泛读题源报第六课

HowFastCanObamaFixU.S.Environment——ForeightyearstheU.S.hasbeenseenasaglobaloutlieronclimateissues.Now,withjust12monthstogountiltheworlddecidesonanewKyotoprotocol,itiscatch-uptimeforpresident-electBarackObama.Whatcanhereasonablyachieveinthattime?wouldsetthefoundationforcarbontrading:asintheEuropeanUnion,theamountofgreenhousegasesthatindustriescanlawfullyemitwouldbelimited(the“cap”),andSomestatesandcompanieshavevoluntarilycometogethertosetuptheirowncarbon-emissionsmarket,buttheBushadministrationhasalwaysheldthatafederalsystemwouldharmtheeconomycarbon-emissionsThereseemslittledoubtthatthenationwilleventuallyadoptacap-and-tradebillandtothisendlegislatorsonCapitolHillhavebeenpreparingthegroundforseveralyears.Obamaisamongthosewhohasbackedafederalcap-and-tradebillin2007,andearlierthisyears,oneversionfailedtogetthroughtheSenate.CapitolHill美国国会Senaten.NoHowquicklyanewbillcouldbepassedisthesubjectofmuchspeculation.JonathanLash,presidentoftheWorldResourcesInstitutesaysitisfeasiblethatacap-and-tradebillcouldbeadoptedbeforetheendof2009.②Othersaremorecautious,SenatorJeffBingaman,aNewMexicodemocratwhohasbeenactiveonclimatechangeandwhochairstheEnergyandNaturalResourcesCommittee,thinks2010ismorelikely.Bingamansaysenergylegislationfocusingondevelopingalternativeenergysourcesandimprovingenergyefficiencyislikelytobepassedbeforeclimate-changelegislation.energylegislation“Ithinktherealityisthatitmaytakemorethanthefirstyeartogetitalldone,”saysBingaman.Onceenergylegislationpasses,“Ithinkourprospectsformovingaheadandseriouslyconsideringandenactingcap-and-tradelegislationisimproved,”headds.EileenClaussen,presidentofthePewCenteronGlobalClimateChange,agreeswithBingamanthataUScap-and-tradelawis“muchmorelikelyin2010”.BingamancitesthecomplexityoftheenterpriseandthecurrentfinancialcrisisasfactorsthatcouldslowtheprocessdowninCongress.Inaddition,therearerumoursofalternativeRepublican-ledlegislationthatcouldfurtherdelaymatters.citevt.引用Rumourn.OutintheObamaisalsoleftinthedifficultsituationofhavingtowatchtheout-goingadministrationattendtheannualUNclimatesummitinPoznań,Poland,next2009.ThePoznańsummitishopedtopavethewayforthisThereisacampaignunderwayforObamatogotoPoznań,butfewbelievehewill.Instead,heisexpectedtosendanobserver.AllthismeansexpectationsforradicallydifferentUSclimateleadershipwillbepiledhighonObamasdeskwhenhetakesovertheOvalOfficeon20January,2009.AtaconferenceoncarbontradingthattookplaceonWednesday,anenvironmentaladvisortoObamasoughttoreassurebusinessandpolicy-makingexperts.“Thepresident-electwillmovequicklyonclimatechange,”saidJasonGrumet,Obama’sleadenergyandenvironmentcampaignadviserandpossiblechoiceforthenewenergysecretary.“MysuggestiontoallofyouistoenjoytheholidayseasonandrestupbecauseIthinkit’sgoingtobeavery,verybusy2009,”hesaidHeofferednospecificsandanswerednoquestions.HenotedthattheUShas“afederalclimateprogrammewithmandatoryelements,formany,manyyearsObamapreparestofixU.S.environmenttheBushadministrationhasalwaysheldthatafederalsystemwouldharmtheeconomy.OneversionfailedtogetthroughtheBingamancitesthecomplexityoftheenterpriseandthecurrentfinancialObamaisleftinthedifficultBetheadoptionofcap-and-tradeIndiaUnderminesItsOwnWhenIndianPrimeMinisterManmohanSinghlastvisitedtheWhiteHousein2009,heheralded“amomentofgreatopportunity”forthetwocountries,callingonbothsidestoworktogetherto“harnesstheimmensepotentialofourtalentedandenterprisingpeopleandsupporteachother’sgrowthandprosperity.”Yet,asSinghpreparesforhisvisittoWashingtonthisweek,India’stradeandinvestmentpoliciesthreatentoundermine,ratherthanharness,thispotential.WiththeUnitedStatesstillrecoveringfromarecessionandthecontinuedslowdowninIndia’seconomicgrowth,thepotentialvalueofadeepeningpartnershiphasonlyincreased.FrommypersonalexperienceinIndiaoverthelasttwodecades,IhavewitnessedfirsthandtheprogressthathasbeenmadetosolidifytherelationshipbetweenIndiaandtheBetween2000and2011,revenuefromU.S.exportstoIndiaincreasedseven-fold,seven-foldn.七倍gathermomentumYet,fouryearsafterSingh’sinitialvisit,thepotentialoftherelationshipstillremainslargelyunfulfilled.Surprisingly,Indiaremainsonlythe13thlargesttradingpartneroftheUnitedStates,eventhoughitmaysoonbecometheworld’sthirdlargesteconomy.TheUnitedStatestradesmorewithTaiwanandKoreathanwithIndia,despitetheirbeingonlyatinyfractionofIndia’ssize.RecentactionstakenbytheIndiangovernmenthaveonlyimpededfurtherprogressintherelationship.Indiahasresortedto“compulsorylicensing”toappropriateforeignfirms’intellectualpropertyinviolationofinternationaltradenorms.Ithasoverridden,revokedorinfringeduponapproximatelyadozenpharmaceuticalpatentsheldbyforeignfirmssince2012alone.inviolationof违反Overridevt.推翻infringevt.侵犯Pharmaceuticaladj.Anditsindustrialpolicyexpresslycallsforsuchmeasuresinothersectorsaswell.TheseactionscreateanatmosphereofdistrustthatwillonlydiscouragenewinvestmentinIndia.Indiahasalsomandatedlocalcontentrequirements,chargedexorbitanttariffsattheborderincertainsectorsandmaintainedonerousmarketentrybarriersandforeignequityexorbitanttariff高额关税onerousadj.繁重的；麻烦的barrier贸易壁垒equitycap持股上限OneheadlineaptlycapturedIndia’sambivalencetowardseasingmarketaccess:“TheLicenseRajisDead.LongLivetheLicenseRaj.”Thesebarriershinderinvestmentinbanking,financialservices,insurance,retail,telecommunicationsandmanyothersectors.Thisyear,Indiawillexperienceonly5percentgrowth—thelowestinadecade.Foreigninvestmenthasfallenbynearlytwo-thirdsinthepastyear,andtherupeehasplummeted.rupeen.（货币）卢布Plummetvt.Althoughshort-termprotectionismmayappealtodomesticconstituenciesasthecampaignbeginsfornextyear’selectionsinIndia,historyhasproventhatsuchpoliciesarestateofitseconomy,thisishardlythetimeforIndiatoalienateforeigninvestors.CertainlytheU.S.candoitspart,too,byimplementingsorelyneededreformstoourimmigrationpolicyandensuringthathighly-skilledworkerscancontinuetolearnfromandcontributetooureconomythroughtheH-1Bvisaprogram.H-1BWorkervisas）Butfranklytherei