the sad news.这个坏消息使他的母亲意志消沉。

2 democrats   

n.民主主义者，民主人士( democrat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Democrats held a pep rally on Capitol Hill yesterday. 民主党昨天在国会山召开了竞选誓师大会。
• The democrats organize a filibuster in the senate. 民主党党员组织了阻挠议事。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 militia   

n.民兵，民兵组织

参考例句：

• First came the PLA men,then the people's militia.人民解放军走在前面，其次是民兵。
• There's a building guarded by the local militia at the corner of the street.街道拐角处有一幢由当地民兵团守卫的大楼。

4 militias   

n.民兵组织，民兵( militia的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The troops will not attempt to disarm the warring militias. 部队并不打算解除战斗中的民兵武装。 来自辞典例句
• The neighborhood was a battleground for Shiite and Sunni militias. 那里曾是什叶派和逊尼派武装分子的战场。 来自互联网

5 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制

6 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。

7 incite   

v.引起，激动，煽动

参考例句：

• I wanted to point out he was a very good speaker, and could incite a crowd.我想说明他曾是一个非常出色的演讲家，非常会调动群众的情绪。
• Just a few words will incite him into action.他只需几句话一将，就会干。

8 ward   

n.守卫，监护，病房，行政区，由监护人或法院保护的人（尤指儿童）；vt.守护，躲开

参考例句：

• The hospital has a medical ward and a surgical ward.这家医院有内科病房和外科病房。
• During the evening picnic,I'll carry a torch to ward off the bugs.傍晚野餐时，我要点根火把，抵挡蚊虫。

9 bigotry   

n.偏见，偏执，持偏见的行为[态度]等

参考例句：

• She tried to dissociate herself from the bigotry in her past.她力图使自己摆脱她以前的偏见。
• At least we can proceed in this matter without bigotry.目前这件事咱们至少可以毫无偏见地进行下去。

10 boulder   

n.巨砾；卵石，圆石

参考例句：

• We all heaved together and removed the boulder.大家一齐用劲，把大石头搬开了。
• He stepped clear of the boulder.他从大石头后面走了出来。

11 disapproval   

n.反对，不赞成

参考例句：

• The teacher made an outward show of disapproval.老师表面上表示不同意。
• They shouted their disapproval.他们喊叫表示反对。