VOA标准英语2010年-Australian Economic Stimulus Also Help

Nearly a year after the global financial crisis peaked, an economic stimulus¹ program that Australia says was key in easing its recession, is getting attention and praise.   The program is aimed at energy efficiency and has even had an impact on jobs in the United States.

Under Australia's program, homeowners in older homes who install new insulation² get up to $1200 from the federal government.  

The program has created jobs, while reducing carbon emissions³ and cutting electric bills up to 40 percent in each household.

 

Ross Davidson is spokesman for Australia's Department of the Environment. He says the $2 billion effort is one reason Australia's unemployment rate is half that of the United States. "What we actually found is that not only were jobs being created, there was a lot more confidence in the market... And it is a program that is so simple to duplicate in other economies," he said.

About 19,000 homes a week are getting new insulation, says Davidson, and that's fueling more jobs of all kinds.

Michael Penney is a businessman.  He says his company - which installs ceiling insulation across Australia -- is booming. "We expanded, we put in a mini call center, we employed a couple of girls, put in computer systems, spent some money on advertising⁴, and we employed and trained another approximately, about, 10 people that we've introduced to the industry." 

But production -- specifically of insulation materials --has not kept up with demand.

Paul Pickup⁵ is logistics manager at Fletcher Insulation, the country's largest producer of insulation. He says his company found a solution. "So we then looked to Owens Corning, who had plants that didn't have anything to do at this point in time in the States," he stated.

Owens Corning opened a new line at a factory in California to feed Australia's demand. That created at least 150 American jobs--and saved others.

And it's this material, made in Australia and also imported from countries like the United States, which the government here says has created over 25,000 jobs.

Sexy enough to gain the attention of US President Barack Obama. Last month, the president pitched a similar program in his speech at the Home Depot⁶ in Alexandria, Virginia. "A lot of people say we can't afford to deal with these emissions to the environment.  But the fact of the matter is energy efficiency is a perfect example of how this can be a win-win," Mr Obama said.

The approach, like Australia's, is to address the economic crisis and at the same time tackle global warming.  Here that will amount to cutting carbon emissions by 30 million tons over the next decade, the equivalent of taking 600,000 cars off the road.

"It makes a lot of sense if it's adding more than just job creation, it's actually adding to the ability for the country to reduce its energy usage as well," Pickup said.
 
Homeowner Steve Kotarac is upbeat. "Well it's a good thing for everybody," he said. "If it's good for the climate, it's good for the people too."

And that has policy makers⁷ in Australia and the US hoping people will think pink to go green.

 

1 stimulus   

n.刺激，刺激物，促进因素，引起兴奋的事物

参考例句：

• Regard each failure as a stimulus to further efforts.把每次失利看成对进一步努力的激励。
• Light is a stimulus to growth in plants.光是促进植物生长的一个因素。

2 insulation   

n.隔离；绝缘；隔热

参考例句：

• Please examine the insulation of the electric wires in my house.请检查一下我屋子里电线的绝缘情况。
• It is always difficult to assure good insulation between the electric leads.要保证两个电触头之间有良好的绝缘总是很困难的。

3 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。

4 advertising   

n.广告业；广告活动 a.广告的；广告业务的

参考例句：

• Can you give me any advice on getting into advertising? 你能指点我如何涉足广告业吗?
• The advertising campaign is aimed primarily at young people. 这个广告宣传运动主要是针对年轻人的。

5 pickup   

n.拾起，获得

参考例句：

• I would love to trade this car for a pickup truck.我愿意用这辆汽车换一辆小型轻便卡车。||The luck guy is a choice pickup for the girls.那位幸运的男孩是女孩子们想勾搭上的人。

6 depot   

n.仓库，储藏处；公共汽车站；火车站

参考例句：

• The depot is only a few blocks from here.公共汽车站离这儿只有几个街区。
• They leased the building as a depot.他们租用这栋大楼作仓库。

7 makers   

n.制造者，制造商（maker的复数形式）

参考例句：

• The makers of the product assured us that there had been no sacrifice of quality. 这一产品的制造商向我们保证说他们没有牺牲质量。
• The makers are about to launch out a new product. 制造商们马上要生产一种新产品。 来自《简明英汉词典》