ENVIRONMENT REPORT - Olympics Doing Harm in Salt Lake?

ENVIRONMENT REPORT -February 15, 2002: Olympics Doing Harm in Salt Lake?

By Cynthia Kirk
This is the VOA Special English ENVIRONMENT REPORT.

Officials at the Olympic Games taking place in Salt Lake City, Utah, say they have met their environmental
goals. Their environmental program helped Salt Lake City win the right to hold the Games this year.

However, environmental groups in Utah say efforts by the Salt Lake Organizing
Committee have not been successful. They say developers are doing permanent harm to the
area.

The Olympic goal of protecting the environment began in Nineteen-Ninety-Four with the
Winter Games in Lillehammer, Norway. Norway recognized that major sport events like
the Olympics could have a harmful effect on the surrounding environment.

Protection of the environment is now officially one of the three goals of the Olympic
movement. The other goals are sports and culture. Today, many cities seeking to hold the
Olympic Games promise to offer greater protection for the environment.

Organizers in Utah say they worked with many organizations for years to develop environmental programs in
preparation for the Games. Some of these projects include a forestry¹ program. It is expected to result in eighteen-
million trees being planted around the world. Organizers also promised other efforts to make the air cleaner and
to improve the way waste is removed.

However, an environmental group called Save Our Canyons² says the Salt Lake Olympic Committee made
promises that it has not kept. For example, activists³ criticized⁴ ski jumps that were built into the sides of
mountains. They also criticized officials for permitting trees to be cut down and new roads built for the Olympic
Games. They said better public transportation is needed to help decrease pollution during the Games. And they
said not enough is being done to reduce energy use.Lawyers for Save Our Canyons say the Olympics are being
used as an excuse to permit development that normally⁵ would be unacceptable under current environmental laws.

However, Olympic organizers say the group’s findings⁶ contained many mistakes and failed to recognize other
environmental programs.

The director of Save Our Canyons says the group is not against the Olympics. She says the group wants to pass
on what it has learned⁷ to other cities considering holding the Olympic Games in the future.

This VOA Special English ENVIRONMENT REPORT was written by Cynthia Kirk.

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1 forestry   

n.森林学；林业

参考例句：

• At present, the Chinese forestry is being at a significant transforming period. 当前, 我国的林业正处于一个重大的转折时期。
• Anhua is one of the key forestry counties in Hunan province. 安化县是湖南省重点林区县之一。

2 canyons   

n.峡谷( canyon的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• This mountain range has many high peaks and deep canyons. 这条山脉有许多高峰和深谷。 来自辞典例句
• Do you use canyons or do we preserve them all? 是使用峡谷呢还是全封闭保存？ 来自互联网

3 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 criticized   

vt.批评(criticize的过去式)v.评论，批评( criticize的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The decision was criticized by environmental groups. 这个决定受到了环保团体的批评。
• The movie has been criticized for apparently legitimizing violence. 这部电影因明显地美化暴力而受到了指责。

5 normally   

adv.正常地，通常地

参考例句：

• I normally do all my shopping on Saturdays.我通常在星期六买东西。
• My pulse beats normally.我脉搏正常。

6 findings   

n.发现物( finding的名词复数 )；调查（或研究）的结果；（陪审团的）裁决

参考例句：

• It behoves us to study these findings carefully. 我们理应认真研究这些发现。
• Their findings have been widely disseminated . 他们的研究成果已经广为传播。

7 learned   

adj.有学问的，博学的；learn的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He went into a rage when he learned about it.他听到这事后勃然大怒。
• In this little village,he passed for a learned man.在这个小村子里，他被视为有学问的人。