美国燃煤电厂关闭后发生了一件美好的事情

美国燃煤电厂关闭后发生了一件美好的事情

You might expect shutting down coal-fired plants would net a few benefits. After all, there are good reasons why nation after nation have made it their mission to wean themselves off fossil fuels.

你可能认为关闭燃煤电厂会带来一些好处。毕竟，一个又一个国家把摆脱对化石燃料的依赖作为自己的使命，是有充分理由的。

Clearly, burning coal results in emissions that play a crucial role in climate change.

显然，燃烧煤炭导致的排放对气候变化起着至关重要的作用。

The study found that shuttering coal plants went a long way toward cleaning up local environments. (Photo: Sherman Cahal/Shutterstock)

But a new study from the University of California San Diego reveals just how dramatically the elimination of coal-burning plants in the U.S. can change the environment for the better.

不过，加州大学圣地亚哥分校的一项新研究显示，在美国大幅淘汰燃煤电厂可以改善环境。

The paper, published this week in Nature Sustainability, focused on the results of a steady transition from coal to natural gas for electricity production between 2005 and 2016.

这篇本周发表在《自然可持续性》杂志上的论文，关注的是2005年至2016年期间电力生产从煤炭向天然气稳步转型的结果。

Over that 10-year span, carbon dioxide emissions declined along with pollution levels in hundreds of regions across the U.S. And with fewer airborne pollutants, like aerosols, ozone and other compounds, human and plant health boomed.

在这10年里，随着美国数百个地区的污染水平下降，二氧化碳排放量也随之下降。随着气溶胶、臭氧和其他化合物等空气污染物的减少，人类和植物的健康得到了蓬勃发展。

In fact, according to the paper, decommissioning coal plants saved an estimated 26,610 lives. By burning less of it, the lower atmosphere was burdened with less particulate matter and ozone — factors known to compromise human health.

事实上，根据这份报告，关闭燃煤电厂挽救了26610条生命。通过减少燃烧，低层大气中的颗粒物和臭氧就会减少，而这些物质和臭氧是已知危害人类健康的因素。

Without those pesky pollutants hanging in the air, crops prospered as well. The research suggests areas around decommissioned plants saw additional yields of some 570 million bushels of corn, soybeans and wheat.

没有了空气中那些讨厌的污染物，农作物也长势喜人。研究表明，在停产工厂周边地区，玉米、大豆和小麦的产量增加了约5.7亿蒲式耳。

"The unique contribution of this study is its scope and the ability to connect discrete technology changes — like an electric power unit being shut down — to local health, agriculture and regional climate impacts," study author Jennifer Burney of the UC San Diego School of Global Policy and Strategy notes in a press release.

“这项研究的独特贡献是它的范围和能够连接离散技术变化——就像一个被关闭的电力装置——与当地的卫生、农业和地区联系起来的能力。”加州大学圣地亚哥分校全球政策与战略学院的珍妮弗·伯尼在一份新闻稿中指出。

As Burney explains in the report, 'Although there are considerable benefits of decommissioning older coal-fired units, the newer natural gas and coal-fired units that have supplanted them are not entirely benign.' (Photo: Tumarkin Igor - ITPS/Shutterstock)

To reach those conclusions, Burney analyzed data from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and NASA data to mark local pollution levels before and after a coal plant was shuttered.

为了得出这些结论，伯尼分析了美国环境保护署(EPA)和美国国家航空航天局(NASA)的数据，以标记一家燃煤电厂关闭前后当地的污染水平。

In addition, she looked at changes in mortality rates and crop yields using data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

此外，她还利用美国疾病控制与预防中心和美国农业部的数据，研究了死亡率和农作物产量的变化。

But while the elimination of coal plants seemed to be a net positive for local environments, there's the sticky issue of replacing them.

然而，尽管燃煤电厂的淘汰似乎对当地环境有积极的净效益，但替换它们仍是一个棘手的问题。

Natural gas plants produce pollutants as well, including CO2. And natural gas is hardly a renewable resource.

天然气工厂也会产生污染物，包括二氧化碳。天然气几乎不是一种可再生资源。

Burney points out the pollutant mix from natural gas is different from that produced by burning coal. But, as a newer technology, natural gas plants certainly bear further research.

伯尼指出，天然气产生的污染物与燃煤产生的污染物不同。但是，作为一种较新的技术，天然气厂当然需要进一步的研究。

"We hear a lot about the overall greenhouse gas and economic impacts of the transition the U.S. has undergone in shifting from coal towards natural gas, but the smaller-scale decisions that make up this larger trend have really important local consequences," she explains. "The analysis provides a framework for communities to more thoroughly and accurately assess the costs and benefits of local investments in energy."

她解释说:“我们听到了很多关于美国从煤炭向天然气转型所带来的整体温室气体和经济影响的消息，但构成这一更大趋势的小规模决策确实对当地产生了重要影响。”“这项分析为社区更彻底、更准确地评估当地能源投资的成本和收益提供了一个框架。”