VOA常速英语2007年-US Rejects Greenhouse Gas Targets at UN Confere

By Nancy-Amelia Collins
Bali
10 December 2007

Delegates to the U.N. climate change conference are locked in debate over whether to set tough new limits on greenhouse-gas emission¹, with the United States leading the fight against firm limits. VOA's Nancy-Amelia Collins reports from Indonesia's Bali Island, where delegates are trying to draft a successor to the Kyoto Protocol² on climate change.

The U.N. climate change talks being held in Bali hit a snag after the United States said it will not approve a draft agreement setting firm targets for greenhouse gas emissions³.

The draft being thrashed out by more than 190 nations at the U.N. conference on the Indonesian island says industrialized country's emissions should be cut by 25 percent to 40 percent by 2020.

The draft negotiating text seeks to set a "roadmap" for future talks on a new global climate change treaty aimed at replacing the Kyoto Protocol, which expires in 2012.

Senior U.S. climate negotiator, Harlan Watson, says Washington firmly rejects mandatory⁴ targets.

"Our principle difficulty with having any numbers in the text to begin with [is] it might prejudge outcomes," said Watson. "We are looking for text, I think it is going to be short, to the point, that is going to be balanced, taking into consideration the needs of all parties - and also a text that does not, again, prejudge outcomes that might occur at the end of a two-year negotiating process."

Canada and Japan have also made it clear they oppose Kyoto-like targets. The 1997 Kyoto Protocol, which was rejected by the United States, required 36 industrialized nations to cut greenhouse gas emissions by five percent below 1990 levels by 2012.

The Executive Secretary of the U.N. conference, Yvo de Boer, says firm targets for cuts to greenhouse gas emissions, thought to be a major contributor to global warming, is necessary in order to stop climate change.

"I do think that the scientific community has come with a very clear message," said de Boer. "The scientific community has indicated that really industrialized countries need to reduce their emissions in that order of minus-25, minus-40 by 2020, if we are going to come to grips with this issue."

A final version of the draft must be agreed to by Friday, the final day of the 12-day conference.

1 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。

2 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。

3 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。

4 mandatory   

adj.命令的；强制的；义务的；n.受托者

参考例句：

• It's mandatory to pay taxes.缴税是义务性的。
• There is no mandatory paid annual leave in the U.S.美国没有强制带薪年假。