新视野大学英语第四册.pdfVIP

Unit7

Thecomingenergycrisis

日益逼近的能源危机

Twohundredyearsago,theworldexperiencedanenergyrevolutionthat

launchedtheIndustrialAge.Eversincethen,withtherapidincreaseof

populationdensity,theindustrializedworldsthirstforenergyhasmorethan

tripled.Petroleumandnaturalgasareexploitedasversatileandhighquality

energyproducts.Uraniumisalsotappedtofuelnuclearreactorsandprovide

atomicenergy.

两百年前，全球经历了一场能源革命，由此引发了工业时代的到来。从那时起，

随着人口密度的迅速增加，工业国家对于能源的需求成倍成倍增加。石油和天然气

被看作是用途多、质量好的能源产品而得到开发，而铀也得以开发，为核反应堆提

供燃料并供应原子能源。

Cheapenergyisthelifebloodofhumansociety.Butthereisadarksideto

thenearmonopolyofnon-renewablefossilfuelslikecoal,oilandnaturalgas,

alongwithcontroversialuranium,tosupplyourgrowingenergydemands.The

supplyofthesefuelsisphysicallylimited,andtheirusethreatensourhealthand

environment.Multipleinternationaltreatieshavebeenproposedtolimittheuse

offossilfuelsforthisveryreason.Fearsofglobalwarmingaside,burningfossil

fuelsreleaseschemicalsandparticulatesthatcancausebreathingproblems,fuelsreleaseschemicalsandparticulatesthatcancausebreathingproblems,fuelsreleaseschemicalsandparticulatesthatcancausebreathingproblems,

factoredin.Furthermore,publicopinionpollsshownuclearenergyistooclosely

associatedwithdisastersliketheChernobylreactormeltdownandthe

Fukushimaexplosion,andwiththedangerthat:rebelinsurgentscoulddo

damagewiththetoxicwaste.Inexpensiveandseeminglyabundant

non-renewableenergyfromdeadplantsandextinctanimalsfueledthe20th

centuryeconomy,butgeologists,climatologists,environmentalists,andmany

othersarewarningthatthehoneymoonmaysoonbeover.

廉价能源是人类社会的命脉。但是，对煤炭、石油、天然气这些不可再生的矿

物燃料及有争议的铀进行近乎垄断地使用以满足我们日益增长的对能源的需求的

做法有其危险的一面。这些燃料的供应实际上