Bush Sets New Targets for Curbing Growth in Gas Emissions (2/2)

They note Congress is about to start work on new legislation dealing with the environment. And they stress the 17 leading industrialized countries taking part in the Paris negotiations this week hope to have an agreement by the end of next year, meaning the groundwork must be laid now.

The president's proposals fall far below European goals to reduce emissions.

And environmental activists say the position taken by the president amounts to too little, too late. Senator Barbara Boxer, the Democrat who chairs the Senate Committee on the Environment and Public Works, calls his approach the height of irresponsibility.

But Mr. Bush defends it as realistic.

The president warns climate change is a global problem, and U.S. action alone is not enough. He says other countries must come up with their own goals for cutting greenhouse gases.

The Paris talks on Thursday and Friday will address possible steps to protect the planet after the Kyoto Protocol expires in 2012.

The United States is the only major industrialized country that did not ratify the protocol, although it emits more greenhouse gases than any other country.

参考译文：

他们表示国会正着手通过新立法来解决环境问题。并且他们强调这周参加巴黎谈判的17个工业化国家希望能在明年年底达成协议。这意味着现在必须打好基础。

布什总统的提议远远低于欧洲减排的目标。

环境激进家说，总统制定的目标太低，也太迟了。参议院环境和公共工程委员会主席，民主党人士芭芭拉.博克瑟认为总统的提议不负责任到了极点。

但是总统却认为他的提议很务实。

总统提醒说，气候变化是个全球问题，仅仅美国采取行动是不够的。他说其他国家必须跟上美国的步伐，减少温室气体的排放。

周四和周五的巴黎会谈将讨论在2012年京都议定书期满后，采取什么可行的步骤来保护我们的星球。

美国是唯一没有签署精度协议的工业化大国，尽管它排放的温室气体比其他国家都多。

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