2007年VOA标准英语-Drought, Floods Fuel Australian Climate Change

By Phil Mercer
Goulburn, Australia
05 July 2007

A long drought and recent floods have intensified¹ debate in Australia over climate change. Many Australians believe man's reliance on fossil fuels is warming the earth, while skeptics say it is all part of a natural cycle. Phil Mercer reports on Australia's climate change debate from a sheep farm near the outback town of Goulburn in New South Wales.

Australian merino sheep (file photo)

Alix Turner sees his sheep farm in this rolling corner of New South Wales as a giant carbon sponge. He rotates his 1800 sheep through a series of fields. As a result Turner says the land is not overgrazed and can absorb greater levels of carbon dioxide.

It enters the soil through a process called photosynthesis², where plants convert carbon dioxide into sugars.

Turner says having large stretches of healthy pasture is good for the environment and improves the quality of the soil and the feed it produces.

"There is a total win-win situation between improving your soil carbon level and taking carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere," he said. "The significance and value of this is grossly under-estimated because 75 percent of the carbon in the biosphere³ - that's the soil, the grass, the trees - 75 percent of the carbon is in the soil, not in the trees, and it's not being properly examined."

Many scientists around the world think gas emissions⁴ from fossil fuels such as oil and coal contribute to global warming. They say one way to reduce the problem is through naturally offsetting⁶ carbon dioxide emissions by planting trees and protecting grasslands⁸.

It seems that many Australian farmers see that as an opportunity. There could well be good economic incentives⁹ to plant trees and to carefully manage pastures.

Biologist Charlie Warren from the University of Sydney says that farmland could become an important part of a carbon-trading program. In these programs, companies and individuals that produce carbon emissions, trade credits, or emissions rights, with those who pollute less, or can absorb emissions.

"I guess the big thing now is that a lot of farmers are seeing the value of their land as maybe a sink for carbon, maybe actually being able to sell it as a carbon sink," he said. "Essentially¹⁰ it would be a tradable carbon offset⁵ so you could drive around in your big four-wheel drive and you can get someone to plant some trees which will soak up the carbon. Basically the farmer would sell the carbon which is stored on his land so if a farmer converts some grassland⁷ to a forest he can sell the extra carbon that's stored there."

creek11 bed on their drought stricken 100-hectare property near Toowoomba, west of Brisbane (File photo)" hspace="2" src="/upimg/allimg/070706/1502211.jpg" width="210" vspace="2" border="0" />

Australian farmers survey a dry creek bed on their drought stricken 100-hectare property near Toowoomba, west of Brisbane (File photo)

Australia is in the grip of the worst drought anyone can remember. Many people think the "Big Dry" is the result of climate change and has - in part - been caused by use of fossil fuels.

Not everyone, though, is convinced.

Tony Morrison is a livestock¹² farmer near Goulburn. Like some scientists, he thinks the drought is part of a natural cycle.

"Of course it's climate change but the question is whether or not it's man-induced climate change and I don't believe it is," he said. " I think it's quite ludicrous to consider that man can exert more influence on the climate than nature. I certainly wouldn't be predicting that this is the end of a drought. I would say we're in part of a 40 to 50 year dry-ish cycle in eastern Australia."

Australians are among the world's worst polluters per capita, because of their reliance on cars. And many fear their cars are accelerating climate change.

This young woman in Sydney says she walks everywhere she can, instead of taking a car or bus.

"I want the world to be a better place for everyone to live in. (For) people that are here after all of us, as well. It's about not just thinking about you," she noted¹³. "It's about thinking about the rest of the world that are here now and also people that will be here in the future."

Many Australians think they could - and should - be doing more to protect the environment and reduce emissions. It is difficult to find anyone here in Sydney who is not at least recycling rubbish or cutting electricity and water use.

The common view is that if climate change is not addressed urgently a warmer future will make this country, already prone¹⁴ to drought and cyclones¹⁵, an increasingly tough place to live and prosper¹⁶.

1 intensified   

v.（使）增强， （使）加剧( intensify的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Violence intensified during the night. 在夜间暴力活动加剧了。
• The drought has intensified. 旱情加剧了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 photosynthesis   

n.光合作用

参考例句：

• In apple trees photosynthesis occurs almost exclusively in the leaves.苹果树的光合作用几乎只发生在叶内。
• Chloroplasts are the structures in which photosynthesis happens.叶绿体就是光合作用发生的地方。

3 biosphere   

n.生命层，生物圈

参考例句：

• The entire biosphere was becoming more transparent.整个生物圈越来越透明。
• The impact of modern technology on the biosphere is evident worldwide.现代技术对生物圈的影响在全世界是明显的。

4 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。

5 offset   

n.分支，补偿；v.抵消，补偿

参考例句：

• Their wage increases would be offset by higher prices.他们增加的工资会被物价上涨所抵消。
• He put up his prices to offset the increased cost of materials.他提高了售价以补偿材料成本的增加。

6 offsetting   

n.偏置法v.抵消( offset的现在分词 )；补偿；（为了比较的目的而）把…并列（或并置）；为（管道等）装支管

参考例句：

• Dealers, having concluded a forward contract, should always hedge with an offsetting contract. 外汇经营商在签订了一项远期合同之后总是应进行套头交易签订一项相抵合同。 来自辞典例句
• Where does Germany think offsetting shifts into greater external deficits might occur? 在德国看来，这么大的外部赤字应该转移到哪里？ 来自互联网

7 grassland   

n.牧场，草地，草原

参考例句：

• There is a reach of grassland in the distance.远处是连绵一片的草原。
• The snowstorm swept the vast expanse of grassland.暴风雪袭击了辽阔的草原。

8 grasslands   

n.草原，牧场( grassland的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Songs were heard ringing loud and clear over the grasslands. 草原上扬起清亮激越的歌声。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Grasslands have been broken and planted to wheat. 草原已经开垦出来，种上了小麦。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 incentives   

激励某人做某事的事物( incentive的名词复数 )； 刺激； 诱因； 动机

参考例句：

• tax incentives to encourage savings 鼓励储蓄的税收措施
• Furthermore, subsidies provide incentives only for investments in equipment. 更有甚者，提供津贴仅是为鼓励增添设备的投资。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法

10 essentially   

adv.本质上，实质上，基本上

参考例句：

• Really great men are essentially modest.真正的伟人大都很谦虚。
• She is an essentially selfish person.她本质上是个自私自利的人。

11 creek   

n.小溪，小河，小湾

参考例句：

• He sprang through the creek.他跳过小河。
• People sunbathe in the nude on the rocks above the creek.人们在露出小溪的岩石上裸体晒日光浴。

12 livestock   

n.家畜，牲畜

参考例句：

• Both men and livestock are flourishing.人畜两旺。
• The heavy rains and flooding killed scores of livestock.暴雨和大水淹死了许多牲口。

13 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

14 prone   

adj.(to)易于…的，很可能…的；俯卧的

参考例句：

• Some people are prone to jump to hasty conclusions.有些人往往作出轻率的结论。
• He is prone to lose his temper when people disagree with him.人家一不同意他的意见,他就发脾气。

15 cyclones   

n.气旋( cyclone的名词复数 )；旋风；飓风；暴风

参考例句：

• The pricipal objective in designing cyclones is to create a vortex. 设计旋风除尘器的主要目的在于造成涡旋运动。 来自辞典例句
• Middle-latitude cyclones originate at the popar front. 中纬度地区的气旋发源于极锋。 来自辞典例句

16 prosper   

v.成功，兴隆，昌盛；使成功，使昌隆，繁荣

参考例句：

• With her at the wheel,the company began to prosper.有了她当主管，公司开始兴旺起来。
• It is my earnest wish that this company will continue to prosper.我真诚希望这家公司会继续兴旺发达。