美國(guó)燃煤電廠關(guān)閉后發(fā)生了一件美好的事情

美國(guó)燃煤電廠關(guān)閉后發(fā)生了一件美好的事情

You might expect shutting down coal-fired plants would net a few benefits. After all, there are good reasons why nation after nation have made it their mission to wean themselves off fossil fuels.

你可能認(rèn)為關(guān)閉燃煤電廠會(huì)帶來一些好處。畢竟，一個(gè)又一個(gè)國(guó)家把擺脫對(duì)化石燃料的依賴作為自己的使命，是有充分理由的。

Clearly, burning coal results in emissions that play a crucial role in climate change.

顯然，燃燒煤炭導(dǎo)致的排放對(duì)氣候變化起著至關(guān)重要的作用。

The study found that shuttering coal plants went a long way toward cleaning up local environments. (Photo: Sherman Cahal/Shutterstock)

But a new study from the University of California San Diego reveals just how dramatically the elimination of coal-burning plants in the U.S. can change the environment for the better.

不過，加州大學(xué)圣地亞哥分校的一項(xiàng)新研究顯示，在美國(guó)大幅淘汰燃煤電廠可以改善環(huán)境。

The paper, published this week in Nature Sustainability, focused on the results of a steady transition from coal to natural gas for electricity production between 2005 and 2016.

這篇本周發(fā)表在《自然可持續(xù)性》雜志上的論文，關(guān)注的是2005年至2016年期間電力生產(chǎn)從煤炭向天然氣穩(wěn)步轉(zhuǎn)型的結(jié)果。

Over that 10-year span, carbon dioxide emissions declined along with pollution levels in hundreds of regions across the U.S. And with fewer airborne pollutants, like aerosols, ozone and other compounds, human and plant health boomed.

在這10年里，隨著美國(guó)數(shù)百個(gè)地區(qū)的污染水平下降，二氧化碳排放量也隨之下降。隨著氣溶膠、臭氧和其他化合物等空氣污染物的減少，人類和植物的健康得到了蓬勃發(fā)展。

In fact, according to the paper, decommissioning coal plants saved an estimated 26,610 lives. By burning less of it, the lower atmosphere was burdened with less particulate matter and ozone — factors known to compromise human health.

事實(shí)上，根據(jù)這份報(bào)告，關(guān)閉燃煤電廠挽救了26610條生命。通過減少燃燒，低層大氣中的顆粒物和臭氧就會(huì)減少，而這些物質(zhì)和臭氧是已知危害人類健康的因素。

Without those pesky pollutants hanging in the air, crops prospered as well. The research suggests areas around decommissioned plants saw additional yields of some 570 million bushels of corn, soybeans and wheat.

沒有了空氣中那些討厭的污染物，農(nóng)作物也長(zhǎng)勢(shì)喜人。研究表明，在停產(chǎn)工廠周邊地區(qū)，玉米、大豆和小麥的產(chǎn)量增加了約5.7億蒲式耳。

"The unique contribution of this study is its scope and the ability to connect discrete technology changes — like an electric power unit being shut down — to local health, agriculture and regional climate impacts," study author Jennifer Burney of the UC San Diego School of Global Policy and Strategy notes in a press release.

“這項(xiàng)研究的獨(dú)特貢獻(xiàn)是它的范圍和能夠連接離散技術(shù)變化——就像一個(gè)被關(guān)閉的電力裝置——與當(dāng)?shù)氐男l(wèi)生、農(nóng)業(yè)和地區(qū)聯(lián)系起來的能力。”加州大學(xué)圣地亞哥分校全球政策與戰(zhàn)略學(xué)院的珍妮弗·伯尼在一份新聞稿中指出。

As Burney explains in the report, 'Although there are considerable benefits of decommissioning older coal-fired units, the newer natural gas and coal-fired units that have supplanted them are not entirely benign.' (Photo: Tumarkin Igor - ITPS/Shutterstock)

To reach those conclusions, Burney analyzed data from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and NASA data to mark local pollution levels before and after a coal plant was shuttered.

為了得出這些結(jié)論，伯尼分析了美國(guó)環(huán)境保護(hù)署(EPA)和美國(guó)國(guó)家航空航天局(NASA)的數(shù)據(jù)，以標(biāo)記一家燃煤電廠關(guān)閉前后當(dāng)?shù)氐奈廴舅健?/p>

In addition, she looked at changes in mortality rates and crop yields using data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

此外，她還利用美國(guó)疾病控制與預(yù)防中心和美國(guó)農(nóng)業(yè)部的數(shù)據(jù)，研究了死亡率和農(nóng)作物產(chǎn)量的變化。

But while the elimination of coal plants seemed to be a net positive for local environments, there's the sticky issue of replacing them.

然而，盡管燃煤電廠的淘汰似乎對(duì)當(dāng)?shù)丨h(huán)境有積極的凈效益，但替換它們?nèi)允且粋€(gè)棘手的問題。

Natural gas plants produce pollutants as well, including CO2. And natural gas is hardly a renewable resource.

天然氣工廠也會(huì)產(chǎn)生污染物，包括二氧化碳。天然氣幾乎不是一種可再生資源。

Burney points out the pollutant mix from natural gas is different from that produced by burning coal. But, as a newer technology, natural gas plants certainly bear further research.

伯尼指出，天然氣產(chǎn)生的污染物與燃煤產(chǎn)生的污染物不同。但是，作為一種較新的技術(shù)，天然氣廠當(dāng)然需要進(jìn)一步的研究。

"We hear a lot about the overall greenhouse gas and economic impacts of the transition the U.S. has undergone in shifting from coal towards natural gas, but the smaller-scale decisions that make up this larger trend have really important local consequences," she explains. "The analysis provides a framework for communities to more thoroughly and accurately assess the costs and benefits of local investments in energy."

她解釋說:“我們聽到了很多關(guān)于美國(guó)從煤炭向天然氣轉(zhuǎn)型所帶來的整體溫室氣體和經(jīng)濟(jì)影響的消息，但構(gòu)成這一更大趨勢(shì)的小規(guī)模決策確實(shí)對(duì)當(dāng)?shù)禺a(chǎn)生了重要影響。”“這項(xiàng)分析為社區(qū)更徹底、更準(zhǔn)確地評(píng)估當(dāng)?shù)啬茉赐顿Y的成本和收益提供了一個(gè)框架。”