Can Alternative Energy Effectively Replace Fossil Fuels?
替代能源能否有效替代化石燃料？
观点A:
Erich Pica, President of Friends of the Earth, in an Oct. 7, 2019 article, “Climate and Energy Experts Debate How to Respond to a Warming World,” available at nytimes.com, stated:
地球之友主席埃里希·皮卡在2019年10月7日的一篇文章《气候和能源专家辩论如何应对全球变暖》中表示：
“Transitioning to renewable energy is not only necessary to fight the climate crisis, it is also the only way we can quickly and effectively meet rising energy demands. It is foolish to think, however, that the fossil fuel industry will eagerly embrace this transition. We must push governments to enact an ambitious climate strategy that phases out all fossil fuels and transitions to a sustainable economy.
“向可再生能源转型不仅是应对气候危机的必要条件，也是我们快速有效满足不断增长的能源需求的唯一途径。然而，认为化石燃料行业会热切地接受这一转型是愚蠢的。我们必须推动各国政府制定一项雄心勃勃的气候战略，逐步淘汰所有化石燃料，并向可持续能源转型有能力的经济。
Over a billion people around the world lack access to electricity, and increasing fossil fuel-based generation will not fix this. Coal and nuclear power plants are expensive boondoggles. Communities living in energy poverty are continuously left in the dark without access to the grid as corporations sell power to industrial users and for export to recoup the costs.
全世界有超过10亿人无法获得电力，而增加化石燃料发电并不能解决这一问题。煤炭和核电站是昂贵的无用之物。由于企业向工业用户出售电力并出口以收回成本，生活在能源贫困中的社区一直处于黑暗之中，无法接入电网。
Renewables, particularly small-scale renewables, are cheaper and faster to install. Small-scale renewables also tend to generate and keep power locally. This becomes a more effective way to fight energy poverty. Renewables are cheaper than nuclear, can compete with gas, and their price continues to fall. Rapidly phasing out fossil fuels and transitioning to renewables is the only choice for the climate and the economy.”
可再生能源，特别是小型可再生能源，安装成本更低、速度更快。小型可再生能源也倾向于在当地发电并保持电力供应。这成为消除能源贫困的一种更有效的方式。可再生能源比核能便宜，可以与天然气竞争，而且价格持续下跌。迅速淘汰化石燃料并向可再生能源过渡是气候和经济的唯一选择。”
观点B:
Sean Comey, Senior Advisor for Chevron, in an Oct. 7, 2019 article, “Climate and Energy Experts Debate How to Respond to a Warming World,” available at nytimes.com, stated:
雪佛龙公司高级顾问肖恩·科米在2019年10月7日的一篇文章《气候和能源专家辩论如何应对全球变暖》中表示：
“[T]he International Energy Agency (I.E.A.) projects global energy demand will rise more than 25 percent by 2040, driven by population growth and rising incomes. Even in the I.E.A.’s most aggressive low-carbon scenario, oil and natural gas will meet approximately half of that demand. Chevron has responded by establishing targets for emissions intensity — the amount of pollution created per unit of energy produced — and tying these goals to employees’ pay. Chevron also is lowering its carbon intensity at the lowest cost, increasing its use of renewable energy to support its business and investing in promising technologies.
“国际能源署预计到2040年，受人口增长和收入增长的推动，全球能源需求将增长25%以上。即使在国际能源管理局最积极的低碳情景下，石油和天然气也将满足约一半的需求。雪佛龙的回应是制定排放强度目标，即每单位生产能源产生的污染量，并将这些目标与员工工资挂钩。雪佛龙还以最低成本降低了碳强度，增加了可再生能源的使用以支持其业务，并投资于有前景的技术。
Reducing greenhouse gas emissions is a global issue that requires global action. We support a price on carbon as a possible way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by the end user, but governments must decide which pricing system is best for their citizens. We work with governments to address potential climate change risks while continuing to produce affordable, reliable and ever cleaner energy.”
减少温室气体排放是一个全球性问题，需要全球采取行动。我们支持碳价格作为最终用户减少温室气体排放的一种可能方式，但政府必须决定哪种定价体系最适合其公民。我们与各国政府合作，解决潜在的气候变化风险，同时继续生产负担得起、可靠和更清洁的能源。”
重点词汇
-Transitioning 转变、过渡
-Renewable energy 可再生能源
-Fossil fuels 化石燃料
-Sustainable economy 可持续经济
-Energy poverty 能源贫困
-Coal 煤炭
-Nuclear power plants 核电站
-Small-scale 小型的
-Rapidly 迅速地
-Phasing out 逐步淘汰
-Emissions intensity 排放强度
-Greenhouse gas emissions 温室气体排放
-Price on carbon 碳定价
观点总结
文章主要强调了可再生能源的重要性以应对气候变化和解决能源贫困问题。呼吁政府采取雄心勃勃的气候战略，逐步淘汰所有的化石燃料，并过渡到可持续经济。同时，文章还阐述了化石燃料在解决全球能源需求中的局限性，并指出小型可再生能源是打击能源贫困的有效方式。文章还提到国际能源署预测全球能源需求将增长，并呼吁行业领袖承担责任，在减少排放和开发可再生能源方面发挥领导作用。此外，文章提到碳定价可能是减少最终用户温室气体排放的一个可能解决方案，并呼吁各国政府考虑其公民的最佳定价系统。