VOA标准英语2008年-U.S. Cities Try 4-Day Workweek to Save Energy

Many Americans are looking for new ways to save money, due to the rising price of gas. With nine out of ten Americans driving to their jobs — about three-quarters of them alone in the car — and many more on the road for work, one solution gaining popularity is the four-day workweek. Erika Celeste examines how the policy is working in the southeastern city of Birmingham, Alabama.

Birmingham, Alabama, city employees did not get their usual four percent cost of living raise this year. Instead, they got something that nearly everyone thinks is better: a four-day work week.

The new policy began July 1, and Carolyn Turner, who's worked for the city for eight years, says she can already see an improvement in her office. "Most everybody I run into in the mornings when I'm coming in, they love it. They're happy, energetic, enthused. We just see a difference in the employees' attitudes."

She admits the enthusiasm could be simply because the policy is new and exciting, but, she insists, "everybody just seems so refreshed."

A switch from the 9 to 5 routine

Traditionally, American businesses operate five days a week, 8 hours a day. But the idea of a longer workday and a shorter workweek to save fuel and money is gaining popularity with city and state governments across the country.

In Wisconsin, road crews are putting in fewer days a week… 80 percent of Utah's state employees will go on a four-day schedule in August… and lawmakers in Alaska, Arkansas, Idaho and New Mexico are considering legislation to move government workers to a four-day workweek.

However, unlike a similar plan in Avondale, Arizona, in which the City Hall is now closed on Fridays, Birmingham's city offices will remain open all week. Participation¹ in the four-day plan is optional, and most departments, with the exceptions of police and fire, have opted² to stagger their schedules.

Deborah Vance, Mayor Larry Langford's chief of staff, explains, "We asked them to look towards Mondays and Fridays to take off, but we have some situations where people are taking off Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays." She stresses that the mayor is not shutting down city business just to do this.

In fact, Carolyn Turner notes that having two more hours during her workday means she's able to provide extended service before and after regular business hours. "When I'm driving in, in the morning, the traffic is not as bad, so that's a really good thing." The easier commute³ helps her save on gas.

"Even when I come into work at 7, there's not a whole lot of people here and the phones are not just constantly ringing." Turner says that gives her more time to do paperwork.

And she says working a little longer doesn't bother her when she knows she'll have an extra day off. She's now off on Mondays, which gives her a chance to take care of personal chores and relax around the house.

Flexible schedule benefits more than the commuters

While the abbreviated⁴ workweek helps city employees save on gas, Deborah Vance says it has an even larger impact on the municipal government. "A large part of our fuel savings⁵ comes from the public works department," she explains, pointing out that more than a quarter of the city's gasoline is used by its fleet of trucks and cars. "We will realize by the end of the year a direct savings in fuel." That savings is currently estimated at one million dollars.

And Vance says there are also environmental savings. "In a place like Birmingham where there is no mass transit⁶, coming up with a solution to get more cars off the road and less emissions⁷, [is] better for the entire region."

And, says Mayor Langford, there are social benefits, especially for a city like Birmingham, which is wrestling with high crime. "I now have mamas and daddies back in their homes to spend time with their own children," he says happily, explaining that he hopes that has an impact on crime as well as saving money. "The more mamas and daddies I can have at home, acting⁸ like mamas and daddies, I don't have to hire a cop."

Growing trend in private sector⁹

According to a May survey from the Society of Human Resource Management, one quarter of American businesses are also offering flexible schedules to help workers offset¹⁰ the cost of fuel.

Larry Langford isn't surprised. He notes that the problem is not unique to Birmingham or the state of Alabama. "Throughout the world, we have abused what God has given us to the point that nature's now fighting back. We don't get the message that you can't keep taking, taking, taking, until you reach a point where the whole system, earth itself is going to rebel against us." He says there is still a chance to reverse the process, "but we've got to get real serious about it."

 

 

1 participation   

n.参与，参加，分享

参考例句：

• Some of the magic tricks called for audience participation.有些魔术要求有观众的参与。
• The scheme aims to encourage increased participation in sporting activities.这个方案旨在鼓励大众更多地参与体育活动。

2 opted   

v.选择，挑选( opt的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• She was co-opted onto the board. 她获增选为董事会成员。
• After graduating she opted for a career in music. 毕业后她选择了从事音乐工作。

3 commute   

vi.乘车上下班；vt.减(刑)；折合；n.上下班交通

参考例句：

• I spend much less time on my commute to work now.我现在工作的往返时间要节省好多。
• Most office workers commute from the suburbs.很多公司的职员都是从郊外来上班的。

4 abbreviated   

adj. 简短的，省略的 动词abbreviate的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He abbreviated so much that it was hard to understand his article. 他的文章缩写词使用太多，令人费解。
• The United States of America is commonly abbreviated to U.S.A.. 美利坚合众国常被缩略为U.S.A.。

5 savings   

n.存款，储蓄

参考例句：

• I can't afford the vacation,for it would eat up my savings.我度不起假，那样会把我的积蓄用光的。
• By this time he had used up all his savings.到这时，他的存款已全部用完。

6 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。

7 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。

8 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。

9 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。

10 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。