夏威夷提供遊民單程機票移出該州

Hawaii Offers Homeless One-Way Tickets Out of State

夏威夷提供遊民單程機票移出該州

The controversial (爭議的) tactic (策略) has been tried -- and vocally (口頭) criticized -- elsewhere

Hawaii will become the latest place in the U.S. to offer one-way plane tickets to homeless people, according to the Honolulu Civil Beat. Last week, legislators voted to allocate (分配、分派) $100,000 to fund a pilot “return to home” program run by the state’s Department of Human Services that will set aside seats on airplanes — and possibly cruise ships — for homeless people seeking a way to return to loved ones in other states.

To qualify (符合資格) for the trial (試驗、試用), participants must complete a background check, be mentally sound, and have what the bill calls “sufficient personal hygiene.” The program is voluntary, and homeless individuals can only enroll (參與) in it once.

Supporters say sending homeless people back to their friends and relatives will enable them to get back on their feet in a more supportive environment. It’s also an effort to reduce the number of homeless people in the state, which is estimated at 17,000, the Honolulu Civil Beat reports.

But critics — who include the very people charged with running the Hawaii initiative (創始) — argue that the program does not have nearly enough funding to solve the state’s homelessness problem. Others say the offer could be easily abused. “At the end of the day, however, we remain concerned this program is an invitation to purchase a one-way ticket to Hawaii with a guaranteed return flight home,” Kayla Rosenfeld, the spokesperson for the state’s Department of Human Services, said in a statement recently. Local pols (politicain的縮寫) like Rep. John Mizuno told Hawaii News Now that just sending a “handful” (少數) of homeless people home for a little while would still help the state save money on food, shelter, and medical costs.

New York City, Baton Rouge and San Francisco have all tried similar programs. New York City implemented (實施) its version in 2007, flying more than 550 homeless people back to their families in places like Paris, Orlando, and San Juan (the most popular destination), according to a 2009 article in the New York Times. Homeless advocates (擁護者) vehemently (竭盡全力的) opposed (反對) the scheme (計劃). “What we’re doing is passing the problem of homelessness to another city,” Arnold S. Cohen, CEO of Partnership for the Homeless, told the Times. “We’re taking people from a shelter bed here to the living room couch of another family. Essentially (實質上), this family is still homeless.”

More recently, Baton Rouge’s city council approved a plan in June to provide free bus rides to eligible (合適的) homeless people run by the city’s police department, Think Progress reports. (Its original name was “Clean Sweep,” but to avoid comparing people living on the street to bags of garbage, the program has been renamed “HOPE” for “Homeless Outreach (拓廣、延伸) Prevention Efforts,” according to the Advocate.) But local advocates for the homeless have expressed concern that busy officers won’t have time to follow-up with participants and check their progress.

To avoid similar problems in Hawaii, Mizuno has said he would consider shifting control of the “return-to-home” program to non-profits that have experience working with the homeless. Until then, state officials promise to follow-up (繼續的) with participants a month after they move to make sure they’re doing well in their new homes.

Environmental nouns 環境保育單字

有鑿於地球的人口不斷增加、汙染日益嚴重，如何在環境保育和經濟發展取得平衡，成為相當重要的課題。 今天要和各位介紹一些環境相關的單字喔！

Environmental issue 環保議題
cut our energy bills  減少能源支出

We use the 3Rs to help keep the world a nice place to live in.

reduce 減少

reuse 重覆利用

recycle 使再循環; 再利用

reuse waste  廢物利用

recycle waste


environmental protection facilities 環保設施

sewage works 汙水處理廠

garbage dump垃圾處理廠

incinerator 焚化爐

inspection place for environmental quality 環境品質檢驗站

landfill 垃圾填埋


energy crisis 能源危機

save energy 節省能源

wastes a lot of energy 浪費很多能源

renewable energy 可再生能源

energy conservation 節約能源

Conservation is one way to make sure we have enough energy in the future.

對自然資源的保護是保證我們將來有足夠的能源的一種辦法。


go green

green group 環保團體

greenhouse effect  溫室效應(地球大氣層吸收太陽紅外幅射引起地球表面溫度漸升現象)

eco-friendly 有利生態環保的

environmental protection  環境保護

environmentally-friendly 對環境無害的


Things That I Do To Decelerate Global Warming

Decelerate 使減速,降低...的速度


Earth Day 地球日

International Car Free Day 國際無車日


sustainability 持續性;能維持性;永續性

sustainable development 永續發展


environmentalism 環境保護論;環境論


windmill 風車

The grinder was powered by a windmill.這磨盤由風車提供動力。


solar battery  太陽能電池,太陽能收集核群  

solar power energy  太陽能


hydroelectric 水力電氣的;水力發電的

hydroelectricity 水力電

wave power 波力;波浪發電


biodegradable packaging  可被生物分解的包裝

biodegradable 可被生物分解的（尤指分解成無害的產物）


oil slick水面浮油

ozone layer  臭氧層


fume (有害,濃烈,或難聞的)煙,氣,汽

transport exhaust fumes

exhaust 排出;排氣(或水等); 排出的氣

Something has gone wrong with the car's exhaust system.汽車的排氣系統出了故障。

Effective measures have been taken to prevent exhaust pollution.業已採取有效措施以防止廢氣污染。

biofuel  生物燃料