美国需要重新考虑生物柴油计划
文章来源:未知 文章作者:meng 发布时间:2010-01-07 01:50 字体: [ ]  进入论坛
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The United States needs to fundamentally rethink its policy of promoting ethanol乙醇,酒精 to diversify使多样化 its energy sources and increase energy security, according to a new policy paper by Rice University's Baker2 Institute for Public Policy. The paper, "Fundamentals of a Sustainable U.S. Biofuels Policy," questions the economic, environmental and logistical basis for the billions of dollars in federal subsidies3津贴,补贴 and protectionist贸易保护主义者 tariffs5 that go to domestic ethanol producers every year. "We need to set realistic targets for ethanol in the United States instead of just throwing taxpayer6 money out the window," said Amy Myers Jaffe, one of the report's authors.

Jaffe is a fellow in energy studies at the Baker Institute and associate director of the Rice Energy Program.

As an example of the unintended economic consequences of U.S. biofuels policy, the report notes that in 2008 "the U.S. government spent $4 billion in biofuels subsidies to replace roughly 2 percent of the U.S. gasoline supply. The average cost to the taxpayer of those 'substituted代替的' barrels of gasoline was roughly $82 a barrel, or $1.95 per gallon on top of the retail零售的 gasoline price (i.e., what consumers pay at the pump)." The report questions whether mandated托管,强制执行 volumes for biofuels can be met and whether biofuels are improving the environment or energy security.

The report, which includes analysis by environmental scientists, highlights the environmental threats posed by current biofuels policy. "Increases in corn-based ethanol production in the Midwest could cause an increase in detrimental有害的,不利的 regional environmental impacts," the study states, "including exacerbating10恶化 damage to ecosystems11 and fisheries along the Mississippi River and in the Gulf12 of Mexico and creating water shortages in some areas experiencing significant increases in fuel crop irrigation." Moreover, the report challenges claims that ethanol use lowers greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions13 and argues, "There is no scientific consensus一致,合意 on the climate-friendly nature of U.S.-produced corn-based ethanol, and it should not be credited with reducing GHGs when compared to the burning of traditional gasoline."

In 2007, Congress passed the Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA) that mandated8 production targets for "renewable fuels," mainly biodiesel生物柴油 and ethanol. The bill mandated ambitious production targets of 9 billion gallons of biofuels a year in 2008 and rising to 36 billion gallons a year by 2022. Corn ethanol is capped at 15 billion gallons a year in the law, but even that level will be difficult to reach given logistical and commercial barriers, according to the study. The Baker Institute report finds, however, that the use of flex-fuel vehicles is not likely to be extensive enough to overcome the barriers to achieving the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 mandates15 for U.S. ethanol market saturation市场饱和.

The EISA also called for 21 billion gallons of advanced biofuels, produced from sources like switchgrass柳枝稷, corn stover干草,稻草 and algae藻类, to be used in the nation's fuel supply by 2022. But the report determines "existing mandated targets for advanced biofuels are not currently achievable -- scientifically or commercially -- and should be revisited."

As a result, the report's authors wrote, "we encourage Congress to revisit these mandates and revise them to be in line with realizable targets and time frames to create an improved policy that will reduce uncertainty18 for refiners and allow a more orderly implementation19 of achievable goals and mandates by the EPA."

Finally, the report questions the tariff4关税表,收费表 imposed on ethanol imported from Latin America and the Caribbean. Because sustainable production of U.S. domestic corn-based ethanol faces limitations, the report finds "tariff policies that block cheaper imports are probably misguided." As a result, the report states that, "we believe on balance that the economic and geopolitical地理政治学的 benefits to this trade with select regional suppliers would outweigh20 any 'energy security' costs to having some larger percentage of U.S. ethanol supplies arriving from foreign sources."



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1 diversify m8gyt     
v.(使)不同,(使)变得多样化
参考例句:
  • Our company is trying to diversify.我们公司正力图往多样化方面发展。
  • Hills and woods diversify the landscape.山陵和树木点缀景色。
2 baker wyTz62     
n.面包师
参考例句:
  • The baker bakes his bread in the bakery.面包师在面包房内烤面包。
  • The baker frosted the cake with a mixture of sugar and whites of eggs.面包师在蛋糕上撒了一层白糖和蛋清的混合料。
3 subsidies 84c7dc8329c19e43d3437248757e572c     
n.补贴,津贴,补助金( subsidy的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • European agriculture ministers failed to break the deadlock over farm subsidies. 欧洲各国农业部长在农业补贴问题上未能打破僵局。
  • Agricultural subsidies absorb about half the EU's income. 农业补贴占去了欧盟收入的大约一半。 来自《简明英汉词典》
4 tariff mqwwG     
n.关税,税率;(旅馆、饭店等)价目表,收费表
参考例句:
  • There is a very high tariff on jewelry.宝石类的关税率很高。
  • The government is going to lower the tariff on importing cars.政府打算降低进口汽车的关税。
5 tariffs a7eb9a3f31e3d6290c240675a80156ec     
关税制度; 关税( tariff的名词复数 ); 关税表; (旅馆或饭店等的)收费表; 量刑标准
参考例句:
  • British industry was sheltered from foreign competition by protective tariffs. 保护性关税使英国工业免受国际竞争影响。
  • The new tariffs have put a stranglehold on trade. 新的关税制对开展贸易极为不利。
6 taxpayer ig5zjJ     
n.纳税人
参考例句:
  • The new scheme will run off with a lot of the taxpayer's money.这项新计划将用去纳税人许多钱。
  • The taxpayer are unfavourably disposed towards the recent tax increase.纳税者对最近的增加税收十分反感。
7 retail VWoxC     
v./n.零售;adv.以零售价格
参考例句:
  • In this shop they retail tobacco and sweets.这家铺子零售香烟和糖果。
  • These shoes retail at 10 yuan a pair.这些鞋子零卖10元一双。
8 mandated b1de99702d7654948b507d8fbbea9700     
adj. 委托统治的
参考例句:
  • Mandated desegregation of public schools. 命令解除公立学校中的种族隔离
  • Britain was mandated to govern the former colony of German East Africa. 英国受权代管德国在东非的前殖民地。
9 detrimental 1l2zx     
adj.损害的,造成伤害的
参考例句:
  • We know that heat treatment is detrimental to milk.我们知道加热对牛奶是不利的。
  • He wouldn't accept that smoking was detrimental to health.他不相信吸烟有害健康。
10 exacerbating ff803ca871efdf0c67b248b5a1095f6e     
v.使恶化,使加重( exacerbate的现在分词 )
参考例句:
  • This pedagogical understretch is exacerbating social inequalities. 这种教学张力不足加重了社会不平等。 来自互联网
  • High fertilizer prices are exacerbating the problem. 高涨的肥料价格更加加剧了问题的恶化。 来自互联网
11 ecosystems 94cb0e40a815bea1157ac8aab9a5380d     
n.生态系统( ecosystem的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • There are highly sensitive and delicately balanced ecosystems in the forest. 森林里有高度敏感、灵敏平衡的各种生态系统。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • Madagascar's ecosystems range from rainforest to semi-desert. 马达加斯加生态系统类型多样,从雨林到半荒漠等不一而足。 来自辞典例句
12 gulf 1e0xp     
n.海湾;深渊,鸿沟;分歧,隔阂
参考例句:
  • The gulf between the two leaders cannot be bridged.两位领导人之间的鸿沟难以跨越。
  • There is a gulf between the two cities.这两座城市间有个海湾。
13 emissions 1a87f8769eb755734e056efecb5e2da9     
排放物( emission的名词复数 ); 散发物(尤指气体)
参考例句:
  • Most scientists accept that climate change is linked to carbon emissions. 大多数科学家都相信气候变化与排放的含碳气体有关。
  • Dangerous emissions radiate from plutonium. 危险的辐射物从钚放散出来。
14 consensus epMzA     
n.(意见等的)一致,一致同意,共识
参考例句:
  • Can we reach a consensus on this issue?我们能在这个问题上取得一致意见吗?
  • What is the consensus of opinion at the afternoon meeting?下午会议上一致的意见是什么?
15 mandates 2acac1276dba74275e1c7c1a20146ad9     
托管(mandate的第三人称单数形式)
参考例句:
  • Individual mandates would require all people to purchase health insurance. 个人托管要求所有人都要购买健康保险。
  • While I agree with those benefits, I'm not a supporter of mandates. 我同意上述好处,我不是授权软件的支持者。
16 saturation wCTzQ     
n.饱和(状态);浸透
参考例句:
  • The company's sales are now close to saturation in many western countries.这家公司的产品销售量在许多西方国家已接近饱和。
  • Road traffic has reached saturation point.公路交通已达到饱和点。
17 algae tK6yW     
n.水藻,海藻
参考例句:
  • Most algae live in water.多数藻类生长在水中。
  • Algae grow and spread quickly in the lake.湖中水藻滋蔓。
18 uncertainty NlFwK     
n.易变,靠不住,不确知,不确定的事物
参考例句:
  • Her comments will add to the uncertainty of the situation.她的批评将会使局势更加不稳定。
  • After six weeks of uncertainty,the strain was beginning to take its toll.6个星期的忐忑不安后,压力开始产生影响了。
19 implementation 2awxV     
n.实施,贯彻
参考例句:
  • Implementation of the program is now well underway.这一项目的实施现在行情看好。
20 outweigh gJlxO     
vt.比...更重,...更重要
参考例句:
  • The merits of your plan outweigh the defects.你制定的计划其优点胜过缺点。
  • One's merits outweigh one's short-comings.功大于过。
TAG标签: energy ethanol environment
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