VOA慢速英語:太陽能電廠引發(fā)環(huán)境擔憂

From VOA Learning English, this is the Technology Report.

這里是美國之音慢速英語科技報道。

The world's largest solar thermal plant is set to begin producing power in the United States by the end of the year. Wind and energy from the sun are generally considered clean, unlike energy from coal-burning power stations. However, environmentalists now worry that to much solar power development could harm the local environment.

世界上最大的太陽能熱電廠計劃于今年年底在美國開始發(fā)電。風能和太陽能不像燃煤電廠產(chǎn)生的能源，它們通常被認為是清潔能源。然而環(huán)保人士現(xiàn)在擔心太陽能發(fā)電發(fā)展過快會損害當?shù)丨h(huán)境。

A California company -- BrightSource Energy is building a huge solar power plant in the Mojave desert, about 60 kilometers southwest of Las Vegas, Nevada. The plant is known as the Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System. Joe Desmond works for the company.

加州的亮源公司(BrightSource)正在內(nèi)華達州拉斯維加斯市西南60公里左右的莫哈韋沙漠修建一個巨大的太陽能發(fā)電廠。該電廠被稱為艾文帕太陽能發(fā)電系統(tǒng)。喬·德斯蒙德(Joe Desmond)就職于該公司。

"This is actually one of the highest concentrations of sunlight in the world, out here in Ivanpah," explained Desmond.

德斯蒙德解釋說，“這里是全球太陽能最集中的地區(qū)之一。”

BrightSource Energy will deploy 170,000 specially designed mirrors to direct solar energy towards boilers on top of three power towers. The steam produced in the boilers will drive turbines to make electricity.

亮源能源公司將在這里部署170萬組特制的反射鏡，將太陽能反射到三個發(fā)電塔頂部的鍋爐上，鍋爐產(chǎn)生的蒸汽將推動渦輪機發(fā)電。

Joe Desmond says the steam can reach temperatures of more than 260 degrees Celsius.

德斯蒙德表示，蒸汽的溫度能夠達到攝氏260度。

"We can store the sun's thermal energy in the form of molten salt, so we can produce electricity even when the sun goes down. There is a lot of interest in concentrating solar power around the globe in environments where you have lots of sun, such as China, South Africa, the Middle East, North Africa," explained Desmond.

德斯蒙德解釋說，“我們能夠?qū)⑻柕臒崮芤匀廴邴}的形式儲存起來，這樣即使太陽下山時我們也能發(fā)電。全球陽光充足的地方對聚光太陽能都有濃厚興趣，如中國、南非、中東和北非。”

Environmentalists generally support the idea of solar power, however, many are concerned about the effect of power plants on sensitive environment.

環(huán)保人士通常支持太陽能發(fā)電的想法，然而，許多人都擔心太陽能電廠對敏感環(huán)境的影響。

Lisa Belenky is a lawyer with the Center for Biological Diversity, a private group. She says environmentalists are specifically worried about the effect of the Ivanpah Solar Project on the sensitive plant and animal life in that part of Mojave desert.

麗莎·貝蘭奇(Lisa Belenky)是生物多樣性研究中心的一名律師，這是一家私營組織。她說，環(huán)保人士尤其擔心艾文帕太陽能項目對莫哈韋沙漠該地區(qū)敏感植物和動物的影響。

"Even though the desert seems big, when you start cutting it up, it can really affect how the species and the animals and the plants are able to survive in the long run," said Lisa Belenky.

貝蘭奇表示，“即使沙漠看起來很大，當你將它分割開來，就會確實影響到各物種和動、植物的長久生存。”

BrightSource Energy has already spent more than $50 million to move endangered desert tortoises away from the power plant, but Lisa Belenky says this is not the answer.

亮源能源公司已經(jīng)花費5千多萬美元將瀕危沙漠龜從電廠遷走，但貝蘭奇表示，這不是解決之道。

"We should be reusing areas that have already been disturbed, [like] old mining sites, for example... either on homes, on businesses, parking lots," said Belenky.

貝蘭奇說，“我們應(yīng)該重新利用已經(jīng)被擾亂的地方，像舊煤礦礦區(qū)。”

There have also been reports of birds dying at the Ivanpah Plant and others like it. Some birds die after colliding with solar equipment which the animals mistake for water. Other birds were killed or suffered burns after flying through the intense heat at the solar thermal plant. As solar projects increase, environmentalists and developers are considering what to do to reduce bird death.

已經(jīng)有報道稱鳥類在艾文帕電廠及類似地區(qū)死亡。有些鳥撞上它們誤以為是水的太陽能裝置而死亡，還有些鳥在飛越太陽能熱電廠的高溫區(qū)域后死亡或被燒傷。隨著太陽能項目的增加，環(huán)保人士和開發(fā)商都在考慮怎樣減少鳥類死亡。