2007年VOA标准英语-Conservationists Fear Tanzania Flamingos Threat
时间:2019-01-09 作者:英语课 分类:2007年VOA标准英语(七月)
Nairobi
17 July 2007
Conservation groups are up in arms about a proposal to build a soda 1 ash plant on the shores of a lake in Tanzania that is among the world's most important flamingo 2 breeding grounds. Nick Wadhams reports from our East Africa bureau the company seeking to build the plant has new evidence that it could endanger the flamingos 3.
Pink flamingos (file photo)
A draft environmental impact assessment 4 of the project, obtained by VOA, says the proposed factory on Tanzania's Lake Natron would pose a significant degree of environmental risk to the 500,000 lesser 5 flamingos that come there to breed each year.
The plant would be constructed by Lake Natron Resources, a subsidiary of the giant Indian conglomerate 6 Tata Chemicals, to mine 500,000 tons of soda ash, or sodium 7 carbonate, each year.
Soda ash is used to produce glass, cosmetics 8, detergent 9, paper pulp 10 and other industrial goods.
Conservationists fear that could upset the delicate natural ecology of the lake. Even minute changes in habitat can disrupt breeding by lesser flamingos, which the World Conservation Union has labeled a near-threatened species.
An ecologist with the Nairobi-based African Conservation Center, Ken 11 Mwathe, says the report states what environmentalists have been arguing for months.
He says the report, which was circulated quietly last week, has no proposals for dealing 12 with the threat to flamingos.
"Flamingos are going to be disturbed during breeding, and therefore, because they are very sensitive to disturbance 13 during breeding, then it is likely that 75 percent of the world's population of flamingos are going to be affected," he explained, " because Lake Natron is host to the breeding of 75 percent of the flamingos in the world. But then they do not say what are they going to do to deal with that."
Lake Natron is listed as a wetland of international importance because it provides the unique habitat that allows the flamingos to survive. It is full of the bacteria that is their primary diet and is shallow enough for them to build the mud nests where they lay their eggs. Predators 14 like baboon 15 and hyena 16 are deterred 17 by the lake's high salinity 18.
The impact report seen by VOA acknowledges that building the plant could result in Lake Natron losing its wetland status and create high levels of light and noise pollution. It notes that extracting soda ash would have a significant impact on the chemical composition of the water.
But the report concludes there are no impacts that would definitely rule out construction. Mwathe says that ignores one of his major worries about the plant, its heavy use of water.
"One of the things that we are concerned about is this plant is going to use 106,000 liters of water per hour," he said. "That is a lot of water in a very dry environment with very few rivers. The consultants 19 and the proponents 20, that is Tata Chemicals, have not done hydrological surveys. There is no hydrological data in this report."
Tata Chemicals and the consultants who did the survey did not respond to requests for comment, and it is still not clear what effect the environmental assessment's findings will have on any decision to build a plant at Lake Natron. On its Web site, Tata calls itself the company that cares and says it is recognized as one of the most environmentally responsible in India.
- She doesn't enjoy drinking chocolate soda.她不喜欢喝巧克力汽水。
- I will freshen your drink with more soda and ice cubes.我给你的饮料重加一些苏打水和冰块。
- This is the only species of flamingo in the region,easily recognized by its pink plumage.这是那个地区唯一一种火烈鸟,很容易凭粉红色的羽毛辨认出来。
- In my family,I am flamingo in the flock of pigeons.在家里,我就像一只被困在鸽笼里的火烈鸟。
- Flamingos stand in a salt lake in Larnaca, Cyprus. 塞浦路斯的拉纳卡市一个盐湖中的火烈鸟。 来自互联网
- The research started researchers studied greater flamingos and in a bird sanctuary in southern Spain. 研究人员在西班牙南部的一个鸟类保护区对大型火烈鸟进行研究。 来自互联网
- This is a very perceptive assessment of the situation.这是一个对该情况的极富洞察力的评价。
- What is your assessment of the situation?你对时局的看法如何?
- Kept some of the lesser players out.不让那些次要的球员参加联赛。
- She has also been affected,but to a lesser degree.她也受到波及,但程度较轻。
- The firm has been taken over by an American conglomerate.该公司已被美国一企业集团接管。
- An American conglomerate holds a major share in the company.一家美国的大联合企业持有该公司的大部分股份。
- Out over the town the sodium lights were lit.在外面,全城的钠光灯都亮了。
- Common salt is a compound of sodium and chlorine.食盐是钠和氯的复合物。
- We sell a wide range of cosmetics at a very reasonable price. 我们以公道的价格出售各种化妆品。
- Cosmetics do not always cover up the deficiencies of nature. 化妆品未能掩饰天生的缺陷。
- He recommended a new detergent to me.他向我推荐一种新的洗涤剂。
- This detergent can remove stubborn stains.这种去污剂能去除难洗的污渍。
- The pulp of this watermelon is too spongy.这西瓜瓤儿太肉了。
- The company manufactures pulp and paper products.这个公司制造纸浆和纸产品。
- Such things are beyond my ken.我可不懂这些事。
- Abstract words are beyond the ken of children.抽象的言辞超出小孩所理解的范围.
- This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。
- His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。
- He is suffering an emotional disturbance.他的情绪受到了困扰。
- You can work in here without any disturbance.在这儿你可不受任何干扰地工作。
- birds and their earthbound predators 鸟和地面上捕食它们的动物
- The eyes of predators are highly sensitive to the slightest movement. 捕食性动物的眼睛能感觉到最细小的动静。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- A baboon is a large monkey that lives in Africa.狒狒是一种生活在非洲的大猴子。
- As long as the baboon holds on to what it wants,it's trapped.只要狒狒紧抓住想要的东西不放手,它就会被牢牢困住。
- African hyena noted for its distinctive howl.非洲鬣狗,以其特别的嚎叫而闻名。
- The hyena's public image is not aided by its ridiculous appearance.鬣狗滑稽的外表无助于改善它在公众心中的形象。
- I told him I wasn't interested, but he wasn't deterred. 我已告诉他我不感兴趣,可他却不罢休。
- Jeremy was not deterred by this criticism. 杰里米没有因这一批评而却步。 来自辞典例句
- In the sea water sampled the salinity is two parts per thousand.在取样的海水中,盐度为千分之二。
- In many sedimentary basins the salinity of the formation water increases with depth or compaction.在许多沉积盆地中,地层水的含盐量随深度或压实作用而增高。
- a firm of management consultants 管理咨询公司
- There're many consultants in hospital. 医院里有很多会诊医生。
- Reviewing courts were among the most active proponents of hybrid rulemaking procedures. 复审法院是最积极的混合型规则制定程序的建议者。 来自英汉非文学 - 行政法
- Proponents of such opinions were arrested as 'traitors. ' 提倡这种主张的人马上作为“卖国贼”逮捕起来。 来自辞典例句