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新视野大学英语第三版读写教程第四册:Unit4A可持续性发展的环保主义Unit4TextAAchievingsustainableenvironmentalism翻译,原文Achievingsustainableenvironmentalism1Environmentalsensitivityisnowasrequiredanattitudeinpolitesocietyasissaybeliefindemocracyordisapprovalofplasticsurgery.ButnowthateveryonefromTedTurnertoGeorgeH.W.BushhasclaimedloveforMotherEarthhowarewetochooseamongthedozensofconflictingproposalsregulationsandlawsadvancedbycongressmenandconstituentsalikeinthenameoftheenvironment?Clearlynoteverythingwithanenvironmentalclaimisworthdoing.Howdowesegregatethebestoptionsandconsolidateourvaryinginterestsintoasinglesoundpolicy?2Thereisasimpleway.Firstdifferentiatebetweenenvironmentalluxuriesandenvironmentalnecessities.Luxuriesarethosethingsthatwouldbenicetohaveifcostless.Necessitiesarethosethingswemusthaveregardless.Callthisdistinctionthedefinitiveruleofsaneenvironmentalismwhichstipulatesthatcombatingecologicalchangethatdirectlythreatensthehealthandsafetyofpeopleisanenvironmentalnecessity.Allelseisluxury.3Forexamplepreservingtheatmospherestoppingozonedepletionandthegreenhouseeffectisanenvironmentalnecessity.Recentlyscientistsreportedthatozonedamageisfarworsethanpreviouslythought.Ozonedepletionhasacorrelationnotonlywithskincancerandeyeproblemsitalsodestroystheocean'secologythebeginningofthefoodchainatopwhichwehumanssit.4Thepossiblethermalconsequencesofthegreenhouseeffectarefardeadlier:meltingicecapsfloodedcoastlinesdisruptedclimatedryplainsandultimatelyemptybreadbaskets.TheAmericanMidwestfeedspeopleatallcornersoftheatlas.WiththeplanetaryclimatechangesarewepreparedtoseeIowatakeonNewMexico'sdesertclimateorSiberiatakeonIowa'smoderateclimate?5Ozonedepletionandthegreenhouseeffectarehumandisastersandtheyareurgentbecausetheydirectlythreatenhumanityandarenoteasilyreversible.Asaneenvironmentalismtheonlykindofenvironmentalismthatwillstrikeachordwiththegeneralpublicbeginsbyopenlydeclaringthatnatureisheretoservehumanbeings.Asaneenvironmentalismisentirelyahumanfocusedregime:Itcallsuponhumanitytopreservenaturebutmerelywithintheparametersofself-survival.6Ofcoursethishumanfocusrunsagainstthegrainofacontemporaryenvironmentalismthatindulgesinovertearthworship.Somepeopleevenallegethattheearthisalivingorganism.Thiskindofenvironmentalismlikestoconsideritselfspiritual.Itisnothingmorethansentimental.Ittakesforexampleahighlyselectiveviewofthekindnessofnatureonethatisincompatiblewiththerealityofnaturaldisasters.MynatureworshipstopswiththetwisterthatcamethroughKansasorthedreadfulrainsinBangladeshthateradicatedwholevillagesandleftmillionshomeless.7Anon-sentimentalenvironmentalismisonefoundedonProtagoras'sideathatManisthemeasureofallthings.Inestablishingthesovereigntyofmansuchaprinciplehelpsusthroughthedenseforestofenvironmentalarguments.TakethecurrentdebateragingoveroildrillinginacorneroftheArcticNationalWildlifeRefuge(ANWR).EnvironmentalistcoalitionsmobilizingagainstalegislativeactionworkingitswaythroughtheUSCongressforthelegalizationofsuchexplorationpropagatethatAmericansshouldbepreservingandeconomizingenergyinsteadofdrillingforit.Thisisafalseeither-orproposition.TheUSdoesneedasizableenergytaxtoreduceconsumption.Butitneedsmoreproductiontoo.Governmentestimatesindicateanearlyfifty-fiftychancethatundertheANWRrestsoneofthefivelargestoilfieldseverdiscoveredinAmerica.ItseemsillogicalthatwearenotfindingsafewaystodrillforoilintheANWR.8TheUShasjustcomethroughawarfoughtinpartoveroil.EnergydependencecostsAmericansnotjustdollarsbutlives.ItisabizarresentimentalismthatwoulddenyoilthatispeacefullyattainablebecauseitrisksdisruptingthebirthinggroundsofArcticcaribou.9Ilikethecaribouasmuchasthenextperson.AndIwouldberathersorryiftheirmatingpatternsweredisturbed.Butyoucan'thaveyourcakeandeatittoo.AndinthestandoffofthewelfareofcaribouversusreducinganoilreliancethatgetspeoplekilledinwarsIchoosepeopleovercariboueverytime.10IfeelsimilarlyaboutthespottedowlinOregon.Iamnoenemyoftheowl.IfitcouldbepreservedatanegligiblecostIwouldagreethatitshouldbebiodiversityisafterallnecessarytotheecosystem.Butwemustrememberthatnoteveryspeciesisneededtokeepthatdiversity.Sometimesaestheticaspectsoflifehavetobesacrificedtomorefundamentalones.Ifthecostofpreservingthespottedowlisthelossoflivelihoodfor30000loggingfamiliesIchoosethefamilies(withtheirsawsandchoppedtimber)overtheowl.11Theimportantdistinctionisbetweenthoseenvironmentalgoodsthatarefundamentalandthosethatarenot.Natureisourwardnotourmaster.Itistoberespectedandevencultivated.Butwhenhumanshavetochoosebetweentheirownwell-beingandthatofnaturenaturewillhavetoaccommodate.12Humanityshouldaccommodateonlywhenitsfateandthatofnatureareinseparablyboundup.Themosturgentmaneuvermustbeundertakenwhentheveryintegrityofhumanity'shabitate.g.theatmosphereortheessentialgeologythatsustainsthecoreoftheearthisthreatened.Whenthethreattohumanityislowerinthehierarchyofnecessityamoremodestaccommodationthatbalanceseconomicagainsthealthconcernsisinorder.Butineithercasetheprincipleisthesame:protecttheenvironmentbecauseitishumanity'senvironment.13Thesentimentalenvironmentalistswillcallthissa