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記者Leonie Haimson報導 2000年8月3日
 在21世紀中將預見街坊加油站與汽車的轉型。上個星期，BP Amoco 投入於一個新自身獨立創造的活動，所以BP這兩個字的縮寫不再只是大眾心目中的「英國石油」而將會超出「石油」。
幾年之前，這公司增加了它在太陽能上的投資，並宣佈在2010年之前降低百分之十的二氧化碳排放量計畫。現在，它採用了一個「陽光四射」的新公司標誌，且打算在電視廣告中這樣問道：「有無可能駕駛車輛且仍然保持一個乾淨的環境？企業可以更進一步而成為促成好事的力量？」
世界各地新蓋的BP加油站將會由太陽鑲嵌遮篷來提供部份的動力，而且將提供上網服務。顧客可以透過加油泵前的電腦瑩幕觸控，來點食物、咖啡等便餐飲料。(Planet Ark, Reuters, William Maclean, 07.25.00)。最後，有人注意到比起老式加油站，義式泡沬咖啡的利潤賺頭是相當龐大的。
福特 嘉年華
另一個深黯社會趨向，決心洗刷它的形像，是福特汽車公司。公司傲慢的主席也是這家企業偉大創辦人的曾孫威廉福特二世在去年前曾說過：我預期要主持內燃機的終止。這個宣言引起了底特律與其他各界的憤怒。現在福特的主管宣布了在未來五年內提高公司多功能休旅車款百分之廿五的燃料節省計畫。根據紐約時報的報導，這將會是近廿年來該公司在任何一級載客車上最大的燃料效率改善。
這個效能提昇的比率是比任何一家歐洲車廠誓言所欲達到的還要高，而且也優於一些國會議員曾經不成功的提案，在五年內提高百分之廿的要求。美國能源效率節省委員會的John DeCicco說「在石油消費縮減與全球暖化污染的情況下，這將是令人敬畏的一步。」
這樣的舉動不只是在國會中的共和黨內得到激烈的回應，這些主管對共和黨議員Joe Knollenberg (R-Mich.)坦白的回答，「在Beltway，它將會引發那些人相信如果福特公司可以做到的話，其它公司也將被迫必須跟進」。Joe Knollenberg 是在眾議院中最強力反對對企業平均燃料節省施加嚴格標準的一位。(New York Times, Keith Bradsher, 07.27.00).
不願意現身，通用汽車在六天之後在一個記者會上以電話宣稱「任何福特汽車可以做的事，它們也能做得更好」。沒有指出數字，通用發誓要改善其輕型貨運車的燃料節省，超越福特公司所達到的改善之處。
龜兔比賽 兔子先開跑
當福特與通用還只是在說說，豐田汽車正動手在做了。豐田汽油電力混合型車種 Prius 上個月已於美國上市。根據公司表示，甚至在它到達展示室之前，已經有1,800台在網路上被預購了。在日本，五人座轎車早在三年前就可以買得到了，超過35,000台的車子正在外面路上。Prius 一加崙汽油在高速公路上可跑52哩，在城市可跑45哩。它比相似大小的他種車，減少了百分之四十的二氧化碳排放。在美國能源效率節省委員會（ACEEE）2001年的排名，它已被列為最優環保汽油車輛的第一名。
熱浪
當然，今夏並非所有的新聞都是好消息。東歐在七月份遭逢了可怕的熱浪，導致了至少38人死亡。(CNN, 07.13.00)
不可控制的森林大火重回印尼，帶來了遠達到馬來西亞與泰國的濃煙。這導致了廣泛的恐懼，怛心有如1997年時一樣，當時越過1仟二百萬英畝的森林、開墾林和其它土地都起了火，產生的煙霧影響全東南亞的健康與觀光業。蘇門達臘島大範圍的泥炭地又再一次地燃燒，大火特別難以控制，也造成了二氧化碳大量排放。（Planet Ark, Reuters, Grace Nirang, 07.20.00）.
其它使人沮喪的新聞還有在科學月刊上一個新研究揭露，格棱蘭大冰原的邊緣正在急遽地變薄，尤其是南部與東南部海岸。根據美國太空總署的科學家表示，總體來說當地一年正以超過11立方哩的速度發生。他們估計這樣的溶化將是使全球海水每年上升百分之七的原因，在上個世紀中海水大約上升了4至10英吋。格陵蘭佔了地球地面冰的百分之八，而南極則佔了百分之九十一。(Associated Press, 07.21.00; Washington Post, Curt Suplee, 07.21.00).
滾滾而來之續…紐約時報席捲這個月的「熱擊」獎，因為其近來在網上最好的氣候變遷故事表現。
首先，一個由專欄作家Bob Herbert所主筆的權威專欄系列，喚起了我們去面對全球暖化以及一些可能的解決方案。可以在此詳閱全文one,
two, and
three. (揭露利害,這個專欄中所大量引用自科學家Michael Oppenheimer, 他剛巧是我的先生。但是他們仍然值得嘉許的)。
最後，試試Walter Gibbs 在關於北極溶化上非常說服力的這篇文章，文章一開始即說：「神話般的冰景連綿自北極點以南的各個方向，正在如此快速溶化以至於挪威科學家說它可能會在五十年內的夏初完全消失，根本地改變了地球的環境、全球經濟與人類的想像力。」
Leonie Haimson是自由樹木聯盟網站的前氣候專欄作家。她為環境防衛基金合寫了一本「Debunking Rush Limbaugh on the Environment」並為聯合國環境計畫編輯了「氣候變遷的共同問題」
全文及圖示詳見http://www.gristmagazine.com/grist/heatbeat/thisjustin080300.stm
版權歸屬 環境信託基金會(蔡季勳 譯，楊同正 審校)
中英對照譯稿請見：http://news.ngo.org.tw/issue/energy/sub-energy00081501.htm
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by Leonie Haimson 08.03.00
The 21st century will see the transformation of the neighborhood gas station, in addition to the automobile. Last week, BP Amoco embarked on a new campaign to reinvent itself, so that the initials "BP" will no longer stand in the public's mind for British Petroleum, but for "beyond petroleum."
Several years ago, the company increased its investment in solar energy and announced a plan to reduce its carbon emissions 10 percent by 2010. Now it's introduced a new sunburst company logo, and plans to run TV ads asking, "Is it possible to drive a car and still have a clean environment? Can business go further and be a force for good?"
New BP gas stations to be built around the world will be partially powered by solar-paneled awnings, and will offer Internet access as well as food, caffe lattes, and other refreshments that can be ordered from a touch screen by customers at the pump (Planet Ark, Reuters, William Maclean, 07.25.00). Finally, someone noticed that the profit margins on cappuccino are gargantuan compared to old-fashioned gasoline!
Ford Fiesta
Another major corporation determined to clean up its image, climate-wise, is Ford Motor Co. William C. Ford, Jr., the company's whippersnapper chair and great-grandson of its founder, said last year, "I expect to preside over the demise of the internal combustion engine" -- a statement that raised hackles in Detroit and elsewhere. Now Ford executives have announced that they plan to boost the average fuel economy of the company's SUVs by 25 percent over the next five years -- the first major improvement in the efficiency of any class of passenger vehicle in nearly 20 years, according to the New York Times.
This rate of efficiency improvement is greater than what European automakers have pledged to achieve, and also surpasses the 20 percent increase over five years that some members of Congress have been unsuccessfully calling for. "In terms of cutting oil consumption and global warming pollution, this is an awesome step," declared John DeCicco of the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy
(ACEEE).
The move was not nearly so enthusiastically received by the Republicans in Congress. "Inside the Beltway, it will only fuel the fires of those who believe that if Ford can do that, everybody else should be forced to do that," was the frank response of the chief of staff to Rep. Joe Knollenberg (R-Mich.), the foremost opponent of stricter Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards in the House (New York Times, Keith
Bradsher, 07.27.00).
Not wanting to be shown up, General Motors called a press conference six days later to announce that anything Ford does, it can do better. Without naming numbers, GM pledged that it will improve the fuel economy of its light trucks beyond any improvements Ford makes (New York Times, Keith
Bradsher, 08.03.00).
Walking the Walk (Or Driving the Drive)
While Ford and GM are talking, Toyota is doing. The hybrid gas-electric Toyota Prius finally went on sale in the U.S. last month, and even before arriving in showrooms, nearly 1,800 of them had been pre-sold online, according to the company. In Japan, the five-passenger sedan has been available for three years already, and more than 35,000 are on the roads. The Prius, which gets 52 miles per gallon on the highway and 45 in the city, produces 40 percent less carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions than the average vehicle of similar size. It already ranks number one as the greenest gasoline car in the 2001 ratings of
ACEEE.
Hot Stuff
Of course, not all the news is good this summer. Eastern Europe experienced a horrible heat wave in July, resulting in at least 38 deaths (CNN, 07.13.00).
Uncontrolled forest fires returned to Indonesia, with smoke reaching as far as Thailand and Malaysia. This has led to widespread fears that things could get as bad as they did in the summer of 1997, when more than 12 million acres of forest, plantations, and other lands were ablaze, with the resulting haze affecting health and tourism throughout Southeast Asia. Yet again large areas of peat land in Sumatra have been ignited, fires that are especially difficult to subdue and that lead to huge amounts of CO2 being released (Planet Ark, Reuters, Grace Nirang, 07.20.00).
In other disheartening news, a new study in Science reveals that the edges of Greenland's ice sheet are rapidly thinning, especially along the southern and southeastern coast -- overall, at a rate of more than 11 cubic miles per year, according to NASA scientists. They estimate that this melting is responsible for about 7 percent of the annual rise in global sea level, which overall has risen about four to 10 inches over the last century. Greenland contains about 8 percent of the Earth's grounded ice, while Antarctica has about 91 percent (Associated Press, 07.21.00; Washington Post, Curt Suplee, 07.21.00).
And the Drumroll Please ...The New York Times sweeps this month's Heat Beat awards for best recent climate change stories available on the web.
First of all, a powerful series of op-eds written by columnist Bob Herbert on the risks we all face from global warming and some potential solutions to the problem. Read them all --
one,
two, and
three. (In the interest of full disclosure, the op-eds do quote copiously from scientist Michael Oppenheimer, who happens to be my husband -- but they are praiseworthy nevertheless.)
Finally, check out Walter Gibbs's eloquent article on the melting of the Arctic, which opens with the following
sentence: "The mythic ice scape that stretches south in all directions from the North Pole is melting so fast that Norwegian scientists say it could disappear entirely each summer beginning in just 50 years, radically altering the Earth's environment, the global economy and the human imagination."
Leonie Haimson was the climate columnist for the former Liberty Tree Alliance website. She co-authored The Way Things Really Are: Debunking Rush Limbaugh on the Environment for the Environmental Defense Fund, and edited Common Questions on Climate Change for the U.N. Environment Program
http://www.gristmagazine.com/grist/heatbeat/thisjustin080300.stm
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