2006年VOA标准英语-Environmentalists Urge Elimination of DDT

By Lisa Schlein
Geneva
02 May 2006

Environmentalists are calling for the elimination¹ of the toxic² chemical, DDT, which is still used in large parts of Africa to combat malaria³. The continued use of DDT is on the agenda of a week-long conference in Geneva aimed at strengthening measures to rid the world of some of its most dangerous chemicals.

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More than 500 delegates from 130 countries and many non-governmental organizations are attending the annual conference of the Stockholm Convention on Persistent⁴ Organic Pollutants⁵. POPs, as they are called, include 12 hazardous⁶ pesticides⁷ and industrial chemicals.

Evidence shows these substances can kill people, and damage the nervous and immune systems. They may cause cancer and reproductive disorders⁸ and interfere⁹ with normal infant and child development.

Under the Stockholm Convention, countries must phase out the use of these toxic chemicals in favor of more benign¹⁰ alternatives. Acting¹¹ Executive Secretary of the Convention, John Whitelaw, says the treaty makes an exception with regard to DDT.

"In negotiating the Convention, governments realized that DDT still played an important role for many countries, primarily in dealing¹² with malaria," he said. "But, they also recognized there were alternatives. So, the emphasis in the Convention is to allow the ongoing¹³ use of DDTs, but to provide opportunities for countries to identify and test and become satisfied with alternatives."

Alternative substances are expensive, but the Convention makes provision for financial and technical support to help poor countries.

Between 25 and 30 countries are significant users of DDT. Most are in Africa. Some are in Asia. Senegalese activist¹⁴, Henly Rene Diouf is a member of a Pan African network that works for the elimination of POPs.

He says many African countries stopped using DDT in the early 1980s because it caused many problems. But, he says many of these same countries have resumed its use because DDT is seen as a cheap and effective way to combat malaria, a major problem in Africa.

Diouf says environmentalists do not believe DDT is the best solution for Africa's malaria problem. He says the massive use of DDT causes resistance in mosquitoes. The toxic product also persists in the atmosphere and will remain a problem for generations to come.

Diouf says governments should emphasize other strategies that are effective in malaria control. For instance, he says sanitary¹⁵ conditions should be improved to keep malaria mosquitoes from breeding. He says people should have prompt and easy access to effective anti-malaria drugs.

The Stockholm Convention does not set a date by which countries must phase out the use of DDT, but parties to the Convention have to report on its use every three years.

1 elimination   

n.排除，消除，消灭

参考例句：

• Their elimination from the competition was a great surprise.他们在比赛中遭到淘汰是个很大的意外。
• I was eliminated from the 400 metres in the semi-finals.我在400米半决赛中被淘汰。

2 toxic   

adj.有毒的，因中毒引起的

参考例句：

• The factory had accidentally released a quantity of toxic waste into the sea.这家工厂意外泄漏大量有毒废物到海中。
• There is a risk that toxic chemicals might be blasted into the atmosphere.爆炸后有毒化学物质可能会进入大气层。

3 malaria   

n.疟疾

参考例句：

• He had frequent attacks of malaria.他常患疟疾。
• Malaria is a kind of serious malady.疟疾是一种严重的疾病。

4 persistent   

adj.坚持不懈的，执意的；持续的

参考例句：

• Albert had a persistent headache that lasted for three days.艾伯特连续头痛了三天。
• She felt embarrassed by his persistent attentions.他不时地向她大献殷勤，使她很难为情。

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 hazardous   

adj.(有)危险的，冒险的；碰运气的

参考例句：

• These conditions are very hazardous for shipping.这些情况对航海非常不利。
• Everybody said that it was a hazardous investment.大家都说那是一次危险的投资。

7 pesticides   

n.杀虫剂( pesticide的名词复数 )；除害药物

参考例句：

• vegetables grown without the use of pesticides 未用杀虫剂种植的蔬菜
• There is a lot of concern over the amount of herbicides and pesticides used in farming. 人们对农业上灭草剂和杀虫剂的用量非常担忧。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 disorders   

n.混乱( disorder的名词复数 )；凌乱；骚乱；（身心、机能）失调

参考例句：

• Reports of anorexia and other eating disorders are on the increase. 据报告，厌食症和其他饮食方面的功能紊乱发生率正在不断增长。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The announcement led to violent civil disorders. 这项宣布引起剧烈的骚乱。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 interfere   

v.(in)干涉，干预；(with)妨碍，打扰

参考例句：

• If we interfere, it may do more harm than good.如果我们干预的话，可能弊多利少。
• When others interfere in the affair,it always makes troubles. 别人一卷入这一事件，棘手的事情就来了。

10 benign   

adj.善良的，慈祥的；良性的，无危险的

参考例句：

• The benign weather brought North America a bumper crop.温和的气候给北美带来大丰收。
• Martha is a benign old lady.玛莎是个仁慈的老妇人。

11 acting   

n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的

参考例句：

• Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她，她只是假装的。
• During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代，她的表演生涯黯然失色。

12 dealing   

n.经商方法，待人态度

参考例句：

• This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。
• His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。

13 ongoing   

adj.进行中的，前进的

参考例句：

• The problem is ongoing.这个问题尚未解决。
• The issues raised in the report relate directly to Age Concern's ongoing work in this area.报告中提出的问题与“关心老人”组织在这方面正在做的工作有直接的关系。

14 activist   

n.活动分子，积极分子

参考例句：

• He's been a trade union activist for many years.多年来他一直是工会的积极分子。
• He is a social activist in our factory.他是我厂的社会活动积极分子。

15 sanitary   

adj.卫生方面的，卫生的，清洁的，卫生的

参考例句：

• It's not sanitary to let flies come near food.让苍蝇接近食物是不卫生的。
• The sanitary conditions in this restaurant are abominable.这家饭馆的卫生状况糟透了。