VOA标准英语2009-Obama to Attend Copenhagen Climate Talks

The White House says President Barack Obama will travel to Denmark next month to attend a global climate summit in Copenhagen.

Kent Klein | White House 25 November 2009

President Barack Obama and his Indian counterpart Manmohan Singh arrive for the first official State Dinner of Obama's administration at the White House, 24 Nov 2009

U.S. President Barack Obama will travel to Copenhagen, Denmark next month to attend a worldwide climate change summit.  The president plans to lay out U.S. goals for reducing greenhouse gas emissions¹.

The announcement ends months of speculation² about whether President Obama would take part in the Copenhagen summit.

White House officials say the president will go to the Danish capital on December 9, then to Oslo, Norway to accept the Nobel Peace Prize.

While in Copenhagen, Mr. Obama will make a provisional pledge to cut pollution-causing carbon dioxide emissions by about 17 percent from 2005 levels by 2020. 

The president has said in the past that a final package cannot be completed in Copenhagen because the U.S. Congress is still debating legislation to implement³ the emissions cuts.  Mr. Obama later said the United States might go further in negotiations⁴ than had been expected.

The U.S. is the last among several dozen industrialized countries to offer a specific commitment for reducing greenhouse gas emissions.  The European Union has urged the U.S. and China to bring target numbers to the summit, and has criticized them for their delays.

China's climate change negotiator, Yu Qingtai, blames rich countries for causing greenhouse gas emissions.

He says developed countries have not shown enough sincerity⁵ in the negotiations.

U.N. climate chief Yvo de Boer says it is critical that Mr. Obama attend the talks, and is welcoming his decision to do so.

One day before the White House announcement, the president and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh unveiled what they called a "green partnership," affirming their commitment to fighting climate change.

Mr. Singh said Tuesday both countries will work together to make the environment cleaner.

"We welcome the president's commitment to a major program for promotion⁶ of renewable energy, and I drew his attention to India's own ambitious national action plan on climate change which has eight national missions covering both mitigation and adaptation," he said.

Two weeks of United Nations-sponsored negotiations, expected to involve 192 nations, will begin on December 7 in Copenhagen.  At least 65 world leaders will attend the summit. Other than Mr. Obama, most are expected to be present for its final days.

1 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。

2 speculation   

n.思索，沉思；猜测；投机

参考例句：

• Her mind is occupied with speculation.她的头脑忙于思考。
• There is widespread speculation that he is going to resign.人们普遍推测他要辞职。

3 implement   

n.(pl.)工具，器具；vt.实行，实施，执行

参考例句：

• Don't undertake a project unless you can implement it.不要承担一项计划，除非你能完成这项计划。
• The best implement for digging a garden is a spade.在花园里挖土的最好工具是铁锹。

4 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。

5 sincerity   

n.真诚，诚意；真实

参考例句：

• His sincerity added much more authority to the story.他的真诚更增加了故事的说服力。
• He tried hard to satisfy me of his sincerity.他竭力让我了解他的诚意。

6 promotion   

n.提升，晋级；促销，宣传

参考例句：

• The teacher conferred with the principal about Dick's promotion.教师与校长商谈了迪克的升级问题。
• The clerk was given a promotion and an increase in salary.那个职员升了级，加了薪。