International experts meeting in Australia say global carbon emissions (排放) can be reduced by more than 50 percent through simple energy saving measures. People at a conference in Australia, which increasingly relies on coal for power, say that reducing power consumption is an affordable way to both cut energy costs and reduce pollution.
While many nations turn to cheap and dirty energy sources, such as coal, to meet their increasing energy needs, analysts in Australia say the best way to meet those needs is to improve energy efficiency.
A range of simple solutions include using energy-efficient homes, household appliances and lighting, and driving electric cars. Encouraging homeowners and office workers to switch off their televisions and computers at the end of the day is also seen as an effective way to save electricity.
Grayson Heffner, from the Paris-based International Energy Agency, says reducing consumption could greatly cut global carbon emissions. He calls efficiency strategies (策略) the “soft giant” of clean energy.
“We forecast that energy efficiency will deliver something like three-quarters of the greenhouse gas emissions reductions over the next 20 years. So in the short term energy efficiency is the main way that we reduce greenhouse gas emissions but oftentimes it is not so importantly stressed in the discussions,” said Heffner.
Energy experts working in China say the government is making significant cuts in power usage.
Wan Xingwang, a Beijing-based representative of the Energy Foundation, a U.S. non-government organization, says the results have been impressive.
“In the past five years China achieved about 19.1 percent of energy reduction of its GDP. That translates to something like more than 600 million tons of coal savings,” said Wan Xingwang.
While most nations have some sort of government-sponsored energy efficiency programs, energy analysts say initiatives (主動性) by individuals and companies can also help cut demand.
Steven Nadel, executive director of the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy, a non-profit group based in Washington, says other developing nations are recognizing the benefits of cutting power consumption and taking action.
小題1:To increase their energy supplies, many nations _____________________.
| A．turn to new energy | B．turn to cheap energy |
| C．develop solar energy | D．introduce clean energy |
小題2:Which of the following cannot help to reduce energy consumption effectively?
| A．Using electronic products in small size. |
| B．Using more electric cars. |
| C．Turning off computers after work. |
| D．Building energy-efficient houses. |
小題3:What can we learn from what Grayson Heffner said?
| A．75% of the greenhouse gas emissions can easily be cut in the next 20 years. |
| B．Ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions should be discussed. |
| C．Using clean energy is the strategy to cut global carbon emissions. |
| D．The key to reducing greenhouse gases in the short term is to improve energy efficiency. |
小題4:According to the last two paragraphs, which of the following statements is true?
| A．The programs reducing energy consumption shouldn’t be sponsored by individuals and companies. |
| B．All nations have government-sponsored energy efficiency programs. |
| C．It is time that all nations should combine their efforts to save energy. |
| D．Some developing nations are taking action to cut power consumption. |
