《京都议定书》生效

Kyoto Protocol¹ Takes Effect

《京都议定书》生效

 

The Kyoto Protocol on global warming has come into effect after years of delays.  But the landmark² agreement to reduce greenhouse gas emissions⁴ lacks the support of the United States and there is concern that the accord will not achieve its targets in Japan.

 

Ceremonies to mark the Kyoto Protocol were held in the former Japanese capital where the agreement was negotiated in 1997.  Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, speaking from Tokyo via a videophone, said the landmark pact⁵ will have a positive impact on future generations if it can achieve its goals.

 

Mr. Koizumi says Japan will lead the drive to halt global warming.

 

Despite hopes the protocol will help clean the air, there is concern that some signatories, including Japan, will not be able to cut gas emissions to pledged levels.

 

Japan has increased its greenhouse emissions by eight percent since 1990 and that means it now faces a cut of 14 percent against 1990 levels to achieve its targets under the agreement.  If Japan fails to meet its reduction goal by then it will be forced to cut emissions by an additional 30 percent under the Kyoto pact's second stage, starting in 2013.

 

Hiroki Kudo, who manages the Environment and Energy Conservation Group at Japan's Institute of Energy Economics, is pessimistic the country can hit its numbers.

 

Hiroki Kudo: The Japanese government has the plan to achieve the Kyoto target towards the year 2012. But, probably, we will recognize if we [can] achieve the Kyoto target or not around the year 2010 or 2012. It is too late to enforce the more strong policy measures and government will try to take the carbon credit through emission³ trading.

 

Under this trading program, countries unable to meet their Kyoto goals can buy or swap⁶ credits with countries that have exceeded their targets.

 

The protocol commits nations to cut their industrial emissions of six carbon gases.  These gases are thought to cause a number of environmental problems and significantly contribute to global warming.

 

Japan also is thinking about funding emission-reduction projects in developing countries. This would also win Japan credits for its domestic quota⁷.

 

But environmentalists, such as Aya Inoue of the Ecosystem⁸ Conservation Society of Japan, do not like that approach.

 

Aya Inoue: It is a kind of makeshift for the time being by using taxpayers⁹' money’, We do not think it is an appropriate measure as it has nothing to do with reduction in emission of greenhouse gases in our country.

 

But many experts, such as Mr. Kudo, believe the protocol will never get that far, so long as it is boycotted¹⁰ by the United States, the world's biggest polluter, and unless it specifies¹¹ emission reduction targets for developing countries.

 

The United States was a signatory to the 1997 treaty, but the U.S. Senate unanimously urged then-President Clinton to reject it. The Bush administration abandoned the pact after coming to power in 2001, saying it would hurt the U.S. economy and that its failure to set the same emissions standards for rapidly industrializing developing countries as developed nations, was a major flaw.

 

U.S. Ambassador Howard Baker¹² defended his country's stand as the Kyoto protocol became law.

 

Howard Baker: It is really a bum¹³ rap. It is America that spends five billion dollars a year on improvement of the air quality.  My guess would be that is an order of magnitude greater than any other nation on earth and perhaps more than the rest of the world combined.

 

The Japanese government calls the absence of the United States regrettable, and says it is still trying to convince Washington to join the treaty.

 

Steve Herman, VOA news, Tokyo.

 

注释：

landmark [5lAndmB:k] n. 里程碑，划时代的事

accord [E5kC:d] n. 符合，协定

signatory [5si^nEtEri] n. 签名人，签字者

swap [swCp] n. 交换

carbon [5kB:bEn] n. [化]碳(元素符号C)

quota [5kwEutE] n. 配额，限额

makeshift [5meikFift] n. 将就，权宜之计

magnitude [5mA^nitju:d] n. 大小，数量

1 protocol   

n.议定书，草约，会谈记录，外交礼节

参考例句：

• We must observe the correct protocol.我们必须遵守应有的礼仪。
• The statesmen signed a protocol.那些政治家签了议定书。

2 landmark   

n.陆标，划时代的事，地界标

参考例句：

• The Russian Revolution represents a landmark in world history.俄国革命是世界历史上的一个里程碑。
• The tower was once a landmark for ships.这座塔曾是船只的陆标。

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 pact   

n.合同，条约，公约，协定

参考例句：

• The two opposition parties made an electoral pact.那两个反对党订了一个有关选举的协定。
• The trade pact between those two countries came to an end.那两国的通商协定宣告结束。

6 swap   

n.交换；vt.交换，用...作交易

参考例句：

• I will swap you my bicycle for your radio.我想拿我的自行车换你的收音机。
• This comic was a swap that I got from Nick.这本漫画书是我从尼克那里换来的。

7 quota   

n.（生产、进出口等的）配额，（移民的）限额

参考例句：

• A restricted import quota was set for meat products.肉类产品设定了进口配额。
• He overfulfilled his production quota for two months running.他一连两个月超额完成生产指标。

8 ecosystem   

n.生态系统

参考例句：

• This destroyed the ecosystem of the island.这样破坏了岛上的生态系统。
• We all have an interest in maintaining the integrity of the ecosystem.维持生态系统的完整是我们共同的利益。

9 taxpayers   

纳税人，纳税的机构( taxpayer的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Finance for education comes from taxpayers. 教育经费来自纳税人。
• She was declaiming against the waste of the taxpayers' money. 她慷慨陈词猛烈抨击对纳税人金钱的浪费。

10 boycotted   

抵制，拒绝参加( boycott的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Athletes from several countries boycotted the Olympic Games. 有好几国的运动员抵制奥林匹克运动会。
• The opposition party earlier boycotted the Diet agenda, demanding Miyaji's resignation. 反对党曾杯葛国会议程，要宫路下台。

11 specifies   

v.指定( specify的第三人称单数 )；详述；提出…的条件；使具有特性

参考例句：

• The third clause of the contract specifies steel sashes for the windows. 合同的第三款指定使用钢窗。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The contract specifies red tiles, not slates, for the roof. 合同规定屋顶用红瓦，并非石板瓦。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

12 baker   

n.面包师

参考例句：

• The baker bakes his bread in the bakery.面包师在面包房内烤面包。
• The baker frosted the cake with a mixture of sugar and whites of eggs.面包师在蛋糕上撒了一层白糖和蛋清的混合料。

13 bum   

n.臀部；流浪汉，乞丐；vt.乞求，乞讨

参考例句：

• A man pinched her bum on the train so she hit him.在火车上有人捏她屁股，她打了那人。
• The penniless man had to bum a ride home.那个身无分文的人只好乞求搭车回家。