VOA常速英语2007年-Officials Gather for UN Climate Change Conferen

By Nancy-Amelia Collins
Jakarta
02 December 2007

Government officials and environmentalists are converging¹ on the Indonesian island of Bali to debate ways to deal with climate change. As VOA's Nancy-Amelia Collins reports from Jakarta, one of the main topics of conversation at the United Nations-sponsored conference will be a replacement² for the Kyoto Protocol³ on global warming, which expires in 2012.

 

The 1997 Kyoto accord required industrialized nations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions⁴ - which are generally thought to be responsible for global warming - by specific amounts by the year 2012. 

But developing economies, including ** and India, were exempt⁵ from the accord. And the United States  never formally signed on.

 

Ten years later, however, most of the world agrees that global warming is a man-made threat. Indonesian Environment Minister Rachmat Witoelar tells VOA he expects that the Bali meeting will achieve more comprehensive results than Kyoto.

 

"My expectation is that we will gain world consensus⁶ on what to do to combat climate change, and that means the participation⁷ of every country and everybody on our planet," said Rachmat.

 

U.S. officials say they will work toward a framework for global action at the Bali conference, but Washington still refuses to accept specific targets for greenhouse reductions.

 

Indonesia, the host, is destroying its forests at a rapid rate, and is considered the third largest greenhouse gas emitter. It, too, says it will join the global effort - but as Rachmat says, Jakarta wants rich nations to compensate⁸ it for slowing deforestation.

 

"We would welcome positive intervention⁹ by incentive¹⁰ from developed countries for us to conduct our business," said Rachmat.

 

The Kyoto Protocol focused in part on preserving and enhancing forests, which absorb carbon dioxide, one of the major greenhouse gases. At the same time, it called for the development of renewable forms of energy, known as "biofuels" or "agrifuels."

 

Environmentalists are now concerned that in the rush to find alternative fuel sources, trees are being lost to make way for palm oil plantations¹¹ in Asia, and for soy and sugar plantations in Latin America.

 

Stephanie Long of the environmental group Friends of the Earth says destroying forests to plant crops for agrifuels is not a solution.

 

"We are resolutely¹² clear that the agrifuel industry is not a real solution to climate change, because of the range of environmental and social problems that accompany agrifuel," said Long.

 

More than 10,000 people, including ministers and senior officials from more than 180 countries, are expected to attend the Bali conference, which runs from December 3 to the 14.

1 converging   

adj.收敛[缩]的，会聚的，趋同的v.（线条、运动的物体等）会于一点( converge的现在分词 )；（趋于）相似或相同；人或车辆汇集；聚集

参考例句：

• Plants had gradually evolved along diverging and converging pathways. 植物是沿着趋异和趋同两种途径逐渐演化的。 来自辞典例句
• This very slowly converging series was known to Leibniz in 1674. 这个收敛很慢的级数是莱布尼茨在1674年得到的。 来自辞典例句

2 replacement   

n.取代，替换，交换；替代品，代用品

参考例句：

• We are hard put to find a replacement for our assistant.我们很难找到一个人来代替我们的助手。
• They put all the students through the replacement examination.他们让所有的学生参加分班考试。

3 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。

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 exempt   

adj.免除的；v.使免除；n.免税者，被免除义务者

参考例句：

• These goods are exempt from customs duties.这些货物免征关税。
• He is exempt from punishment about this thing.关于此事对他已免于处分。

6 consensus   

n.(意见等的)一致，一致同意，共识

参考例句：

• Can we reach a consensus on this issue?我们能在这个问题上取得一致意见吗？
• What is the consensus of opinion at the afternoon meeting?下午会议上一致的意见是什么？

7 participation   

n.参与，参加，分享

参考例句：

• Some of the magic tricks called for audience participation.有些魔术要求有观众的参与。
• The scheme aims to encourage increased participation in sporting activities.这个方案旨在鼓励大众更多地参与体育活动。

8 compensate   

vt.补偿，赔偿；酬报 vi.弥补；补偿；抵消

参考例句：

• She used her good looks to compensate her lack of intelligence. 她利用她漂亮的外表来弥补智力的不足。
• Nothing can compensate for the loss of one's health. 一个人失去了键康是不可弥补的。

9 intervention   

n.介入，干涉，干预

参考例句：

• The government's intervention in this dispute will not help.政府对这场争论的干预不会起作用。
• Many people felt he would be hostile to the idea of foreign intervention.许多人觉得他会反对外来干预。

10 incentive   

n.刺激；动力；鼓励；诱因；动机

参考例句：

• Money is still a major incentive in most occupations.在许多职业中，钱仍是主要的鼓励因素。
• He hasn't much incentive to work hard.他没有努力工作的动机。

11 plantations   

n.种植园，大农场( plantation的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Soon great plantations, supported by slave labor, made some families very wealthy. 不久之后出现了依靠奴隶劳动的大庄园，使一些家庭成了富豪。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件
• Winterborne's contract was completed, and the plantations were deserted. 维恩特波恩的合同完成后，那片林地变得荒废了。 来自辞典例句

12 resolutely   

adj.坚决地，果断地

参考例句：

• He resolutely adhered to what he had said at the meeting. 他坚持他在会上所说的话。
• He grumbles at his lot instead of resolutely facing his difficulties. 他不是果敢地去面对困难，而是抱怨自己运气不佳。