VOA慢速英语2014 塑料对海洋环境造成严重危害

 

AS IT IS 2014-07-10 Plastics Blamed for Harm to Sea Environment 塑料对海洋环境造成严重危害

A new report says plastics are responsible for $13 billion in damage to the oceans and the undersea environment.  The findings were announced recently at a United Nations conference in Nairobi, Kenya.  The report tells about harm to sea life -- and what might be done to improve the situation.

Plastic thrown away carelessly makes its way into rivers and other waterways.  The plastic eventually reaches coastal¹ areas and ocean waters.  After a while, it collects in the sea.  And plastic never goes away. 

Nancy Wallace heads the Marine² Debris³ Program at NOAA, America’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric⁴ Administration.  She says plastic is not biodegradable – destroyed by bacteria or natural processes.  Instead, it just breaks up into smaller pieces over time.

Nancy Wallace says the oceans contain a lot of chemicals and other pollutants⁵.  She notes that chemicals like DDT are illegal now.  But she says the remains⁶ of such products may find their way to plastics floating in seawater.  Then, fish may eat the plastics.

That means harmful material may get into our food supply.  But the NOAA expert says people can make a big difference.  She suggests using fewer single use product containers and throwing plastics away correctly.  She also likes plastic recycling programs – where old bottles and other plastics are collected, broken down and used to make new products.

Nancy Wallace says people should really care about the environment.  She says human beings cause pollution and they can take steps to stop it.                                 

Richard Mattison leads Trucost, the company that presented a report at the U.N. Environment Assembly in Nairobi.  He says the findings suggest another way: a business plan that opens new markets for plastic products that last.  Mr. Mattison spoke⁷ to VOA on Skype.

“You could reduce the energy intensity⁸ of plastics production by using renewable energy resources.  You could reuse bottles in our households many times if you wish to, rather than ending it after the first use.  We could, when we get rid of that plastic, recycle it and reuse it, which replaces the need for virgin⁹ raw materials.” 

Andrew Russell directs the Plastics Disclosure Project, which released another report at the U.N. conference.  He says it calls on companies to improve methods for using plastics.  The report asks for them to better measure and direct plastic use.  And he said it calls for information about the way plastic is thrown out or removed from use.

Mr. Russell spoke to VOA over SKYPE.  He said industry could save money.

“We also see them to be much more aware, much more cognizant of risks they face in the environment from a reputation perspective or from a regulatory perspective.  And if they think about plastic the way they do other things, then I think these opportunities will present themselves.”

Mr. Russell says that by putting a new value on plastic, industry has a special reason to clean up the environment.  But he also says all of society must join to deal with the problem.

1 coastal   

adj.海岸的，沿海的，沿岸的

参考例句：

• The ocean waves are slowly eating away the coastal rocks.大海的波浪慢慢地侵蚀着岸边的岩石。
• This country will fortify the coastal areas.该国将加强沿海地区的防御。

2 marine   

adj.海的；海生的；航海的；海事的；n.水兵

参考例句：

• Marine creatures are those which live in the sea. 海洋生物是生存在海里的生物。
• When the war broke out,he volunteered for the Marine Corps.战争爆发时，他自愿参加了海军陆战队。

3 debris   

n.瓦砾堆，废墟，碎片

参考例句：

• After the bombing there was a lot of debris everywhere.轰炸之后到处瓦砾成堆。
• Bacteria sticks to food debris in the teeth,causing decay.细菌附着在牙缝中的食物残渣上，导致蛀牙。

4 atmospheric   

adj.大气的，空气的；大气层的；大气所引起的

参考例句：

• Sea surface temperatures and atmospheric circulation are strongly coupled.海洋表面温度与大气环流是密切相关的。
• Clouds return radiant energy to the surface primarily via the atmospheric window.云主要通过大气窗区向地表辐射能量。

5 pollutants   

污染物质（尤指工业废物）( pollutant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Pollutants are constantly being released into the atmosphere. 污染物质正在不断地被排放到大气中去。
• The 1987 Amendments limit 301(g) discharges to a few well-studied nonconventional pollutants. 1987年的修正案把第301条（g）的普通排放限制施加在一些认真研究过的几种非常规污染物上。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法

6 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

7 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

8 intensity   

n.强烈，剧烈；强度；烈度

参考例句：

• I didn't realize the intensity of people's feelings on this issue.我没有意识到这一问题能引起群情激奋。
• The strike is growing in intensity.罢工日益加剧。

9 virgin   

n.处女，未婚女子；adj.未经使用的；未经开发的

参考例句：

• Have you ever been to a virgin forest?你去过原始森林吗？
• There are vast expanses of virgin land in the remote regions.在边远地区有大片大片未开垦的土地。