美国国家公共电台 NPR--The Supreme Court curbs the EPA's power to protect the environment

The Supreme¹ Court curbs² the EPA's power to protect the environment

Transcript³

The Supreme Court limited the ways in which the EPA could regulate greenhouse gas pollution from power plants, jeopardizing⁴ President Biden's goal for an emissions⁵-free power sector⁶ by 2035.

A MARTINEZ, HOST:

President Biden came into office offering major climate promises. At the U.N. summit in Glasgow last year, Biden said the U.S. would lead the world in making rapid greenhouse gas reductions.

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PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN: This is the decade that will determine the answer, this decade. The science is clear. We only have a brief window left before us.

MARTINEZ: The goal has already hit major roadblocks. As NPR's Scott Detrow reports, yesterday's Supreme Court ruling makes it even tougher.

SCOTT DETROW, BYLINE⁷: Last fall, on the way to that summit, Biden was trying to get a deal in place. He wanted the largest climate legislation in U.S. history. But talks with West Virginia Democrat⁸ Joe Manchin had stalled. And in Scotland, Biden faced doubts.

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BIDEN: There's a reason for people to be worried. I'm worried. I'm worried if we don't continue to move forward and make the kind of progress we're now making that it's going to - I mean, we throw into jeopardy⁹ the prospect¹⁰ that we're going to be able to keep the temperature from rising above 1.5 degrees Celsius¹¹.

DETROW: Since then, that historic climate legislation has gone from stalled to dead. Biden has found himself calling for more oil drilling, not less, due to global shortages caused by the Russia-Ukraine war. And global greenhouse gas emissions shot to an all-time high in 2021. Then yesterday, the Supreme Court dealt Biden's aggressive climate agenda another blow. It said the Environmental Protection Agency had previously¹² gone too far when it tried to shift the American power sector away from fossil fuels and toward clean energy. In a statement, Biden said it was devastating¹³.

LEAH STOKES: You know, this was a really bad decision today, but it was not as bad as it could have been.

DETROW: Leah Stokes is a climate and energy expert and a professor at UC Santa Barbara.

STOKES: The fact is, the Biden administration still has the authority under the Clean Air Act to regulate greenhouse gases.

DETROW: That's how the White House views it, too. Most of the administration's authority to regulate power plants remains¹⁴. Emissions regulations on cars and trucks are still in place, too. But the court also sent clear signals about future rulings. Nina Mendelson is a law professor at the University of Michigan.

NINA MENDELSON: Far beyond the Clean Air Act, this decision is a broader threat to the federal government's ability to protect the environment or public health or consumer safety.

DETROW: That's because for a long time, Congress had given agencies the power and independence to act flexibly as new challenges arise. Now the court is saying Congress needs to give more specific instruction. Biden said in a statement today that, quote, "our fight against climate change must carry forward." Leah Stokes hasn't given up.

STOKES: I feel like climate change is a knife fight, you know? It's never going to be easy. We are trying to wrangle¹⁵ a massive industry that has bought and paid for the Republican Party and, increasingly, the Supreme Court.

DETROW: The ruling puts even more pressure on the White House to reach a deal on some sort of climate bill. Manchin, who killed the previous legislation, has been in serious talks with Majority Leader Chuck Schumer. But yesterday, Illinois Democrat Dick Durbin didn't sound too upbeat about it.

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DICK DURBIN: To his credit, Senator Schumer, much more optimistic than myself, continues to work with that senator from West Virginia to see if there is any common ground. So perhaps before the end of the year, they'll deliver this miraculous¹⁶ bill.

DETROW: With a hostile judiciary lurking¹⁷ and a possible Republican congressional takeover looming¹⁸, it may be their best bet.

Scott Detrow, NPR News, Washington.

1 supreme   

adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的

参考例句：

• It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。

2 curbs   

v.限制，克制，抑制( curb的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• In executing his functions he is not bound by any legal curbs on his power. 在他履行职务时，他的权力是不受任何法律约束的。 来自辞典例句
• Curbs on air travel were being worked out and would shortly be announced. 限制航空旅行的有关规定正在拟定中，不久即将公布。 来自辞典例句

3 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

4 jeopardizing   

危及，损害( jeopardize的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Plans may also become inefficient in the attainment of objectives by jeopardizing group satisfactions. 用危及群体利益方法去达到目标的计划，也是无效率的。
• That boosted government revenues in the short term, but is now jeopardizing them. Morales将天然气工业，电信业和部分采矿业收归国有的举措吓跑了投资者们。

5 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。

6 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。

7 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

8 democrat   

n.民主主义者，民主人士；民主党党员

参考例句：

• The Democrat and the Public criticized each other.民主党人和共和党人互相攻击。
• About two years later,he was defeated by Democrat Jimmy Carter.大约两年后，他被民主党人杰米卡特击败。

9 jeopardy   

n.危险；危难

参考例句：

• His foolish behaviour may put his whole future in jeopardy.他愚蠢的行为可能毁了他一生的前程。
• It is precisely at this juncture that the boss finds himself in double jeopardy.恰恰在这个关键时刻，上司发现自己处于进退两难的境地。

10 prospect   

n.前景，前途；景色，视野

参考例句：

• This state of things holds out a cheerful prospect.事态呈现出可喜的前景。
• The prospect became more evident.前景变得更加明朗了。

11 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。

12 previously   

adv.以前，先前（地）

参考例句：

• The bicycle tyre blew out at a previously damaged point.自行车胎在以前损坏过的地方又爆开了。
• Let me digress for a moment and explain what had happened previously.让我岔开一会儿，解释原先发生了什么。

13 devastating   

adj.毁灭性的，令人震惊的，强有力的

参考例句：

• It is the most devastating storm in 20 years.这是20年来破坏性最大的风暴。
• Affairs do have a devastating effect on marriages.婚外情确实会对婚姻造成毁灭性的影响。

14 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

15 wrangle   

vi.争吵

参考例句：

• I don't want to get into a wrangle with the committee.我不想同委员会发生争执。
• The two countries fell out in a bitter wrangle over imports.这两个国家在有关进口问题的激烈争吵中闹翻了。

16 miraculous   

adj.像奇迹一样的，不可思议的

参考例句：

• The wounded man made a miraculous recovery.伤员奇迹般地痊愈了。
• They won a miraculous victory over much stronger enemy.他们战胜了远比自己强大的敌人，赢得了非凡的胜利。

17 lurking   

潜在

参考例句：

• Why are you lurking around outside my house? 你在我房子外面鬼鬼祟祟的，想干什么？
• There is a suspicious man lurking in the shadows. 有一可疑的人躲在阴暗中。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

18 looming   

n.上现蜃景（光通过低层大气发生异常折射形成的一种海市蜃楼）v.隐约出现，阴森地逼近( loom的现在分词 )；隐约出现，阴森地逼近

参考例句：

• The foothills were looming ahead through the haze. 丘陵地带透过薄雾朦胧地出现在眼前。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Then they looked up. Looming above them was Mount Proteome. 接着他们往上看，在其上隐约看到的是蛋白质组山。 来自英汉非文学 - 生命科学 - 回顾与展望