BBC News:奧巴馬將宣布新的排污指標

As we recorded this podcast, President Obama and the environmental protection agency in the US were due to announce fresh targets to cut pollution from power plants by 30% by 2020. Environmentalists claim it as a victory. But opponents say it could have damaging economic effects, especially for coal producing areas.

截至發(fā)稿時，美國總統(tǒng)奧巴馬和美國環(huán)保機構準備宣布新的指標——2020年之前，發(fā)電廠的排污量減少30%。環(huán)保人士將此舉稱為勝利之舉。然而，反對者卻認為此舉會損害經(jīng)濟效益，尤其是產(chǎn)煤領域的經(jīng)濟效益。

America produces more greenhouse gases than any other country in the world, but in fact, produces more than double per person than China does. And around 40% of those greenhouse emissions comes from energy production. This power plant alone in West Virginia burns an incredible 16,000 tons of coal each day when it's working at full capacity providing electricity to around 2 million homes. But President Obama is about to announce rules which are the most significant in American history in terms of trying to limit climate changes. He is going to talk about trying to cap the amounts of carbon dioxide that's produced by power plants like this one. That is something that has greatly pleased environmentalists but of course upset many in the coal industry.

美 國是世界上制造溫室氣體最多的國家，而事實上，其人均溫室氣體生產(chǎn)量比中國高出兩倍還多。其中40%的溫室氣體排放來自能源生產(chǎn)。西弗吉尼亞的這家發(fā)電廠 每天全力運轉需要燃燒16000噸煤，以供應200萬家庭的用電。奧巴馬要宣布的制度是控制氣候變化方面美國歷史上最重要的，內(nèi)容主要是削減這樣的發(fā)電廠 的二氧化碳排放量。此舉使環(huán)保人士大為滿意，但同時不免使煤炭行業(yè)大為憂心。

And in West Virginia, it's not just about power production, this beautiful state sits on huge coal reserves and the worry here is that if the amount of coal it's burned in America is decreased because that is the only real way to bring down carbon dioxide emissions, then thousands upon thousands of miners and others associated with the coal industry will lose their jobs. But it's very clear that President Obama wants it as part of its legacy, that it is something about climate change and his point is this will create more opportunities in other sectors like renewable energies. But having spoken to people here in West Virginia over the last couple of days, it seems they are not going to give up on what's becoming an increasingly bitter fight.

西弗吉尼亞不光有發(fā)電的問題，這個美麗的州擁有大量的煤炭儲量。需要擔心的問題是如果決定采用減少二氧化碳排放 量這個唯一有效的途徑，減少煤炭燃燒量，那么成千上萬的礦工和煤炭行業(yè)從業(yè)者將會面臨失業(yè)。但很顯然，奧巴馬總統(tǒng)想讓煤炭成為該州遺產(chǎn)的一部分，控制環(huán)境 變化會在其他領域，如再生能源等領域產(chǎn)生更多的就業(yè)機會。然而，通過前幾天和西弗吉尼亞當?shù)厝苏勗挘伊私獾剿麄儾粫艞夁@場愈演愈烈的斗爭。

The existing plant are a major contributor to greenhouse gases in the USA and globally. Something around 35% of US emissions come from power. So this will really be a significant move and will be welcomed internationally as a step toward the sort of things needed if we are going to get the global deal on climate change that is supposed theoretically to happen next year.

現(xiàn)有的發(fā)電廠是美國和全球溫室氣體的主要生產(chǎn)源。美國35%的排放量來自發(fā)電。所以，該舉措十分重要。如果我們要在明年達成氣候變化國際協(xié)定，該舉措將會受到歡迎。

Not welcome by the republicans in the US though, and because of the difficulties that the president has had getting climate change legislation through, this will be left up to each individual state to implement.

美國共和黨不大認可這項舉措，美國總統(tǒng)在氣候變化立法方面困難重重。因此該舉措是否成功要取決于各州俄實施狀況。