Looming Water Shortages Cut in Favor of Renewable Energy

    WSJ has an interesting article about the influence that dwindling water resources is having on the trend towards developing more renewable energy sources. Water is commonly overshadowed by greenhouse gas emissions in the discussion about dirty power versus renewable power. However, consumption of water by traditional power plants is a gigantic environmental issue. In fact, as the WSJ notes, “the electric-power industry accounts for nearly half of all water withdrawals in the U.S., with agricultural irrigation coming in a distant second at about 35%.”

    Although most of this water is eventually recycled back into nearby lakes or streams, 2-3% is lost by evaporation, and the heat from the water released back into the natural environment can be detrimental to surrounding life.

    As a result of these concerns, the power industry has been looking more closely at renewable plants, such as wind farms, as alternatives to traditional power sources. This is because most renewable energy plants use a tiny fraction of the amount of water extracted by dirty plants.

    According to one study, “a megawatt hour of electricity produced by a wind turbine can save 200 to 600 gallons of water compared with the amount required by a modern gas-fired power plant to make that same amount.”

    This fact, coupled with concerns over climate change, makes it even more obvious that the electricity generation industry must move away from dirty energy and towards renewables once and for all.

    日益迫近的淡水危機有利於促進可再生能源的開發

    《華爾街日報》（ The Wall Street Journal, 簡寫為WSJ）上shang有you一yi篇pian有you意yi義yi的de文wen章zhang，這zhe篇pian文wen章zhang談tan到dao目mu前qian正zheng在zai減jian少shao的de水shui資zi源yuan對dui開kai發fa更geng多duo的de可ke再zai生sheng能neng源yuan的de趨qu勢shi所suo產chan生sheng的de影ying響xiang。在zai論lun及ji有you汙wu染ran能neng源yuan與yu可ke再zai生sheng能neng源yuan的de時shi候hou
，水shui的de問wen題ti往wang往wang被bei溫wen室shi氣qi體ti排pai放fang所suo掩yan蓋gai掉diao。但dan是shi
，傳chuan統tong電dian力li廠chang所suo消xiao耗hao的de水shui是shi一yi個ge巨ju大da的de環huan境jing問wen題ti。實shi際ji上shang正zheng如ru《華爾街日報》所說，“在美國，電力工業消耗了幾乎近一半的水
，農業灌溉用水排在第二位，但比電力消耗用水少很多，隻占據了35%。”

    雖然大多數的水最後經過循環處理排回到附近的湖泊或者溪流中
，但是仍然有2-3%的水蒸發掉了。另外，這些水（發電廠中用到的冷卻循環水，譯者注）中的熱量被釋放到自然環境中
，這對周圍的生物是有害處的。

    考(kao)慮(lv)到(dao)這(zhe)些(xie)問(wen)題(ti)
，電(dian)力(li)工(gong)業(ye)一(yi)直(zhi)在(zai)關(guan)注(zhu)把(ba)可(ke)再(zai)生(sheng)能(neng)源(yuan)發(fa)電(dian)廠(chang)作(zuo)為(wei)傳(chuan)統(tong)發(fa)電(dian)廠(chang)的(de)替(ti)代(dai)
，比(bi)如(ru)風(feng)力(li)發(fa)電(dian)廠(chang)。這(zhe)是(shi)因(yin)為(wei)大(da)多(duo)數(shu)可(ke)再(zai)生(sheng)能(neng)源(yuan)發(fa)電(dian)廠(chang)的(de)用(yong)水(shui)僅(jin)僅(jin)隻(zhi)占(zhan)有(you)汙(wu)染(ran)發(fa)電(dian)廠(chang)用(yong)水(shui)的(de)微(wei)小(xiao)的(de)一(yi)部(bu)分(fen)。

    據一項研究顯示
，“與一個現代的天然氣火力發電廠相比，由風力渦輪機產生一兆瓦時的電力能節約200到600加侖的水。”

    很明顯
，這個事實

，再加上對氣候變暖的擔心

，使發電行業必須從有汙染的能源永遠轉向可再生的能源。

    Vocabulary:

Looming：日益迫近的
Renewable：可再生的
Dwindle：(逐漸)減少
Trend：趨勢
Overshadow：使黯然失色
Consumption：消耗
Traditional：傳統的
Gigantic：龐大的
；巨大的
Withdrawal：取回；提取
Agricultural：農業的
Irrigation：灌溉
Eventually：最終的
Recycle：循環
Evaporation：蒸發
Detrimental：有害的
Alternative：可替換的
Tiny：微小的
Fraction：部分
Extract：抽取
Megawatt：兆瓦（一百萬瓦特）
Turbine：渦輪機
Gallon：加侖（液量單位
，美製約等於3.8升）
Obvious：顯然的
Once and for all：永遠