2006年VOA标准英语-Asia Urged to Use Energy More Efficiently

By Douglas Bakshian
Manila
20 June 2006

The president of the Asian Development Bank says Asia must use energy more efficiently¹ because as it develops the region will play a big role in climate change. The ADB is holding a three-day meeting in Manila on clean energy sources.

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Haruhiko Kuroda   
  
Bank President Haruhiko Kuroda says Asia's growth has brought benefits to the poor, but has also put a serious strain on the environment, resources and energy supplies.

He says energy conservation, security, and efficiency are more important in Asia than ever before.

"Between 1973 and 2003, Asia's energy consumption grew by 230 percent, compared with an average worldwide increase of 75 percent,"  explained Haruhiko Kuroda. "As a consequence, the region's share of greenhouse gas emissions² has risen from less than one-tenth of global emissions to nearly one-quarter."

Greenhouse gas, a byproduct of emissions from burning oil, gasoline, and coal, contributes to global warming. Rising global temperatures are expected to alter rainfall levels, affecting crop yields and water supplies. In addition, in many Asian countries, sharply rising energy consumption is worsening air pollution, and damaging public health.

The ADB president argues that Asia must expand its access to energy to maintain its rapid growth and to keep lifting people out of poverty, but energy production and consumption needs to move to a more sustainable path. Kuroda says the reality of Asia's impact on global warming can no longer be ignored.

The Manila based Asian Development Bank is a non-profit lending institution devoted³ to helping⁴ developing countries in the region expand their economies and cut poverty.

It recently expanded its program of clean energy projects to $1 billion a year. It has planned something called the Carbon Market Initiative, which will help developing countries with financing for cleaner energy technologies.

1 efficiently   

adv.高效率地，有能力地

参考例句：

• The worker oils the machine to operate it more efficiently.工人给机器上油以使机器运转更有效。
• Local authorities have to learn to allocate resources efficiently.地方政府必须学会有效地分配资源。

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 devoted   

adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的

参考例句：

• He devoted his life to the educational cause of the motherland.他为祖国的教育事业贡献了一生。
• We devoted a lengthy and full discussion to this topic.我们对这个题目进行了长时间的充分讨论。

4 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。