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Podcast is sponsored from the people of American Chemistry, who provide the plastics, medicines, and innovations that make life modern. Learn more at americanchemistry. com.

This is Scientific American's 60-Second Science, I‘m Karen Hopkin. This will just take a minute.

Biofuels sound like such a good idea. A clean-burning fuel that reduces our need for foreign oil. What’s not to like? Well, for one thing, turning corn into biodiesel could be taking food off hungry people’s plates. “Okay,” biofuel advocates say, “suppose we just use the stems and leaves that are left over after crops are harvested? That should solve the problem.” Well, maybe not entirely1. Because removing that so-called crop residue2 takes food away from soil microbes. They convert that material into the nutrients3 that crops need. So says USDA scientist Ann Kennedy of Washington State University. Microbes break down crop residue to form organic matter—the stuff that gives soil its rich, dark color. Organic matter, in turn, provides nutrients, helps the soil retain water, and prevents erosion. So, if you harvest the crop residue to produce biofuels, you remove the materials that are fodder4 for the bugs5 that make organic matter. Soil quality would drop, and farmers would have to find some other way to fertilize6 their fields. So biofuels are not a magic bullet. Maybe you should just eat the corn and ride your bike.

Thanks for the minute, for Scientific American s 60-Second Science, I m Karen Hopkin.


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1 entirely entirely     
ad.全部地,完整地;完全地,彻底地
参考例句:
  • The fire was entirely caused by their neglect of duty. 那场火灾完全是由于他们失职而引起的。
  • His life was entirely given up to the educational work. 他的一生统统献给了教育工作。
2 residue 6B0z1     
n.残余,剩余,残渣
参考例句:
  • Mary scraped the residue of food from the plates before putting them under water.玛丽在把盘子放入水之前先刮去上面的食物残渣。
  • Pesticide persistence beyond the critical period for control leads to residue problems.农药一旦超过控制的临界期,就会导致残留问题。
3 nutrients 6a1e1ed248a3ac49744c39cc962fb607     
n.(食品或化学品)营养物,营养品( nutrient的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • a lack of essential nutrients 基本营养的缺乏
  • Nutrients are absorbed into the bloodstream. 营养素被吸收进血液。 来自《简明英汉词典》
4 fodder fodder     
n.草料;炮灰
参考例句:
  • Grass mowed and cured for use as fodder.割下来晒干用作饲料的草。
  • Guaranteed salt intake, no matter which normal fodder.不管是那一种正常的草料,保证盐的摄取。
5 bugs e3255bae220613022d67e26d2e4fa689     
adj.疯狂的,发疯的n.窃听器( bug的名词复数 );病菌;虫子;[计算机](制作软件程序所产生的意料不到的)错误
参考例句:
  • All programs have bugs and need endless refinement. 所有的程序都有漏洞,都需要不断改进。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • The sacks of rice were swarming with bugs. 一袋袋的米里长满了虫子。 来自《简明英汉词典》
6 fertilize hk5x8     
v.使受精,施肥于,使肥沃
参考例句:
  • Fertilizer is a substance put on land to fertilize it.肥料是施在地里使之肥沃的物质。
  • Reading will fertilize his vocabulary.阅读会丰富他的词汇。

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