VOA慢速英语--哪些技术可以帮助世界实现气候目标？

Which Technologies Could Help the World Reach its Climate Goals?

The United Nations Climate Change Conference, known as COP26, is continuing in Glasgow, Scotland. World leaders, climate experts and activists¹ have gathered in an effort to negotiate new action plans to fight the widespread effects of climate change.

Technology is likely to play a big part in helping² the world reach its climate goals in the future. Here is a closer look at some possible technology-based solutions.

Fusion³

Fusion is the process that fires the sun. But some experts say it could someday power our homes.

Fusion happens when the nuclei⁴ of two atoms are subjected to extreme heat. This leads to the formation of a new larger atom and large amounts of energy.

One problem is that the process itself requires a large amount of energy. Developers of the technology have not yet performed a fusion reaction that releases more energy than it requires. In addition, running an electric power plant off of fusion would require the resulting heat to be contained in an economical way.

Still, scientists at Britain's Oxford⁵ University, America's Massachusetts Institute of Technology and other places say they are making progress. The British government believes a working model for producing electricity can be in place by the year 2040.

Advanced Nuclear

Advanced nuclear plants would be smaller than today's massive nuclear reactors⁷. Experts say they could be used in rural areas and could take over for wind and solar power when the sun goes down or the wind dies.

But advanced nuclear reactors are difficult and costly⁸ to build. Critics say they would also create more dense⁹ waste. And they would run on uranium, which is far more enriched than fuel used in today's reactors. That could make some advanced reactors more appealing to militants¹⁰ seeking materials to make weapons.

In the United States, Bill Gates has said he aims to build a reactor⁶ that uses advanced nuclear technology for about $1 billion. His plans call for many advanced nuclear plants to be operational by the 2030s. China, Russia and Japan are also working on the technology.

Carbon Capture

Last month, a Swiss company announced it had launched the world's largest carbon capturing plant in Iceland. The system captures carbon dioxide (CO2) directly from the air and puts the gas underground.

Currently, there are 15 direct air capture plants operating worldwide. The International Energy Agency (IEA) estimates the plants capture more than 9,000 metric tons of CO2 per year. While that might sound like a lot, it is about equal to the amount produced by about 2,000 cars over the same period.

Carbon capturing costs are currently high -- in the range of $600 per metric ton of CO2 captured. But supporters say those costs will fall as the technology improves.

Supporters also say tax breaks for businesses in the U.S. and other countries could help the technology. But critics, including the environmental group Sierra Club, say offering large credits could actually lead to more plants continuing to burn fossil fuels.

Hydrogen

Hydrogen can be mixed with natural gas to make a cleaner-burning fuel. This could power a fuel cell vehicle. Such a vehicle would release environmentally friendly water vapors¹².

So-called clean hydrogen can be produced using energy methods such as wind and solar. But those methods are more costly than "grey hydrogen," which is made with fossil fuels.

Another possibility, known as "blue hydrogen," can be made in natural gas plants that capture carbon. But some scientists say that process can release methane¹³ gas, which would make hydrogen no cleaner than natural gas itself.

Saudi Arabia, the world's largest oil exporter, is planning to build a $5-billion plant to produce clean hydrogen.

Geothermal

Geothermal power plants capture heat up to 370 degrees Celsius¹⁴ far below the Earth's surface. The heat creates steam that can turn turbines to produce electricity.

The United States, Indonesia, the Philippines and Kenya lead the world in geothermal electricity production. But the technology would need to greatly expand to become a major alternative to fossil fuels.

Experts estimate the U.S. has the capacity to produce 10 percent of the country's current power demand through geothermal power. But startup costs to build the technology are high. This has prevented major investments so far. Countries lacking in fossil fuel resources, including Japan and Singapore, are seeking to develop geothermal power.

Words in This Story

advanced – adj. having progressed or developed to a late stage

enrich – v. to improve the quality of purity of something such as a substance

fossil fuel – n. fuels such as coal, oil, or natural gas formed in the earth from dead plants or animals

vapor¹¹ – n. a substance in a gaseous¹⁵ state as opposed to a liquid or solid

methane – n. a gas that has no color or smell that is used for cooking and heating

turbine – n. a large machine that produces power by using gas, steam, etc. to turn a wheel

alternative – n. one of two or more things that you can choose between

capacity – n. the largest amount or number that can be held or contained

1 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》

2 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

3 fusion   

n.溶化；熔解；熔化状态，熔和；熔接

参考例句：

• Brass is formed by the fusion of copper and zinc. 黄铜是通过铜和锌的熔合而成的。
• This alloy is formed by the fusion of two types of metal.这种合金是用两种金属熔合而成的。

4 nuclei   

n.核

参考例句：

• To free electrons, something has to make them whirl fast enough to break away from their nuclei. 为了释放电子，必须使电子高速旋转而足以摆脱原子核的束缚。
• Energy is released by the fission of atomic nuclei. 能量是由原子核分裂释放出来的。

5 Oxford   

n.牛津（英国城市）

参考例句：

• At present he has become a Professor of Chemistry at Oxford.他现在已是牛津大学的化学教授了。
• This is where the road to Oxford joins the road to London.这是去牛津的路与去伦敦的路的汇合处。

6 reactor   

n.反应器；反应堆

参考例句：

• The atomic reactor generates enormous amounts of thermal energy.原子反应堆发出大量的热能。
• Inside the reactor the large molecules are cracked into smaller molecules.在反应堆里，大分子裂变为小分子。

7 reactors   

起反应的人( reactor的名词复数 )； 反应装置； 原子炉； 核反应堆

参考例句：

• The TMI nuclear facility has two reactors. 三哩岛核设施有两个反应堆。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法
• The earliest production reactors necessarily used normal uranium as fuel. 最早为生产用的反应堆，必须使用普通铀作为燃料。

8 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。

9 dense   

a.密集的，稠密的，浓密的；密度大的

参考例句：

• The general ambushed his troops in the dense woods. 将军把部队埋伏在浓密的树林里。
• The path was completely covered by the dense foliage. 小路被树叶厚厚地盖了一层。

10 militants   

激进分子，好斗分子( militant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The militants have been sporadically fighting the government for years. 几年来，反叛分子一直对政府实施零星的战斗。
• Despite the onslaught, Palestinian militants managed to fire off rockets. 尽管如此，巴勒斯坦的激进分子仍然发射导弹。

11 vapor   

n.蒸汽，雾气

参考例句：

• The cold wind condenses vapor into rain.冷风使水蒸气凝结成雨。
• This new machine sometimes transpires a lot of hot vapor.这部机器有时排出大量的热气。

12 vapors   

n.水汽，水蒸气，无实质之物( vapor的名词复数 )；自夸者；幻想 [药]吸入剂 [古]忧郁（症）v.自夸，（使）蒸发( vapor的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• His emotions became vague and shifted about like vapors. 他的心情则如同一团雾气，变幻无常，捉摸不定。 来自辞典例句
• They have hysterics, they weep, they have the vapors. 他们歇斯底里，他们哭泣，他们精神忧郁。 来自辞典例句

13 methane   

n.甲烷，沼气

参考例句：

• The blast was caused by pockets of methane gas that ignited.爆炸是由数袋甲烷气体着火引起的。
• Methane may have extraterrestrial significance.甲烷具有星际意义。

14 Celsius   

adj.摄氏温度计的，摄氏的

参考例句：

• The temperature tonight will fall to seven degrees Celsius.今晚气温将下降到七摄氏度。
• The maximum temperature in July may be 36 degrees Celsius.七月份最高温度可能达到36摄氏度。

15 gaseous   

adj.气体的，气态的

参考例句：

• Air whether in the gaseous or liquid state is a fluid.空气，无论是气态的或是液态的，都是一种流体。
• Freon exists both in liquid and gaseous states.氟利昂有液态和气态两种形态。