首页
外语
计算机
考研
公务员
职业资格
财经
工程
司法
医学
专升本
自考
实用职业技能
登录
外语
A Cooler Planet [A]Scientists are cooking up solutions based on current technology that they say could dramatically turn down th
A Cooler Planet [A]Scientists are cooking up solutions based on current technology that they say could dramatically turn down th
admin
2013-11-12
16
问题
A Cooler Planet
[A]Scientists are cooking up solutions based on current technology that they say could dramatically turn down the heat of global warming over the next 50 years. Innovations such as cheaper wind power, gas-electric hybrid cars and gas cars that generate funds for climate change projects already are available. Introducing them across the nation could put a dent in the growth of greenhouse gases that are warming the planet, scientists say.
[B]The concentration of carbon dioxide — a potent greenhouse gas — is likely to double before the end of the century, the United Nations says. Scientists say further warming is inevitable as greenhouse gas emissions climb but that the worse effects can still be avoided. "The question now is not ’whether to adapt?’ but ’how to adapt?’" says a 2004 U.N. report on climate change. The solutions, say experts, must come from action by politicians, business people, scientists and individuals. Over the next century, power could be derived from sources that release less carbon dioxide into the atmosphere such as nuclear fusion, hydrogen fuel cells and more efficient combustion engines.
Scientists: Technology already exists
[C]Technology is a crucial component to meet the challenge of global warming, say climate researchers and policy experts. "You need technology," says Elliot Diringer, international strategies director with the Pew Center on Global Climate Change. "There’s no question about that. The question is, ’What is the most efficient way to not only generate the technology but get it deployed.’"
[D]The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, a U.N. body issuing regular assessments on the climate, says innovation has advanced faster than expected. It estimates technological improvements could reduce greenhouse gas emissions below 2000 levels within 20 years and avert even more risky levels of such concentrations. The IPCC has estimated that technological improvements could some time between 2010 and 2020 reduce greenhouse gas emissions to levels below those in the year 2000. "We need to move as fast as we can," Diringer says. "The longer we wait to take concerted action, the greater the impacts will be ... the more it will cost to achieve the reduction."
[E]Technology with the greatest potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions already exists, say Princeton University scientists Stephen Pacala and Robert Socolow in a 2004 study published in the journal Science.
[F]Improving efficiency and conservation could reduce billions of tons in atmospheric emissions of greenhouse gases each year. Improvements such as efficient engineering, better gas mileage(英里数)and new fuel sources for vehicles and power plants have the potential to halt growth of emissions by around 2050, according to the study.
[G]"It is important not to become diverted by the possibility of revolutionary technology," the Princeton authors write in Science. "Humanity can solve the carbon and climate problem in the first half of this century simply by increasing what we already know how to do." The scientists picked seven actions that they say could make the climate stable by 2054. They focused on technology already in place that simply needs to be expanded a lot.
[H]Cars are an easy target. Each gallon of gas burned gives off about 20 pounds of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. That’s a lot of carbon for the 2 billion cars that may be on the road by 2054, nearly four times the number today, the authors report. The Science article suggests that doubling the average fuel efficiency of cars from 30 miles per gallon today to 60, switching to wind-generated hydrogen fuels or halving the annual number of miles traveled per car to 5,000 could reduce carbon dioxide emissions. The savings would provide one-seventh of the total cuts needed to make U.S. emissions stable, the article states. In addition, scientists are watching plenty of other technologies being developed to make emissions stable.
Carbon Storage
[I]Burying carbon dioxide allows fossil fuel companies to continue pumping oil while reducing greenhouse emissions. The United Nations estimates by 2050 it should be possible to store half of the increasing global emissions in underground reservoirs at reasonable prices. The U.S. government already has started a test project at a West Virginia coal power plant. The energy company BP sends 1 million tons of carbon dioxide each year beneath the sands of the Sahara desert at one of its facilities in Algeria. [J]These carbon reducing projects send millions of tons of carbon dioxide gas into underground geologic formations such as gas beds now filled with water, natural gas or oil. The risks of such techniques include leakage of carbon dioxide from underground reservoirs that may endanger human life and the environment. Scientists are studying techniques to find which rock formations permanently store gases such as carbon dioxide.
Renewable Energy
[K]Renewable power is a major facet of reducing global warming emissions, according to the United Nations. Because most renewable energy sources — wind, ocean tides, solar, biomass fuel — emit less carbon dioxide into the atmosphere than they absorb, they do not add to climate change.
[L]The share of renewable in the world energy supply accounts for at least 14 percent of the total, the United Nations estimates. The price of these renewable fuels and technology is plummeting(垂直下落)as demand grows and hardware improves. "Green" tariffs, already introduced in some European countries, guarantee premium prices for energy derived from renewable sources. States such as New York and California also require utilities to generate a fraction of their energy supply from renewable.
Trading Carbon [M]Carbon emissions trading is designed to make global warming prevention affordable, according to the U.N. Convention on Climate Change. Under the Kyoto Agreement, participating countries agree to emit a certain amount of carbon. If a country cannot afford to meet its carbon emissions limit, it can buy "credits" from a country that has produced less than its allotted amount.
[N]Although critics say there are significant problems under the Kyoto system, the United Nations says emissions trading allows countries gradually to eliminate carbon dioxide while preventing some economic hardships of reducing emissions growth.
Corporate action
[O]Companies also are devising ways for businesses and individuals to offset greenhouse emissions. Oregon-based Climate Neutral Network says it will offer air travelers access to "Cool Class" air travel in which a portion of airline fares, negotiated through contracts with different companies are invested in ways to reduce greenhouse emissions.
According to Diringer, the concerted action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions should be taken as soon as possible.
选项
答案
D
解析
题目中的as soon as possible与D段第4句中的as fast as we can同义。本句中Diringer指出,减少温室气体排放量的行动应该越快越好,因为等得越久,影响越大,费用也就越大。句中的move指的就是reduce greenhouse gas emissions的行动。
转载请注明原文地址:https://kaotiyun.com/show/Po17777K
0
大学英语六级
相关试题推荐
Growingolderisinevitable.However,asyougetold,careinoldagebecomesmoreimportant.Manypeoplewronglybelievethatw
"FamineThreatensMillions!"headlinessuchasthisareunhappilyfrequent.Thepeopleofvastareasoftheworld’ssurfaceare
HumanNetworkingIknew,nocomputerortechnologyevergotanyofusaraise,landedusthatdreamjob,foundusthatmento
HumanNetworkingIknew,nocomputerortechnologyevergotanyofusaraise,landedusthatdreamjob,foundusthatmento
Becauseofsatellitelinkswhichnowenablebroadcastnewsorganizationstooriginateliveprogrammingfromanypartoftheglob
HowtoDealWithPeerPressure?1.人们往往能感受到来自同龄人的压力2.如何解决这种压力
A、Doctors’health.B、Healthexperts.C、Healthyfood.D、Physicalexercises.D综合理解题。女士提到如今我们越来越多地听到人们说锻炼,但甚至专家们都不确定哪种锻炼是最好的,现在有些医生
StudentInvestorsintheStockMarket1.目前越来越多的大学生炒股2.人们对大学生炒股看法不一3.我的看法
OntheLosingTraditionalCulture1.现在许多传统文化正慢慢消失2.传统文化消失的原因3.我的看法
A、Shewasboredwithheridlelifeathome.B、Shewasofferedagoodjobbyherneighbour.C、Shewantedtohelpwiththefamily’
随机试题
面对生态环境退化的严峻形势,必须树立社会主义生态文明理念,其主要内容是()
某孕妇患高血压病3年,即将于2周内分娩。此时不宜用何种降压药50岁患者,突起头痛、黑蒙、失语,测血压28.0/17.3kPa(210/130mmHg)。降压药物应首选
某估价公司于2005年8月1日对一宗地产进行了估价,估价目的是为了抵押贷款,按当时正常市场价格评估的结果为1000万元人民币,银行据此贷款给其业主800万元。2007年10月1日,因业主无力偿还贷款,银行申请,经法院判决将该房地产拍卖。拍卖所得扣除了各项
个人和企业为某种自主性目的(如追逐利润、旅游、汇款赡养亲友等)而从事交易指的是( )。
证券市场的形成离不开信用制度的发展。()
有4种评价投资的主要方法,其中考虑了货币时间价值的方法有()。[对外经济贸易大学2014金融硕士]
关于1000BASE—T标准的描述中,正确的是()。
AspeciallabattheUniversityofChicagoisbusyonly【C1】______Itisadream【C2】______whereresearchersareatwork【C3】______d
假设你是李明。你所在的城市将举办一个国际民间艺术节(InternationalFolkArtFestival),需招聘能用英语交流的工作人员。请根据以下要点,用英语写一封申请信。(1)个人简介;(2)应聘目的;(3)特长及英语
A、WallStreetJournal.B、NationalEnquirer.C、USAToday.D、Time.DWhichmagazinelistedtheonehundredmostimportanteventsin
最新回复
(
0
)