2019-06-03 Reducing our carbon footprint 减少 “天空” 碳足迹

乘飞机出行从未像现在这样普遍、这样受欢迎。目前，每年全球航空旅客量已超过 40 亿人次。但是航空碳排放会影响气候变化。科学家们说，我们需要做出更多的努力来应对这个问题。本集《随身英语》讨论如何减少飞行对环境所带来的影响。

Vocabulary: travel 词汇: 旅行

For many people, flying is a great way to move quickly and easily from place to place. There are now four billion passengers flying every year. The aviation industry has expanded massively in recent years, with the growth of budget airlines opening up new destinations which we can now reach for peanuts! But this worldwide appetite for travel comes at a price – it’s increasing carbon emissions, which is harming the planet we want to explore.

According to a new study, air travel is one of the things that accounts for eight per cent of carbon emissions – much higher than was first thought. The US tops the rankings followed by China, Germany and India. Dr Arunima Malik from the University of Sydney, who’s the lead author of the study, told the BBC that it’s richer people who are more responsible by spending more on high-carbon activities. He says “If you have visitors from high-income countries then they typically spend heavily on air travel, on shopping and hospitality where they go to.” 

The World Travel and Tourism Council claims things are changing. A spokesman said “We’ve seen a growing number of hotels, airports and tour operators that have all become carbon neutral so there is a momentum (to change).” Becoming carbon neutral involves carbon offsetting, where tourists pay extra money in order to contribute to environmental projects that reduce the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere – although some say it’s just an excuse to continue polluting. Airline passengers can do this by paying an additional charge when they buy their ticket from participating airlines.

Things are changing and from next year, airlines will be required to offset any increase in emissions beyond their 2020 levels by reducing emissions elsewhere. And there are other ways to reduce your carbon footprint when you take to the skies – you can sit in the cheap seats; studies have shown by flying in business or first class “your emissions are at least three times more than if you decided to travel in economy.” You can also travel from your local airport and pack light – reducing the weight of the aircraft. But some people might say this doesn’t tackle the bigger problem – and the best action is to take a grounded approach and not to fly at all.

词汇表

passenger 乘客，旅客
aviation industry 航空工业
budget airline 廉价航空
peanuts 微不足道的一点钱
at a price 以很高的代价…
carbon emissions 碳排放
air travel 航空旅行
high-carbon 碳含量高的，高碳的
visitor 访客，游客
hospitality 酒店餐饮
tour operator 旅行社
carbon neutral 碳平衡的
carbon offsetting 碳补偿（以达到“碳平衡”）
tourist 游客，旅游者
take to the skies “冲上云霄”，空中飞行
fly in business 乘商务舱出行
fly in first class 乘头等舱出行
travel in economy 坐经济舱出行
pack light 轻装上阵，少带行李
grounded （飞机）停飞的

测验与练习

1. 阅读课文并回答问题。

1. The growth of which form of travel has helped more of us fly to new destinations?

2. According to research, who spends more heavily on air travel?

3. What could reduce the weight of an aircraft?

4. True or false? Participating airlines include a charge for carbon offsetting in their ticket price.

5. Which word used in the article means ‘progress that is increasing in speed or strength’?

2. 请在不参考课文的情况下完成下列练习。选择一个意思合适的单词填入句子的空格处。

1. My new promotion ______ – I now have to work extra shifts at weekends.

comes priced            come in a price        comes at a price          comes priceless

2. When we went to the cinema, I couldn’t see the screen. That’s because my husband bought tickets in the ______.

economy seats          hospitality seats      cheap seats                 grounded seats

3. My sister is very ______ – she’s a good singer but she knows she won’t make her fortune as a famous pop singer!

grounded                grounds                      grounding                    grinded

4. The hotel we stayed in was ______. The bathroom had a Jacuzzi and we had a great view over the city.

business                 for peanuts                hospitality                     first class

5. We all waited by the runway to see the new double-decker plane ______.

taking to the skies     taken to the skies    took to the skies          taking in the skies

答案

1. 阅读课文并回答问题。

1. The growth of which form of travel has helped more of us fly to new destinations?
The growth of budget airlines has opened up new destinations which we can now reach for peanuts!

2. According to research, who spends more heavily on air travel?
Dr Arunima Malik from the University of Sydney, it’s richer people who are most responsible by spending more on high-carbon activities. He says “If you have visitors from high-income countries then they typically spend heavily on air travel, on shopping and hospitality where they go to.”

3. What could reduce the weight of an aircraft?
Packing light – putting less in your suitcase – would help reduce the weight of the aircraft.

4. True or false? Participating airlines include a charge for carbon offsetting in their ticket price.
False. Airline passengers can carbon offset by paying an additional charge when they buy their ticket from participating airlines.

5. Which word used in the article means ‘progress that is increasing in speed or strength’?
Momentum. A spokesman said “We’ve seen a growing number of hotels, airports and tour operators that have all become carbon neutral so there is a momentum (to change).”

2. 请在不参考课文的情况下完成下列练习。选择一个意思合适的单词填入句子的空格处。

1. My new promotion comes at a price – I now have to work extra shifts at weekends.

2. When we went to the cinema I couldn’t see the screen. That’s because my husband bought tickets in the cheap seats.

3. My sister is very grounded – she’s a good singer but she knows she won’t make her fortune being a famous pop singer!

4. The hotel we stayed in was first class. The bathroom had a Jacuzzi and we had a great view over the city.

5. We all waited by the runway to see the new double-decker plane taking to the skies.