VOA常速英语2008年-Honolulu Conference Takes Up Greenhouse Emissio

By Kayla Rosenfeld
Honolulu
01 February 2008

Officials from the world's 16 largest greenhouse gas emitters gathered in Hawaii this week to discuss how to curb¹ global climate change. Kayla Rosenfeld reports from Honolulu the goal was to advance the road map created last year at the U.N.-sponsored conference in Bali.

Many countries, including the European Union and Japan are pushing the United States to participate in significant greenhouse gas reductions. The United States is one of the few industrial nations that has not signed the Kyoto protocol² to reduce emissions⁴ like carbon dioxide.

Brice LeLonde, France's Ambassador for Climate Change, says he's happy the U.S. position is changing. Not only did it host this Major Economies meeting on Energy Security and Climate Change in Honolulu, but last month, President Bush also signed the Energy Independence and Security Act. It contains strict emission³ standards and goals for increasing development of renewable fuels.

"Of course we want more, but it's a good start. We had a real good discussion . . . face-to-face. Why don't you do that, could you do it this way, we still have to do some work on this issue, etc," he said. "It was very important for us because we don't often have that kind of face to face discussion where we can say exactly what we believe, why we have a problem of trust, or why didn't do this. That's very important. That's why we want to go on and then we really hope we can deliver real decisions in the short future."

That future includes a mid-March clean energy technology workshop in Japan, and a gathering⁵ of leaders in France in April. But, Germany's minister for the environment, Matthias Machnig, says the group still has much work to do, and huge goals to achieve.

"There are some positions not shared by everyone, and I think one thing is very clear. We all have a responsibility here. Because the public wants action from us, the public wants answers, the public wants those things we agreed on are now implemented⁶ and that we go straight way for clear reduction strategies for the next years," said Machnig. "And from a German point of view, we need a clear international agreement, because we are running out of time."

Among the major issues to be decided⁷ at upcoming meetings of the group is how to come up with a common long-term goal for reducing greenhouse emissions.

More the 170 nations have ratified⁸ the 1997 Kyoto Protocol, which commits them to reducing emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases by five percent, compared to 1990 levels.

The treaty is due to expire in 2012.

The delegates hope to finalize⁹ their comprehensive international agreement on climate change in Copenhagen in 2009.

1 curb   

n.场外证券市场，场外交易；vt.制止，抑制

参考例句：

• I could not curb my anger.我按捺不住我的愤怒。
• You must curb your daughter when you are in church.你在教堂时必须管住你的女儿。

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 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 gathering   

n.集会，聚会，聚集

参考例句：

• He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
• He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。

6 implemented   

v.实现( implement的过去式和过去分词 )；执行；贯彻；使生效

参考例句：

• This agreement, if not implemented, is a mere scrap of paper. 这个协定如不执行只不过是一纸空文。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• The economy is in danger of collapse unless far-reaching reforms are implemented. 如果不实施影响深远的改革，经济就面临崩溃的危险。 来自辞典例句

7 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

8 ratified   

v.批准，签认（合约等）( ratify的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The treaty was declared invalid because it had not been ratified. 条约没有得到批准，因此被宣布无效。
• The treaty was ratified by all the member states. 这个条约得到了所有成员国的批准。

9 finalize   

v.落实，定下来

参考例句：

• Let us finalize tonight.让我们今天晚上干完
• 。At the same time,industrial designers work with engineers to finalize components and assembly.同时，工业设计师和工程师一道来完成部件和组装部分的工作。