[ti:Some US Cities Move to Limit Natural Gas Use] [by:www.51voa.com] [00:00.00]更多听力请访问51VOA.COM [00:00.04]Cities in the American states of California, Washington and Massachusetts [00:08.25]are considering bans or limits on the use of natural gas in homes and buildings. [00:17.00]The bans, if approved, could affect heating systems in large buildings [00:23.68]and even cooking stoves in homes. [00:26.96]In July, Berkeley, California, became the first U.S. city to pass a law [00:34.47]banning gas systems in new buildings. [00:38.96]Reuters news agency spoke with local officials, [00:43.11]activists and industry groups about the issue. [00:47.95]They told Reuters other cities may soon do the same. [00:53.52]Los Angeles and Seattle are among the cities considering laws that could cut natural gas use. [01:02.96]Local officials and environmentalists point to evidence that gas leaking from pipes [01:10.82]and other places hurts the climate more than carbon dioxide. [01:17.20]Carbon dioxide gas is released when carbon-based fuels are burned. [01:23.70]Carbon dioxide is considered a heat-trapping gas [01:28.76]that causes the Earth's atmosphere to warm. [01:33.52]Until recently, many environmentalists considered natural gas [01:39.57]to be a "bridge fuel" to a future of renewable energy. [01:46.55]U.S. utilities currently get about 35 percent of their electricity from natural gas. [01:56.26]However, the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) [02:02.92]notes that utilities have increased their use of renewable fuels in the past 10 years, [02:11.31]from 9 to 17 percent of all power. [02:18.40]The Environmental Protection Agency says buildings and homes [02:23.70]produce about 12 percent of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions. [02:30.76]Greenhouse gases are heat-trapping gases in the atmosphere. [02:38.16]If natural gas bans in buildings become widespread, [02:43.96]they could hurt the business plans of some of the world's biggest energy companies. [02:50.55]Companies like Exxon Mobil, Shell and BP [02:55.69]are investing billions of dollars to produce and ship more natural gas. [03:02.55]Big gas producers argue that gas improves the environment [03:08.81]by replacing fuels, such as coal, that pollute more. [03:15.04]Natural gas companies oppose bans. [03:19.43]They have started an advertising campaign and supported research [03:25.26]that says gas is a better cooking fuel and a low-cost energy option. [03:33.72]"We are trying to get ahead of it," said Stuart Saulters, [03:38.05]the Director of Government Affairs of the American Public Gas Association. [03:44.80]He added that he thought there was a chance that the push for bans could grow larger. [03:53.07]The American Petroleum Institute (API) represents the U.S. oil and gas industry. [04:01.84]The API rejects claims that natural gas is bad for the environment. [04:09.96]API spokesman Reid Porter said that the industry is [04:15.34]limiting methane emissions with improved technology. [04:20.91]He pointed to data from the Environmental Protection Agency [04:26.07]showing a decrease in recent years. [04:31.24]Seattle City Council Member Mike O'Brien [04:35.15]is working on a law that could ban gas hookups in new buildings. [04:41.26]The fuel, he said, "is odorless and invisible but has a huge impact on the climate." [04:49.88]In July, a group called Californians for Balanced Energy Solutions held a press conference. [04:58.47]The group was formed by Sempra Energy which owns a gas company. [05:05.16]The group invited Southern California restaurant owners who use gas stoves. [05:12.28]Charles Lu, who took part in the event, owns a Chinese restaurant chain. [05:19.57]"We need instant, really strong fire," he said. [05:24.56]"Otherwise, I think it will kill the business." [05:28.26]Wealthier homeowners may also resist electrification of kitchens and fireplaces, [05:35.97]said Nic Dunfee of the environmental advising business TRC Companies. [05:42.46]He told a recent meeting of California energy officials [05:46.98]that home builders are pushing back against proposed laws requiring electric stoves. [05:55.88]"They don't feel that they are able to sell a home [05:59.68]that doesn't have natural-gas cooking," he said. [06:03.71]I'm John Russell. [06:05.82]And I'm Anne Ball. 更多听力请访问51VOA.COM