Scientists around the world agree that the earth’s climate is changing due to human activities that release greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. If left unaddressed, this situation will cause increase severe weather, flooding, disease, and habitat destruction, all of which will have devastating impacts on society.
In an effort to reduce its own contribution to climate change, the UN Foundation has initiated a number of efforts in the office and with staff.
Steps being taken to reduce the foundation’s emissions include the following:
A light bulb exchange program allows staff to trade regular bulbs from home for Compact Fluorescent Lights (CFLs). CFLs use 70 percent less energy, are much less expensive to run. and last longer than regular bulbs.
The UN Foundation encourages its staff to use public transit where possible and provides them with free public transports vouchers. UNF does not provide or subsidize parking for its employees.
The UN Foundation has moved into a new Gold standard LEED-certified office in early 2007, which will further reduce the Foundation's impact on the environment while maximizing efficiency, savings and staff comfort. The new office demonstrates high standards in key areas of human and environmental health; energy efficiency, water savings, sustainable materials, indoor environmental quality and sustainable site development.
The UN Foundation offsets its greenhouse gas emissions from day-to-day office energy use by contributing to a reforestation project that absorbs the same amount of carbon dioxide as was emitted.
To do this, the Foundation used the methodology of the GHG Protocol and tools provided by the World Resources Institute to calculate the total amount of its historical carbon dioxide emission from electricity consumption, heating and cooling and air travel at its Washington D.C. and New York City offices.
With pro bono legal services generously provided by Baker & McKenzie, the UN Foundation was then able to purchase an equivalent amount of carbon offsets from a reforestation project in the Sierra Gorda Mountains of Mexico.
This LTNDP project sequesters (隔离)carbon dioxide from the atmosphere by reforesting lands previously converted to agricultural and livestock uses. Over and above the sequestration of greenhouse gases, this project also has significant sustainable development benefits by enhancing biodiversity in the most ecosystem-diverse natural protected area in Mexico and by providing local landowners with an income to replace farming or herding. The Biosphere Reserve also recently distinguished itself in the area of sustainable tourism by winning the 2007 Tourism for Tomorrow Destination Award.
1. CFLs gain the advantage over regular bulbs for（ ）.
2. What's the primary cause for UNF providing free public transport vouchers to its staff?
3. We can infer from this passage that the LEED certification emphasizes（ ）.
4. What's the meaning of "pro bono" in Paragraph 9?
