欧洲在能源危机期间转向柴火
Europe Turns to Firewood during Energy Crisis
刘立军 供稿
TRANSCRIPT
Europe's energy crisis has forced some people to turn to less costly heating sources, such as firewood.
But as demand increases, the public is facing rising prices, shortages and even reports of firewood theft. Foresters are using GPS devices to follow their logs while others fear the environmental impact of increased air pollution and tree cutting.
In Moldova, Tudor Popescu splits firewood that will heat his home in the capital of Chisinau. As the nights turn colder, the load of firewood has been growing higher around him - his supplies for the coming winter.
In the past, Popescu depended on natural gas for warmth in the mornings and firewood at night. But gas is now in short supply, following Russia's major cut to gas exports.
Russian energy business Gazprom has threatened even more reductions.
"I won't use gas anymore, so it's going to only be wood," Popescu said. "But what I have isn't enough."
The demand for firewood in Europe is not limited to poorer nations like Moldova. Germany, Poland and the Czech Republic's state-owned forests are seeing much stronger demand for the limited amounts of firewood they sell as part of their sustainable forest programs.
The German foreign ministry has reported getting requests for firewood from people who had never sought firewood before. The people seemed not to know that the firewood process takes two years. That is how long it takes to fully dry the wood so it will burn in wood stoves, said the forestry office in the southwestern state of Hesse.
German forest rangers also report increased incidents of people gathering fallen wood in forests, often not knowing it is illegal.
State forests in the Czech Republic also report increased demand for firewood. The government sells the wood for use at home, only. Officials say they’ve had to limit the amount of firewood sold to individuals.
In Poland, demand for small firewood from state forests increased by 46% through the end of August from a year earlier. Larger firewood demand was up 42%. A spokesman for Poland's State Forests said, "small firewood is probably the cheapest heating material in the EU countries." He said theft of firewood is also on the rise.
To prevent theft in Germany, the forestry department is experimenting with hiding GPS devices in logs. The German state of North Rhine-Westphalia is the latest to try the technology. Foresters in neighboring Hesse have been using GPS devices since 2013 and say they have been able to solve several thefts that way.
Austrian police recently warned people to watch for those claiming to sell firewood online. Police in Germany had issued similar alerts.
Germany's statistics agency says prices for firewood and wood products used in home heating rose over 85% in August from a year earlier. Even so, heating with wood is still less costly than natural gas. Gas costs 20.9 cents per kilowatt hour of heat, while wood products cost 14.88 cents.
In Britain, prices of firewood also are going up. Company Certainly Wood says it has seen "a massive increase in demand" even though the price is 15 to 20% higher than last year.
In Denmark, the demand for wood-burning stoves is growing along with demand for firewood itself. The Danish sales site DBA said searches for wood-burning products have increased by over 1,300% in the past year.
At the same time, government officials and environmentalists have warned Danes about the risk of burning firewood. The smoke produced can be dangerous and adds to pollution, they say, and the tree loss adds to climate change problems.
I'm Caty Weaver.
VOCABULARY
1. sustainable adj. involving the use of natural products and energy in a way that does not harm the environment （对自然资源和能源的利用）不破坏生态平衡的，合理利用的。例如：sustainable forest management合理的森林管理
2. ranger n. a person whose job is to take care of a park, a forest or an area of countryside 园林管理员；护林人
QUESTIONS
Read the statements. Then listen to the news and decide whether the statements are true (T) or false (F). Then correct the false statements.
1. Europe's energy crisis has forced all people to turn to less costly heating sources.
2. The demand for firewood in Europe is limited to poorer nations.
3. German people seemed to know that the firewood process takes two years.
4. German forest rangers also report increased incidents of people gathering fallen wood in forests, often not knowing it is illegal.
5. State forests in the Czech Republic report increased demand for firewood.
6. In Poland, demand for small firewood from state forests increased by 46% through the end of August from a year earlier.
7. To prevent theft in Poland, the forestry department is experimenting with hiding GPS devices in logs.
8. Austrian police recently warned people to watch for those claiming to sell firewood offline.
9. Germany's statistics agency says prices for firewood and wood products used in home heating rose over 85% in August from a year earlier.
10. In Britain, prices of firewood also are going up.
11. In Britain, the demand for wood-burning stoves is growing along with the demand for firewood itself.
12. The risk of burning firewood: the smoke produced can be dangerous and adds to pollution, and tree loss adds to climate change problems.
KEY
Read the statements. Then listen to the news and decide whether the statements are true (T) or false (F). Then correct the false statements.
(F) 1. Europe's energy crisis has forced all people to turn to less costly heating sources.（正确表达）Europe's energy crisis has forced some people to turn to less costly heating sources.
(F) 2. The demand for firewood in Europe is limited to poorer nations. （正确表达）The demand for firewood in Europe is not limited to poorer nations.
(F) 3. German people seemed to know that the firewood process takes two years. （正确表达）German people seemed not to know that the firewood process takes two years.
(T) 4. German forest rangers also report increased incidents of people gathering fallen wood in forests, often not knowing it is illegal.
(T) 5. State forests in the Czech Republic report increased demand for firewood.
(T) 6. In Poland, demand for small firewood from state forests increased by 46% through the end of August from a year earlier.
(F) 7. To prevent theft in Poland, the forestry department is experimenting with hiding GPS devices in logs.（正确表达）To prevent theft in Germany, the forestry department is experimenting with hiding GPS devices in logs.
(F) 8. Austrian police recently warned people to watch for those claiming to sell firewood offline.（正确表达）Austrian police recently warned people to watch for those claiming to sell firewood online.
(T) 9. Germany's statistics agency says prices for firewood and wood products used in home heating rose over 85% in August from a year earlier.
(T) 10. In Britain, prices of firewood also are going up.
(F) 11. In Britain, the demand for wood-burning stoves is growing along with the demand for firewood itself. （正确表达） In Denmark, the demand for wood-burning stoves is growing along with the demand for firewood itself.
(T) 12. The risk of burning firewood: the smoke produced can be dangerous and adds to pollution, and tree loss adds to climate change problems.
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