VOA标准英语2010年-Illegal Logging Down by One Quarter Wo

Good news has emerged this month for the world's forests.  A new report from the London-based research group Chatham House says illegal logging is down by over 20 percent globally and by much more than that in some of the countries worst affected¹ by the problem.  The news comes only weeks after the European Parliament voted in new laws banning imports of illegally-harvested wood. 

Forests are home to two-thirds of the world's land animals and some 60 million indigenous² people depend on them for their livelihood³.  But in recent decades, the world's forests have been stripped of trees at a rapid pace. Illegal logging has played a big part.

However, it looks as if the tide may be turning.  A new report says more than 17 million hectares of forest have been saved in recent years because of a major clampdown on illegal logging.

 

"Brazil, Cameroon, and Indonesia have all reduced illegal logging significantly - one of our indicators⁴ suggest that the illegal logging in each of those countries may have been reduced by anywhere from half to three-quarters," noted⁵ Sam Lawson, the report's lead author.  "Illegal logging is down and that has important impacts in terms of trying to prevent deforestation."

Illegal logging is down in part because export countries are cracking down on the problem.
In Cameroon, independent monitoring of forest law enforcement has helped.  Lawson says consumer countries are also having a big impact.

"The most important step is one they're only beginning to take now and that's to prohibit the import and sale of timber which was illegally sourced in the country of origin," added Lawson.  "That's something the US did in 2008 and it's something the European Union is now in the process of doing."

The crackdown has meant a 20 percent downturn in illegal logging. And Lawson says that is real progress he says. But the starting point was so high that even now the problem remains⁶ widespread.

In Indonesia 80 percent of the logs harvested in 2001 were cut illegally.  Today, the number is still 40 percent.  Part of the problem is that a number of big importers, such as China and Japan, are not doing enough to stop the import and sale of illegal timber.

And Lawson says producing countries have only taken the first steps towards regulating the industry.

"Some of the easiest wins have already been won - you know, the low hanging fruit have been picked," Lawson explained.  "So it's going to get increasingly difficult to make gains."

That's bad news for the environment, he says, because deforestation produces around 17 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions⁷.

David Ritter from Greenpeace says ending illegal logging will slow down global warming.

"Illegal logging is such a big problem simply because of the size of it. We're talking about a vast number of trees that are taken out of forests every year, which are contributing to that one-fifth of global emissions that comes from deforestation and contributing to the loss of wildlife, contributing to the loss of people's livelihoods⁸ and contributing to the loss of revenue from governments," noted Ritter.

Even after a decade-long decline in illegal logging, Ritter says, there's still a long way to go.
 

1 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

2 indigenous   

adj.土产的，土生土长的，本地的

参考例句：

• Each country has its own indigenous cultural tradition.每个国家都有自己本土的文化传统。
• Indians were the indigenous inhabitants of America.印第安人是美洲的土著居民。

3 livelihood   

n.生计，谋生之道

参考例句：

• Appropriate arrangements will be made for their work and livelihood.他们的工作和生活会得到妥善安排。
• My father gained a bare livelihood of family by his own hands.父亲靠自己的双手勉强维持家计。

4 indicators   

（仪器上显示温度、压力、耗油量等的）指针( indicator的名词复数 )； 指示物； （车辆上的）转弯指示灯； 指示信号

参考例句：

• The economic indicators are better than expected. 经济指标比预期的好。
• It is still difficult to develop indicators for many concepts used in social science. 为社会科学领域的许多概念确立一个指标仍然很难。

5 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。

6 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。

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 livelihoods   

生计，谋生之道( livelihood的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• First came the earliest individualistic pioneers who depended on hunting and fishing for their livelihoods. 走在最前面的是早期的个人主义先驱者，他们靠狩猎捕鱼为生。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件
• With little influence over policies, their traditional livelihoods are threatened. 因为马赛族人对政策的影响力太小，他们的传统生计受到了威胁。