VOA慢速英语--尽管需求下降 亚洲仍在增加煤炭产量

Coal power plant building will continue in Asia despite falling electricity demand and environmental concerns. Experts say the move comes as governments try to help economies hurt by the coronavirus crisis.

In a report last month, the International Energy Agency said that demand for electricity will decrease this year due to lockdowns.

The United Nations and other organizations say the decrease creates a rare chance for Asia to launch a "green recovery." But there are already signs that China and other countries like South Korea and Japan will spend money to help struggling companies and suppliers in the coal business.

Matt Gray works for Carbon Tracker, an organization that looks at the risks of fossil fuels. "China and other governments may be tempted² to invest in coal power to help their economies recover after the COVID-19 pandemic," he said. "This risks locking in high-cost coal power that will undermine global climate targets."

China produces and uses about half of the world's coal. It recently sped up the building of five coal power plants and permitted more buildings to start in 2023. In April, China also imported 22 percent more coal than it did a year earlier.

As coal industries in Japan and South Korea face pressure to reduce emissions⁴ in their own countries, they are expected to continue to build coal plants in developing countries like Vietnam and Indonesia.

The global long-term outlook for coal power, however, is not good.

Governments, banks and energy companies - under public and investor⁵ pressure - are dropping investments in fossil fuel. Many see coal power as the greatest risk to the 2015 Paris Agreement. The goal of the agreement is to limit global warming at 1.5 degrees Celsius⁶.

That goal already looks out of reach, environmental experts say, partly because of new coal plants being built in Asia. It is the biggest energy-consuming region and largest growth market.

The Global Energy Monitor says about 500 gigawatts of coal power capacity is planned or being built around the world, and more than 80 percent of that is in Asia. Even a small number of new plants will increase CO2 emissions and drive demand for coal mining in places like Australia and Indonesia.

Meanwhile, there is bad news in the short term for renewable energy. Wood Mackenzie estimates 150 gigawatts of wind and solar projects across the Asia Pacific region could be delayed or cancelled over the next five years.

I'm John Russell.

Words in This Story

fossil fuel – n.a fuel (such as coal, oil, or natural gas) that is formed in the earth from dead plants or animals

tempt¹ – v. to cause (someone) to do or want to do something even though it may be wrong, bad, or unwise

pandemic – n. medical: an occurrence in which a disease spreads very quickly and affects a large number of people over a wide area or throughout the world

emission³ – n. the act of producing or sending out something (such as energy or gas) from a source

global warming – n. the increase in the world's temperature that is believed to be caused by the increase of certain gases (such as carbon dioxide) in the atmosphere

renewable – adj. restored or replaced by natural processes : able to be replaced by nature

solar – adj. always used before a noun of or relating to the sun

1 tempt   

vt.引诱，勾引，吸引，引起…的兴趣

参考例句：

• Nothing could tempt him to such a course of action.什么都不能诱使他去那样做。
• The fact that she had become wealthy did not tempt her to alter her frugal way of life.她有钱了，可这丝毫没能让她改变节俭的生活习惯。

2 tempted   

v.怂恿（某人）干不正当的事；冒…的险（tempt的过去分词）

参考例句：

• I was sorely tempted to complain, but I didn't. 我极想发牢骚，但还是没开口。
• I was tempted by the dessert menu. 甜食菜单馋得我垂涎欲滴。

3 emission   

n.发出物，散发物；发出，散发

参考例句：

• Rigorous measures will be taken to reduce the total pollutant emission.采取严格有力措施，降低污染物排放总量。
• Finally,the way to effectively control particulate emission is pointed out.最后，指出有效降低颗粒排放的方向。

4 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。

5 investor   

n.投资者，投资人

参考例句：

• My nephew is a cautious investor.我侄子是个小心谨慎的投资者。
• The investor believes that his investment will pay off handsomely soon.这个投资者相信他的投资不久会有相当大的收益。

6 Celsius   

adj.摄氏温度计的，摄氏的

参考例句：

• The temperature tonight will fall to seven degrees Celsius.今晚气温将下降到七摄氏度。
• The maximum temperature in July may be 36 degrees Celsius.七月份最高温度可能达到36摄氏度。