布什否决限制二氧化碳排放议案

                    11 布什否决限制二氧化碳排放议案
DATE=3/23/01
TITLE=ENVIRONMENT REPORT - Bush Rejects Carbon Dioxide Limits
BYLINE=Cynthia Kirk

（Start at 59" ）This is Bill White with the VOA Special English ENVIRONMENT REPORT.
Environmental groups have (1)sharply (2)criticized President Bush for failing to include carbon dioxide gases in new pollution controls. Mister Bush says he will not (3)seek limits on the release of carbon dioxide from factories that produce power. During his presidential (4)campaign last year, Mister Bush had promised to set limits on carbon (5)dioxide (6)emissions². Carbon dioxide in the(7)atmosphere has been linked to the warming of the Earth.
Mister Bush said carbon dioxide limits would lead to higher (8)energy costs. Instead, he said he would seek legislation to control pollutants³ in the (9)environment that have been identified by the Clean Air Act. Mister Bush announced his position last week in a letter to Republican senators. Carbon dioxide gas enters the atmosphere when fuels such as oil, coal and natural gas are burned. Many scientists believe carbon dioxide is causing the Earth to get warmer by trapping heat in the atmosphere. Scientists are concerned that global warming is causing serious (10)climate change.
President Bush now says his campaign position was a mistake. He says carbon dioxide limits would harm coal factories and force greater use of costly⁴ natural gas. Coal is used to produce more than half of the nation's (11)electricity. Mister Bush promised to seek a balanced energy policy that improves the air by reducing nitrogen oxide¹, sulfur⁵ dioxide and (12)mercury. He denied criticism by environmental groups that he acted because of pressure from the energy industry.
Conservatives praised the president's decision. But Democrats⁶ and moderate Republican lawmakers (13)criticized Mister Bush's action. Last week, they presented legislation to limit carbon dioxide and other major air (14)pollutants released by power factories.
Mister Bush also repeated his opposition⁷ to an international agreement called the Kyoto Protocol⁸. The agreement calls for thirty-eight industrial countries to sharply reduce the release of carbon dioxide and other harmful gases. The treaty was signed by the Clinton administration four years ago.
Some European governments criticized Mister Bush's change in policy as a rejection⁹ of international efforts to slow global warming. They note that the United States produces twenty-five percent of the carbon dioxide emissions in the world.
This VOA Special English ENVIRONMENT REPORT was written by Cynthia Kirk.

(1) sharply[ 5FB:pli ]adv.锐利地, 急剧地
(2) criticize[ 5kritisaiz ]v.批评, 责备
(3) seek[ si:k ]v.寻找, 探索, 寻求
(4) campaign[ kAm5pein ]n.[军]战役, (政治或商业性)活动, 竞选运动vi.参加活动, 从事活动, 作战
(5) dioxide[ dai5Cksaid ]n.二氧化物
(6) emission[ i5miFEn ]n.(光、热等的)散发, 发射, 喷射
(7) atmosphere[ 5AtmEsfiE ]n.大气, 空气, 气氛
(8) energy[ 5enEdVi ]n.精力, 精神, 活力, [物]能量
(9) environment[ in5vaiErEnmEnt ]n.环境, 外界
(10) climate[ 5klaimit ]n.气候, 风土, 思潮
(11) electricity[Ilek5trIsItI]n.电流, 电, 电学
(12) mercury[ 5mE:kjuri ]n.水银, 汞, [罗神]墨丘利神(众神的信使)
(13) criticize[ 5kritisaiz ]v.批评, 责备
(14) pollutant[ pE5lu:tEnt ]n.污染物质

1 oxide   

n.氧化物

参考例句：

• Oxide is usually seen in our daily life.在我们的日常生活中氧化物很常见。
• How can you get rid of this oxide coating?你们该怎样除去这些氧化皮？

2 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。

3 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

4 costly   

adj.昂贵的，价值高的，豪华的

参考例句：

• It must be very costly to keep up a house like this.维修这么一幢房子一定很昂贵。
• This dictionary is very useful,only it is a bit costly.这本词典很有用，左不过贵了些。

5 sulfur   

n.硫，硫磺（=sulphur）

参考例句：

• Sulfur emissions from steel mills become acid rain.炼钢厂排放出的硫形成了酸雨。
• Burning may produce sulfur oxides.燃烧可能会产生硫氧化物。

6 democrats   

n.民主主义者，民主人士( democrat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Democrats held a pep rally on Capitol Hill yesterday. 民主党昨天在国会山召开了竞选誓师大会。
• The democrats organize a filibuster in the senate. 民主党党员组织了阻挠议事。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

8 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。

9 rejection   

n.拒绝，被拒，抛弃，被弃

参考例句：

• He decided not to approach her for fear of rejection.他因怕遭拒绝决定不再去找她。
• The rejection plunged her into the dark depths of despair.遭到拒绝使她陷入了绝望的深渊。