高中(學測,指考)◆英文題庫下載題庫

The Galápagos Islands are the Pacific island paradise where Darwin’s theory of evolution was born. They are places filled with giant tree lizards, sandy beaches, and tropical plants. Now they will be famous for one more thing: the world’s first green airport.

This group of islands off the coast of Ecuador has recently contracted Argentine Corporación America to manage the redevelopment of the airport on the island of Baltra. It is estimated that US$20 million is needed to complete the project by 2009. The new development has several important features: use of wind and solar energy, passive heating and cooling systems, as well as concrete runways in place of asphalt, which has a greater carbon footprint during its production cycle. This new development couldn’t be coming at a better time for the Galápagos, which were added to an environmental “danger list” in 2007.

Pacific islands like the Galápagos, Easter Island, and Tahiti, have economies that are driven almost completely by tourism. However, some people think these are “unsustainable models of development.” The number of visitors to the Galápagos rose more than 250% from 1990 to 2006, while the number of commercial flights to the area rose 193% from 2001 to 2006. These increases put great stress on the islands’ resources and environment. Air travel is especially criticized for exhausting natural resources and causing environmental damage. Thus, efforts are being made to reduce the environmental impact of the tourism industry. The greening of airports is just one of these attempts.