Beijing unveils new steps to curb air pollution

 　　BEIJING, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- Beijing will strengthen its efforts to treat PM2.5 and slash¹ the density² of major air pollutants³ by 2 percent this year, the municipality's acting⁴ mayor said Tuesday.

　　The capital will take 180,000 old vehicles off the road and promote clean energy autos among government departments, the public and the urban cleaning sector⁵, which includes street cleaners and trash collectors, Wang Anshun said at the opening of a session of the Beijing Municipal People's Congress, the municipal legislature.

　　The heating systems of 44,000 old, single-story homes and coal-burning boilers⁶ downtown are to be replaced with clean energy, Wang said as he delivered a government work report.

　　In the next five years, "Beijing will complete afforestation of 66,000 hectares to make the city's forest coverage⁷ hit 40 percent or above. Its total emissions⁸ of major pollutants will continue to be reduced," said Wang.

　　The city will also speed up the promotion⁹ of clean energy in rural areas and strictly¹⁰ control dust in construction projects, said Wang.

　　He vowed¹¹ to strengthen air quality monitoring and analysis, as well as the release of such information.

　　The city also plans to reduce coal consumption by 1.4 million tonnes and volatile¹² organic compounds emissions by 8,000 tonnes, in addition to closing some 450 heavily polluting plants, according to municipal authorities.

　　Earlier this month, several consecutive¹³ days of smoggy weather choked Beijing, as readings for PM2.5, or airborne particles measuring less than 2.5 micrometers in diameter, far exceeded safe levels.

　　"The most important is the measures to handle the basic causes. One is the technological¹⁴ upgrading or closure of polluting companies. Another is the promotion of environmentally friendly public transport," said Wei Aimin, a lawyer and municipal lawmaker.

　　"Vehicles contribute about 17 percent of pollution. We should try to reduce vehicle exhaust pollution by all means," Wei told Xinhua. "In this regard, both officials and individuals should make their own contributions."A Chinese netizen calling himeself "chayu2000" wrote on Sina Weibo, a most popular microblog, "The most effective method is to strictly control the number of vehicles belonging to government institutions. Officials should set an example and take buses or commuter¹⁵ vans to work."The number of vehicles has increased to 5.18 million currently from 3.13 million in early 2008, according to the Beijing Municipal Commission of Transport. In 2011, the city began to adopt a license¹⁶ plate lottery¹⁷ system to curb¹⁸ the rapid growth of vehicles.

　　Over the past five years, Beijing built 300-km-long urban rail transit¹⁹ lines with nearly 190 billion yuan (about 30.3 billion U.S. dollars), said Beijing's acting mayor. The total length is 442 km in Beijing, which plans to complete 24 km more of such transit lines this year.

　　"The core issue with Beijing's air quality is the growing population," said Jiang Yi, director of the Energy Saving Studies Center at Tsinghua University.

　　"Currently, the population burden on Beijing's environment has reached maximum levels. Pollution treatment cannot go on without population control," said Jiang, who is also a political advisor²⁰ attending the on-going annual session of the municipal political consultative body.

　　Beijing's population reached 20.69 million by the end of 2012, an increase of 500,000 people year on year, the Beijing Municipal Statistics Bureau said. The population stood at 16.33 million in early 2008.

　　The city should strictly control the expansion of manufacturing industries to reduce the inflow of workers, the expert suggested.

　　Wang Yingchun, deputy head of the Beijing Municipal Meteorological Bureau, said efforts to improve air quality require the coordination²¹ of relevant departments.

　　"The pollutants in Beijing come not only from the emissions in Beijing, but also from those of neighboring cities. Thus, air quality forecasts and early warnings should be cross-regional," Wang said.

　　Wang also advised environmental protection, medical and health and meteorological departments cooperate with each other and share air quality monitoring information.

　　Zheng Zhangshi, another political advisor, said the city should continue to implement²² the effective pollution control measures adopted during the Beijing Olympic Games in 2008.

　　He said Beijing should offer advanced technologies or management to help upgrade industries in adjacent regions as part of coordination efforts.

　　The Beijing Municipal Air Pollution Control Regulation draft, which was released Saturday to elicit²³ public comments, stipulated²⁴ emergency measures for heavy pollution days, such as suspension of factory production, and reduction in the number of running vehicles. Violators will face hefty punishment.

　　In 2012, the density of major air pollutants in Beijing dropped by 3.8 percent on average, the Beijing Municipal Environmental Protection Bureau said.

　　In response to public demand, real-time air quality monitoring data on PM2.5 intensity²⁵ in China's 74 major cities, including Beijing, has been released since Jan. 1. Beijing has set up 35 stations for real-time air quality monitoring of PM2.5.

1 slash   

vi.大幅度削减；vt.猛砍，尖锐抨击，大幅减少；n.猛砍，斜线，长切口，衣衩

参考例句：

• The shop plans to slash fur prices after Spring Festival.该店计划在春节之后把皮货降价。
• Don't slash your horse in that cruel way.不要那样残忍地鞭打你的马。

2 density   

n.密集，密度，浓度

参考例句：

• The population density of that country is 685 per square mile.那个国家的人口密度为每平方英里685人。
• The region has a very high population density.该地区的人口密度很高。

3 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

4 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。

5 sector   

n.部门，部分；防御地段，防区；扇形

参考例句：

• The export sector will aid the economic recovery. 出口产业将促进经济复苏。
• The enemy have attacked the British sector.敌人已进攻英国防区。

6 boilers   

锅炉，烧水器，水壶( boiler的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Even then the boilers often burst or came apart at the seams. 甚至那时的锅炉也经常从焊接处爆炸或裂开。 来自英汉非文学 - 科学史
• The clean coal is sent to a crusher and the boilers. 干净的煤送入破碎机和锅炉。

7 coverage   

n.报导，保险范围，保险额，范围，覆盖

参考例句：

• There's little coverage of foreign news in the newspaper.报纸上几乎没有国外新闻报道。
• This is an insurance policy with extensive coverage.这是一项承保范围广泛的保险。

8 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。

9 promotion   

n.提升，晋级；促销，宣传

参考例句：

• The teacher conferred with the principal about Dick's promotion.教师与校长商谈了迪克的升级问题。
• The clerk was given a promotion and an increase in salary.那个职员升了级，加了薪。

10 strictly   

adv.严厉地，严格地；严密地

参考例句：

• His doctor is dieting him strictly.他的医生严格规定他的饮食。
• The guests were seated strictly in order of precedence.客人严格按照地位高低就座。

11 vowed   

起誓，发誓（vow的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• He vowed quite solemnly that he would carry out his promise. 他非常庄严地发誓要实现他的诺言。
• I vowed to do more of the cooking myself. 我发誓自己要多动手做饭。

12 volatile   

adj.反复无常的，挥发性的，稍纵即逝的，脾气火爆的；n.挥发性物质

参考例句：

• With the markets being so volatile,investments are at great risk.由于市场那么变化不定，投资冒着很大的风险。
• His character was weak and volatile.他这个人意志薄弱，喜怒无常。

13 consecutive   

adj.连续的，联贯的，始终一贯的

参考例句：

• It has rained for four consecutive days.已连续下了四天雨。
• The policy of our Party is consecutive.我党的政策始终如一。

14 technological   

adj.技术的；工艺的

参考例句：

• A successful company must keep up with the pace of technological change.一家成功的公司必须得跟上技术变革的步伐。
• Today,the pace of life is increasing with technological advancements.当今， 随着科技进步，生活节奏不断增快。

15 commuter   

n.(尤指市郊之间)乘公交车辆上下班者

参考例句：

• Police cordoned off the road and diverted commuter traffic. 警察封锁了道路并分流交通。
• She accidentally stepped on his foot on a crowded commuter train. 她在拥挤的通勤列车上不小心踩到了他的脚。

16 license   

n.执照，许可证，特许；v.许可，特许

参考例句：

• The foreign guest has a license on the person.这个外国客人随身携带执照。
• The driver was arrested for having false license plates on his car.司机由于使用假车牌而被捕。

17 lottery   

n.抽彩；碰运气的事，难于算计的事

参考例句：

• He won no less than ￡5000 in the lottery.他居然中了5000英镑的奖券。
• They thought themselves lucky in the lottery of life.他们认为自己是变幻莫测的人生中的幸运者。

18 curb   

n.场外证券市场，场外交易；vt.制止，抑制

参考例句：

• I could not curb my anger.我按捺不住我的愤怒。
• You must curb your daughter when you are in church.你在教堂时必须管住你的女儿。

19 transit   

n.经过，运输；vt.穿越，旋转；vi.越过

参考例句：

• His luggage was lost in transit.他的行李在运送中丢失。
• The canal can transit a total of 50 ships daily.这条运河每天能通过50条船。

20 advisor   

n.顾问，指导老师，劝告者

参考例句：

• They employed me as an advisor.他们聘请我当顾问。
• The professor is engaged as a technical advisor.这位教授被聘请为技术顾问。

21 coordination   

n.协调，协作

参考例句：

• Gymnastics is a sport that requires a considerable level of coordination.体操是一项需要高协调性的运动。
• The perfect coordination of the dancers and singers added a rhythmic charm to the performance.舞蹈演员和歌手们配合得很好，使演出更具魅力。

22 implement   

n.(pl.)工具，器具；vt.实行，实施，执行

参考例句：

• Don't undertake a project unless you can implement it.不要承担一项计划，除非你能完成这项计划。
• The best implement for digging a garden is a spade.在花园里挖土的最好工具是铁锹。

23 elicit   

v.引出,抽出,引起

参考例句：

• It was designed to elicit the best thinking within the government. 机构的设置是为了在政府内部集思广益。
• Don't try to elicit business secrets from me. I won't tell you anything. 你休想从我这里套问出我们的商业机密, 我什么都不会告诉你的。

24 stipulated   

vt.& vi.规定；约定adj.[法]合同规定的

参考例句：

• A delivery date is stipulated in the contract. 合同中规定了交货日期。
• Yes, I think that's what we stipulated. 对呀，我想那是我们所订定的。 来自辞典例句

25 intensity   

n.强烈，剧烈；强度；烈度

参考例句：

• I didn't realize the intensity of people's feelings on this issue.我没有意识到这一问题能引起群情激奋。
• The strike is growing in intensity.罢工日益加剧。