Obama's new pollution measure 奥巴马宣布美国减排新规

媒体英语会带大家一起学习 BBC 撰稿人在报道世界大事时常用到的单词和短语。

美国政府将公布一项减碳计划来限制其火力发电厂的碳排放。这将是美国有史以来为缓解全球气温变暖而采取的最重要的行动之一。以下是 BBC记者 Beth Mcleod 发回的报道：

The United States produces more greenhouse gases than any country in the world, apart from China. The plan to curb emissions from fossil-fuelled power plants is the most ambitious measure proposed by President Obama in his efforts to tackle climate change.

The details of the plan will be laid out by the Environmental Protection Agency. It will give broad flexibility to states to decide how to meet carbon reduction targets, whether by closing coal-fired power stations and switching to cleaner sources of energy, or by creating cap-and-trade schemes.

Some US media are reporting that by 2030 the government wants a 30% reduction in carbon dioxide emissions. Business groups and Republicans fiercely oppose the new regulations, and say they're likely to drive up electricity prices. But for the president the measure is important for his environmental legacy and in order to show global leadership on climate change.