一早在前往学校的路上，Gina 看到了 Rita 的新包包，便跟她搭话。
Gina: Good morning, Rita. Your new backpack is nice!
Gina: 早啊 Rita，妳的新包包很好看耶，我喜欢！
Rita: Thanks! It’s an eco-friendly bag made from recycled bottles!
Rita: 谢啦！它是环保产品，是用回收的宝特瓶做的唷！
Gina: Wow! How do they do that?
Gina: 宝特瓶要怎么变成背包？
Rita: They shred the bottles and then weave the fibers into a fabric. You can read about the manufacturing process on their website.
Rita: 他们把宝特瓶切成碎片然后把纤维织起来。你可以在他们网站上阅读他们的制造过程。
Gina: (looking at the website) Oh, cool—it says here that the cutting-edge technology used to make the bags uses 30 percent less water and energy than normal.
Gina: (看着网站) 喔好酷，它说他们最新的科技可以省下超过 30% 的水和能源。
Rita: Yeah, so it reduces carbon emissions as well. And guess what? I bought it during a promotion, so I also got a reusable lunch bag!
Rita: 没错，所以它也减少了碳排放量。而且妳知道吗，我是在促销时候买的，所以它还送环保食物袋！
Gina: That’s a good deal!
Gina: 太赚了吧！
那么究竟碳排放的英文怎么说呢？接下来就教你！
eco-friendly (adj.) 环保的
eco 是 ecology (生态学：生态) 的字首，eco-friendly 就是对环境友善的，也就是「环保的」，eco-friendly product 便是指「环保产品」。
These eco-friendly trash bags are made from corn starch.
这款环保的垃圾袋是用玉米淀粉做的。
carbon emissions (n.) 碳排放量
carbon 是「碳」，造成全球暖化的二氧化碳则是 carbon dioxide。动词 emit 是指光、气体「排放；散发」，其名词形为 emission，所以 carbon emissions 就是「碳排放量」，常会以复数形出现。
The environmentalists called for the reduction of carbon emissions.
环保人士呼吁减少碳排放量。
reusable lunch bag (n.) 食物环保袋
形容词 reusable 意为「可以重复使用的」，这个字由 re- + use + -able 组合而成。
To promote plastic-free living, our reusable lunch bags are on sale!
为了提倡无塑生活，这些食物环保袋都在特价中！
下课后，Gina 急急忙忙就走出教室。
Gina: The government offers a lot of subsidies to help reduce carbon emissions.
Gina: 政府提供了很多节能减碳的补助。
Rita: What kind of subsidies?
Rita: 什么样的补助？
Gina: I bought an air-conditioner last week. It’s an energy-efficient appliance, so I can apply for a subsidy that covers 20 percent of the cost.
Gina: 我上周买了一台冷气，因为它是节能家电，所以我可以申请百分之二十的补助。
Rita: That sounds awesome! Not only can people save on their electricity bills but they can also can cut greenhouse gas emissions at the same time.
Rita: 听起来很赞耶！那大家不只可以拯救电费单，还可以减少温室气体排放。
Gina: Exactly!
Gina: 没错！
Rita: I think I need a dehumidifier, my room is too humid… but how do I know if the appliance is energy-efficient or not?
Rita: 我想我需要一台除湿机，我房间太潮湿了…但我要如何判断它是不是节能家电？
Gina: Just look for an official government energy label. If you see this label on it, it’s certified by the government as energy-efficient.
Gina: 找节能标章就对了，如果你看它上面有标章，那就是政府认证的节能家电。
那么节能标章的英文怎么说呢？接着看下去吧！
subsidy (n.) 补助金；津贴
subsidy /ˈsʌbsədi/ 是为了鼓励、帮助大家做某事的「补助金；津贴」，通常由政府提供，其动词形是 subsidize。
The local government provided housing subsidies for low-income families.
地方政府提供住房补贴给低收入户家庭。
energy-efficient (adj.) 节能的；省电的
形容词 efficient 意指「有效率的；效率高的」，energy-efficient 就是指用少一点的电达成一样的效果，因此就是「节能的；省电的」。
This energy-efficient heater can reduce energy consumption by up to 25 percent.
这台节能暖气机可以省下 25% 的能源。
greenhouse gas (n.) 温室气体
greenhouse 是「温室」，而 greenhouse gas 就是大家熟知的「温室气体」，常见包括二氧化碳 (carbon dioxide)、甲烷 (methane)、臭氧 (ozone)。
Greenhouse gases trap heat and reflect it back at Earth, causing the temperature to rise.
温室气体可以留住热能，让地球保持温暖。
energy label (n.) 节能标章
购买家电产品时常见的「节能标章」就称做 energy label。
Taiwan’s government has introduced an official energy label for products that meet certain energy efficiency standards.
台湾政府为符合某些特定能源节约标准的商品规划了能源标章。
