VOA常速英语2007-French Leaders Hold Summit to Launch 'Green Revo

By Lisa Bryant
Paris
24 October 2007

France is hosting a high-level environmental summit Wednesday and Thursday, aimed to turn the country from laggard¹ to leader in the fight against global warming and pollution. From Paris, Lisa Bryant reports the summit will end with proposed government measures to launch a "green revolution" in France.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy promised to make the environment a top issue for his center-right government. The Paris summit is his opportunity to do so. He has already created a super-ministry of environment and development. He has also urged developed countries to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions² by 50 percent by 2050.

Thursday, Mr. Sarkozy will deliver a key speech at the meeting. The government is expected to unveil a series of proposals to launch a "green revolution" in France, following months of meetings with environmental activists³, farmers and businesses.

It is unclear just what the measures will be, but observers say they will likely include efforts to make buildings energy efficient by 2020 and to introduce labels on products showing their carbon footprints - how much heat-trapping carbon dioxide has been generated to produce them.

Yannick Jadot, spokesman for the environmental non-governmental "Alliance for the Planet," says he hopes the summit will produce radical⁴ decisions for France, which has been considered an environmental laggard in Europe.

In an interview on Radio France International, Jadot said he hoped the French government will offer strong measures, including a moratorium⁵ on genetically⁶ modified products and a reduction in the use of pesticides⁷. However, some environmental groups are less optimistic. And, Mr. Sarkozy's government is unlikely to budge⁸ on one highly controversial issue - nuclear energy, which supplies 80 percent of France's electricity.

1 laggard   

n.落后者；adj.缓慢的，落后的

参考例句：

• In village,the laggard living condition must be improved.在乡村落后的生活条件必须被改善。
• Businesshas to some degree been a laggard in this process.商业在这个进程中已经慢了一拍。

2 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。

3 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 radical   

n.激进份子，原子团，根号；adj.根本的，激进的，彻底的

参考例句：

• The patient got a radical cure in the hospital.病人在医院得到了根治。
• She is radical in her demands.她的要求十分偏激。

5 moratorium   

n.(行动、活动的)暂停(期)，延期偿付

参考例句：

• The government has called for a moratorium on weapons testing.政府已要求暂停武器试验。
• We recommended a moratorium on two particular kinds of experiments.我们建议暂禁两种特殊的实验。

6 genetically   

adv.遗传上

参考例句：

• All the bees in the colony are genetically related. 同一群体的蜜蜂都有亲缘关系。
• Genetically modified foods have already arrived on American dinner tables. 经基因改造加工过的食物已端上了美国人的餐桌。 来自英汉非文学 - 生命科学 - 基因与食物

7 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》

8 budge   

v.移动一点儿；改变立场

参考例句：

• We tried to lift the rock but it wouldn't budge.我们试图把大石头抬起来，但它连动都没动一下。
• She wouldn't budge on the issue.她在这个问题上不肯让步。