美国农民担心环保署对乙醇标准的修改

From VOA Learning English, this is the Agriculture Report.

这里是美国之音慢速英语农业报道。

Farmers in the United States are concerned about a possible decrease in the use of ethanol. Ethanol is a liquid fuel made from plants, such as corn.

美国农民担心乙醇用量可能会减少。乙醇是一种用玉米等农作物制成的液体燃料。

Last November, the Environmental Protection Agency proposed lowering the required amount of ethanol mixture in the nation's gasoline supply. The required use of ethanol in fuel began in 2007. The requirement was part of a law called the Energy Independence and Security Act.

去年十一月，美国环境保护署建议降低全国汽油供应中乙醇混合物的必需含量。燃料中要求添加乙醇始于2007年。该要求是能源独立与安全法案的一部分。

The law established a Renewable Fuel Standard, or RFS. The RFS ordered fuel refineries to mix ethanol into their gasoline to cut the use of non-renewable fuels. The required amount was to increase over time. That requirement was good news for corn growers like Brian Duncan of Polo, Illinois.

这部法案确定了可再生燃料标准(简称RFS)。该标准要求炼油厂将乙醇添加到汽油中，以降低非可再生燃料的使用。汽油中所需的乙醇含量逐年提高。这一要求对伊利诺斯州Polo市的布莱恩·邓肯(Brian Duncan)等玉米种植户来说是个好消息。

He thinks the proposed changes will hurt corn sales. He says that after a poor harvest in 2012, farmers enjoyed some of their best corn harvests in 2013.

邓肯认为环保署提出的这一改变将会伤害玉米销售。他说，在2012年玉米歉收后，农民们迎来了2013年玉米的最好收成。

"As we look at the increased bushels, our inventories are gonna be worth $3 a bushel less than what they were valued at a year ago," said Duncan.

邓肯表示，“当我们一看增加的产量，我们的库存将会价值3美元每蒲式耳，比一年前价格低。”

The price of corn continues to drop, from a high of more than $7 a bushel. A bushel is equal to about 35.2 litre of dry goods. Corn prices rose in 2012, that year the corn crop suffered because of a lack of rain. Yet the demand for corn in ethanol production continued.

玉米价格从最高的超过7美元每蒲式耳继续下跌。一蒲式耳等于35.2升干货。2012年玉米价格上涨，那年，玉米作物由于干旱损失惨重，然而乙醇生产对玉米的需求不变。

"Four-dollar corn in this environment is tough enough, let alone $2.50 or $2.75 corn, which is what we could be looking at with another big crop, which is why we needed higher blend rates of ethanol," said Duncan.

邓肯说，“这种环境下玉米卖4美元就不错了，别提什么2.5美元或2.75美元。这是我们对大丰收唯一可以期待的，也是为什么我们需要更高乙醇混合率的原因。”

Craig Turner works for the website GrainAnalyst.com. He says the United States is using around 9% less gasoline than we used in 2008.

克雷格·特纳(Craig Turner works)就职于GrainAnalyst.com这个网站。他说，美国现在的汽油用量比2008年减少了9%左右。

"We can only use 10 percent of ethanol in a gallon of gasoline [before it harms some engines], and we basically hit that wall. So we can't produce any more ethanol; we have to stay the same, and if fuel efficiency even gets better, then the ethanol mandate could come down even further," said Turner.

特纳表示，“一加仑汽油只能添加10%的乙醇(才不至于损坏发动机)，我们已经基本达到这个极限值。所以我们不能生产更多乙醇，我们必须保持不变。而如果燃油效率甚至变得更好，那么乙醇的需求可能会进一步下降。”

Craig Turner says less ethanol is needed as sales of energy-saving automobiles increase. These vehicles, such as hybrid or electric cars, use less fuel.

特纳表示，随着节能汽车的增加，乙醇需求更少。这些汽车包括使用更少燃料的混合动力汽车或电动车。

"Every year we take older cars off the road and replace them with more fuel-efficient cars, we're going to be using less gasoline, so now that we've reached this peak in corn ethanol it's actually hurting farmers," said Turner.

特纳说，“每年我们将旧车报废，并用更省油的车来替代它。我们将会使用更少的汽油，所以我们现在已经达到玉米乙醇的顶峰，这实际是在伤害农民。”

But farmers like Brian Duncan depended on selling their corn to ethanol producers.

但邓肯之类的农民依赖于将他们的玉米卖给乙醇生产商。

"We're happy for the market, but we have ever increasing yields, and ever increasing production capabilities, for ethanol, and we were kind of planning on the EPA following through with their increase and inclusion of green fuels," he said.

邓肯说，“我们为这个市场感到高兴。但我们产量不断增加，乙醇的生产能力不断增加。我们此前大致根据环保署在绿色燃料上的增长做出规划。”

Years ago, the weather was the biggest concern for farmers. But these days, they have more to be concerned about. These issues include changing ethanol requirements, falling corn prices, and the lack of action in the U.S. Congress on a new farm bill.

几年前，天气是农民最关心的问题。但现在，他们有更多操心的问题，包括乙醇需求的变化，玉米价格下降，以及美国国会在新农业法案上缺乏行动。

US Farmers Concerned With EPA Changes to Ethanol Requirements

By VOA

06 January, 2014

From VOA Learning English, this is the Agriculture Report.

Farmers in the United States are concerned about a possible decrease in the use of ethanol. Ethanol is a liquid fuel made from plants, such as corn.

Last November, the Environmental Protection Agency proposed lowering the required amount of ethanol mixture in the nation's gasoline supply. The required use of ethanol in fuel began in 2007. The requirement was part of a law called the Energy Independence and Security Act.

The law established a Renewable Fuel Standard, or RFS. The RFS ordered fuel refineries to mix ethanol into their gasoline to cut the use of non-renewable fuels. The required amount was to increase over time. That requirement was good news for corn growers like Brian Duncan of Polo, Illinois.

He thinks the proposed changes will hurt corn sales. He says that after a poor harvest in 2012, farmers enjoyed some of their best corn harvests in 2013.

"As we look at the increased bushels, our inventories are gonna be worth $3 a bushel less than what they were valued at a year ago," said Duncan.

The price of corn continues to drop, from a high of more than $7 a bushel. A bushel is equal to about 35.2 litre of dry goods. Corn prices rose in 2012, that year the corn crop suffered because of a lack of rain. Yet the demand for corn in ethanol production continued.

"Four-dollar corn in this environment is tough enough, let alone $2.50 or $2.75 corn, which is what we could be looking at with another big crop, which is why we needed higher blend rates of ethanol," said Duncan.

Craig Turner works for the website GrainAnalyst.com. He says the United States is using around 9% less gasoline than we used in 2008.

"We can only use 10 percent of ethanol in a gallon of gasoline [before it harms some engines], and we basically hit that wall. So we can't produce any more ethanol; we have to stay the same, and if fuel efficiency even gets better, then the ethanol mandate could come down even further," said Turner.

Craig Turner says less ethanol is needed as sales of energy-saving automobiles increase. These vehicles, such as hybrid or electric cars, use less fuel.

"Every year we take older cars off the road and replace them with more fuel-efficient cars, we're going to be using less gasoline, so now that we've reached this peak in corn ethanol it's actually hurting farmers," said Turner.

But farmers like Brian Duncan depended on selling their corn to ethanol producers.

"We're happy for the market, but we have ever increasing yields, and ever increasing production capabilities, for ethanol, and we were kind of planning on the EPA following through with their increase and inclusion of green fuels," he said.

Years ago, the weather was the biggest concern for farmers. But these days, they have more to be concerned about. These issues include changing ethanol requirements, falling corn prices, and the lack of action in the U.S. Congress on a new farm bill.

And that's the Agriculture Report from VOA Special English. For more stories about agriculture, go to our website chinavoa.com. I'm Christopher Cruise.