比起消除真正的污染，当前加强对于环境保护重要性的认识，其意义还要深远得多。我们太晚才认识到，当我们在生产?规模?速度和发展这些方面取得“成就”的时候，生活条件已大大恶化……
Theefforttosavetheenvironmentderivesmuchofitspoliticalpopularity(普及)fromtheimpactofimmediatepersonalinconveniences：asewage(严重的)pollutedbeach,thesmogthatleavesone’seyeswatering,theblackgranules(小颗粒)ofsoot(煤烟)thatdriftinthroughanopenwindow,trafficjams(交通堵塞),noise,thesmokingvehiclesandindustries.
Butthesignificanceofthecurrentconsciousnessfortheenvironmentprotectiongoesmuch,muchdeeperthannuisancereduction.Itisapostponedrecognitionthataswe“succeed”intermsofproduction,size,speed,growth,qualityoflifemaydeteriorateourlivingconditionsdisastrously.Itisadelayedrecognitionofourunitywithnature,aconcernformanhimselfandhisnaturalenvironment.Itisadelayedawarenessthatourfateasindividualsisinfellowshipwithourfateasaspeciesandthefutureoflifeinthisplanet.
Preciselybecausewehaverecognizedlate,wemustredouble(加倍)oureffortstogaincommandofthesituation,wemusttakeallthemeansatourdisposal—basicandappliedresearch,publiceducation,and,aboveall,thegovernmentalaction.
Wecouldhaveaproductive,prosperoussocietywithoutdestroyingtheecologicalbalanceofourenvironment.Whyshouldmancreatetheimpropriety(不适当的事物)ofmaterialplentyaroundpoisonedair,pollutedwaterandmountainsofsolidwastes?
RussiaiscurrentlyconcernedwiththefighttosaveLakeBaikal(贝加尔湖),fourhundredsmileslongandsixthousandfeetdeep.Thebeautiful,woodedshorelineisbeinginhabiteduponbynewindustrialplants—andanewgenerationofRussiaconservationists(自然资源保护论者)israisingachallenge,theunitedstatescontainslessthan6percentoftheworld’spopulation—butitconsumes34percentoftheworld’sproductionandbringsaboutmuchmorethan5percentoftheworld’spollution.EachAmericaninhislifetimeusesanaverageof26millionsgallonsofwater,21000gallonsofgasoline,10000poundsofmeat,28000poundsofmilkandcream,$6000worthofclothingand$7000worthoffurniture.Eachyear,peopleintheUnitedStatesdiscard7millionsautomobilesand100millionstires,20milliontonsofpaper,28billionbottlesand48billionscans.Justtocollectthegarbagecost$2.8billionayear.TheUnitedStatesfactoriesgetridof165milliontonsofsolidwastesand172milliontonsofsmoke,vehicleemissionsandotherformsofatmospheric(大气的)pollution.Eighty-threemillionUnitedStatesautomobilescontribute60percentofairpollutioninurbandistricts.Eachyear,theUnitedStatespavesoveramillionacresoffield,forestsandruralgreenspaces.
Fortunately,savingtheenvironmenthasbecomeapopularcrusade(圣战)—aidedespeciallybytheenergyandconcernofyoungpeople,manisbeginningtorealizethathemustdrasticallyalterhispatternofshortsighted(无远见的)abuseofthenaturalresourcesifhewantstosurvive.
Largefirmsaremovingtocompetewiththesmallones;specialistmakersofpollutioncontrolequipmentshavewatchedtheirownsalesincreasetenfold.
Wemustachieveinteractionofpopularpressuresandenthusiasm,thepreciseapplicationofsizable(相当大的)fundsandtechnologicalskills,andthewiseactionofgovernmentatallthelevelsofoursocio-economicsystem.Thatmeansfederal,stateandlocalgovernmentsshouldcoordinatetheireffortstosolvetheproblems.
Whilepollutedairalmostneverappearsonadeathcertificate,medicalresearchstronglyimplicates(暗示)itasacontributingcauseofmanydeaths.Pollutedairinfluenceshealthgradually,soitseffectsareextremelydifficulttopinpoint(查明).However,mountingevidenceindicatesasteadyincreaseintheincidenceofsuchrespiratory(呼吸的)diseasesasasthma(哮喘),bronchitis(支气管炎),lungcancer,andemphysema(肺气肿).Citieswithanabundanceofairpollutionhavethegreatestincidenceofthesediseases.
Thenumber-onecauseofatmosphericpollutionistheautomobile.Somefurtherobservationisneededonthissubject,buttheautomobileisindeedacrucialpolluterandkiller.Theaccidentdeathratefromautomobileiscurrentlyinexcessoffifty-fivethousandpeopleeveryyear.Theautomobilecreatestrafficjamsinthecitiesandjunkyards(旧汽车丢弃地)inthecountryside.Expertssaythefamilycarhasmadepossiblenotonlythespreadofthesuburbsbutalsotheabandonment(废弃)ofcentralcities.Theinternalcombustionengine(内燃机)maywellgiveplacetootherformsofpropulsion(推进).However,researchworkontheelectricity,steamandhybridgasoline-naturalgaspowered(油气两用的)automobileshasnotproceededveryfar.Thefactisthatnoonehasyetinventedasubstitutewhichhasadequateperformance,reliability(可靠性),andsafety,orwhichcanbeproducedatareasonablecostandrequiresaminimumofmaintenance.
Wehavemadeprogressincleaninguptheatmosphere,inpartbecausethepublicrecognizesthehealthdangersandiswillingtoaccepttheexpenditures.Buttherehaslittleprogress,nationallyspeaking,againstnoisepollution,becausesolittleisknownaboutthesubject.
Noisepollutionis,inface,athreattomillionsthatcouldbeasdangerousasthepollutionoftheatmosphere.Clinicians(临床医生)believethatprolongedexposuretonoise,especiallytosharp,sudden,surprisesounds,producessevereinvoluntaryresponseinthedigestive(消化的)nervoussystems.
Humanearscannotshutoutnoiseinsleepinthesamewayeyelids(眼皮)shutoutlight.Theconstriction(收缩)ofbloodvesselsbynoisepollutioncangoonallnightlong.Manypeoplearefatiguedbytheireffortstoremainasleepinthemidstofurbannoise.
Thelowestaudible(可听到的)soundisonedecibel(分贝)—andloudersoundsaremeasuredupwardonalogarithmic(对数的)scale.Twentydecibelsistentimes10decibels,and80decibelsisamilliontimeslouderthan20decibels—and30orsoifitisdroppedonawoodenlibraryfloor.Theordinaryconversationlevelinanaveragesizeroomrunsatapproximately60decibels.Soundsof80decibelsormoreareuncomfortabletohumanears.Decibellevelsof90ormoreareestimatedbydoctorstopresentahealthhazard.Decibellevelsof100ormoreareadefinitethreattohearing.
Heavycitytrafficismeasuredat90to95decibels,andacommonhouseholdfoodblenderat93decibels.Airhammers(气锤)andaircompressors(空气压缩机)alongcitysidewalks(人行道)eruptinsuddenblastsof95decibels.Thisisalsothereading,incidentally,ofasubwaytrainscreamingaroundacurve.Farmtractorscansoundat98decibels,roughlythesameasanewspaperprintingpress.Incredibleasitmayseem,therearemanyfamiliarimplementsofmodernlifethatmeasure100decibelsandabove.Theseincludeloudoutboard(舷外的)motors,poweringalongoff-shore(离岸),102decibels;textilelooms,106decibels;rivetingguns(铆枪),110decibelsonup,usuallywayup.
Therearepsychologicaleffectsofnoisepollution.Startingsoundscontributetooutburstsofangeramongnormallyplacid(平静的)people.Adroppertoy,ablaringtelevisionset,apolicesiren,atingling(叮当响的)telephone,asuddentrucknoise,mightpropelaneurotic(神经病患者)tominorviolence.Asforprolonged,steadysound,menandwomenexposedtoitaremoreinclinedtoquarreloractfoolishly.
ABritishstudyshowednotlongagothatpeoplewholivedneardeafening(震聋)Londonairportwereadmittedtomentalhospitalsatahigherratethanpeoplelivinginquietdistrictsinthesamepartofthecountry.Thenoisesofourdailylifehavebeenblamedvariouslyforthehighdivorcerate,socialconflict,indigestion(消化不良),nervousbreakdown(神经失常),highbloodpressure,heartfailure(心力衰竭),andeveninsanity(精神错乱).Thedamageisdonedeepintheinnerear,nearthebrain,tothedelicatecilia(纤毛)，rowsofmicroscopic,hairlikeorganscapableofrespondingindividuallytothousandsoffrequenciesofsound,thefirstofthesetinyorganstobeinjuredbynoisearethose,whichrespondtothehigherfrequenciesabovethelevelofspeech.Butthehearinglosstakesplaceverygradually,anddeafnessisoftennotnoticeduntilitistoolatetotakecorrectivemeasures.
Infact,mostcitydwellers(居民)have“invented”theirownmethodsofwithstandingnoisepollution.Theyturnonalowdecibelproducer—afanoranairconditioner—tostrainoutanddistilltheloudernoisesandmakeindoorlifemorepreferable.Somestateshavepassedlawsagainstdefectivemotorcyclemufflers(消声器),againstalarmsonotherthanemergencyvehicles,againstinadequate(不充足的)mufflersonautomobiles.
NewYorkCityprohibitstheuseofautomobilehornsonstationaryvehicles,exceptasadangersignal.Thecityalsobanstheuseofanyvehiclesoutofrepairtoavoidcreatingloudandunnecessarygrating(摩擦声),clashing,orothernoises.Thecityforbidstheunnecessaryblowingofsteamwhistlesand,alongwiththestate,theuseofastationaryinternalcombustionenginewithoutaneffectivemuffler.Thesearecitylawsagainstexcessivenoisenearschoolsandhospitalsandintheloadingandunloadingofvehicles,theshoutingofstreethawkers(叫卖小贩)isforbidden,thedullhum(嗡嗡声)offansandairconditionerscontinuestobethecitizen’sprincipalweaponagainstneighbor’sconversations.Thedevelopmentofoff-site,prefabricated(预制的)housesbytheOfficeofHousingandUrbanDevelopmentinWashingtonhasofferednewhopeofeffectivenoisecontrols.Thehousedevisedissimplerandlesscostlytoinstall.Anotherpromisingnewconcertisthedevelopmentofportable,soundproofed(隔音的)roomsforinstallationinhomes,offices,orindustrialplants.
Noisecontroltechnologyintransportationisalsobeingdevised.GeneralMotors(美国通用汽车公司)hasdesignedquieterpublictrucks,conductingnewresearchintonoiseabatement(消除)featuresofbodyandstructural(结构的)frameworkdesign,andmakingitsfindingsavailabletoothermanufacturers(生产厂商).
Trucksmayberequiredtoreducedieselengine(柴油机)noisebysimpletechniquesthathavealreadybeentestedindieselbusdesign,basicallyasealedenginecompartment,mechanicallyventilatedbyfans.Smalldischargeandlinemufflersmayreduceairbrakenoiseandfrantic(狂乱的)pumpingsound.Tiredmaybedesignedwithcrossbarandribtreads(轮胎面)tominimizethefamiliarwhirring(旋转的)noise.
Theairtransportationindustryalsohasamajornoiseproblem.Aircrafttechnologyisonlyonepartoftheproblem,however.Theotheristhequalityoflifeinresidential,industrial,andwildlifeareasinthevicinityofairports.Thenoiseofthejetsisindeedsubstantial.Environmentalfactorsmustbeconsideredwellinadvanceinallaspectsofaviationplanning.
Reducingthepollutionofourrivers,lakes,streams,andoffshorewatersisimportantfirthecominggeneration.
Wehavemadevisibleandencouragingprogressbyoperatingnewsewage(污水)disposalprojects.Sewagetreatmentplant’sconstructionhasimprovedthequalityoftenbilliongallonsofwateraday—some20percentofallourfreshwaterresources.Pollutionoftherivers,streams,andlakesmustbeendedaspossible—asaprerequisite(先决条件)forourgoodfutureandourgoodhealth.Wecanstopwaterpollutionifwearepreparedtopaytheprice.
Thebasictechnologyofsewagecontrolhasbeensuccessfullydeveloped.Theprimaryneedisformoresewagetreatmentofplantsandfilters.Municipalcollectionsystemsgatherthesewageinlateralandtrunksewers.Whentreatmentisnotprovided,thesewageisdumpeddirectlyintothenearestwaters.Filtersatedesignedtogathersewagefromthesetrunkandlateralsewersandbringthemtothetreatmentfacilities.
Treatmentplantsreceivesewagefromcollectionsystemsandfromfilers.Treatmenttheneliminatesmanyoftheharmful(有害的)compositionofsewagebysedimentation(沉淀),biologicalorchemicalaction(生化反应),andpurification.Primarytreatment(sedimentation)isalwaysnecessary.Secondarytreatment(biologicalandchemicalaction)isalsoalwaysnecessary.Chlorination(氯化处理)(purification)isneededinmostcases.Toeliminateexistingpollutioninindustriesnottiedtomunicipalsewagecollectionsystems,theremustbeseparateindustrialfacilitiesandevenchangersinindustrialprocesses.
注释:
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