ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Rob Harmon - Natural resources expert
Rob Harmon is an expert on energy and natural resources policy -- looking at smart ways to manage carbon, water and the energy we use every day.

Why you should listen

Taking the true measure of our environmental footprint is something that Rob Harmon has been doing for years. Starting as an energy auditor in Massachusetts, Harmon went on to manage an international marketing effort in the wind energy industry and, in 2000, develop and launch the first carbon calculator on the Internet.

Harmon joined Bonneville Environmental Foundation (BEF) in 1999, and is credited with developing their Green Tag program. In 2004, he was awarded the national Green Power Pioneer Award for his introduction of the retail Green Tag (Renewable Energy Certificates) and his ongoing efforts to build a thriving and credible Green Tag market in the United States. He also conceptualized and directed the development of BEF's national Solar 4R Schools program. His latest venture is the creation of BEF's Water Restoration Certificate business line, which utilizes voluntary markets to restore critically de-watered ecosystems. He recently contributed chapters to the book Voluntary Carbon Markets: A Business Guide to What They Are and How They Work. Rob left BEF in November 2010 to explore his next venture, ConvenientOpportunities.com.

More profile about the speaker
Rob Harmon | Speaker | TED.com
TEDxRainier

Rob Harmon: How to keep rivers and streams flowing

罗布·哈蒙:市场是如何让溪水流动的

Filmed:
665,582 views

过度使用导致溪水和河流干涸,罗布·哈蒙实现了一种能恢复水流的灵活的市场机制。农民和啤酒公司发现他们的命运交织在迷人的一个世纪的仙人掌果溪的故事之中。
- Natural resources expert
Rob Harmon is an expert on energy and natural resources policy -- looking at smart ways to manage carbon, water and the energy we use every day. Full bio

Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.

00:18
This is a river.
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这是一条河。
00:20
This is a stream.
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这是条小溪。
00:23
This is a river.
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这是一条河。
00:25
This is happening事件 all over the country国家.
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国内到处都是这样的情形。
00:28
There are tens of thousands数千 of miles英里
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在美国有数以万计英里长的
00:30
of dewatered脱水 streams in the United联合的 States状态.
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干涸的溪流。
00:33
On this map地图,
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在这张地图上,
00:35
the colored有色 areas represent代表 water conflicts冲突.
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彩色的区域表示水资源冲突。
00:39
Similar类似 problems问题 are emerging新兴 in the east as well.
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同样的问题也正出现在东方。
00:42
The reasons原因 vary变化 state to state,
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原因各有不同,
00:44
but mostly大多 in the details细节.
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但主要是细节上的差异。
00:46
There are 4,000 miles英里 of dewatered脱水 streams
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仅在蒙大拿州就有4000英里
00:49
in Montana蒙大拿 alone单独.
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干涸的溪流。
00:52
They would ordinarily按说 support支持 fish and other wildlife野生动物.
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通常它们会滋养鱼类和其他野生动物。
00:56
They're the veins of the ecosystem生态系统,
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它们是生态系统的血管,
00:58
and they're often经常 empty veins.
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它们通常是干涸的血管。
01:02
I want to tell you the story故事
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我想给大家讲讲
01:04
of just one of these streams
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这些溪流其中一条的故事,
01:06
because it's an archetype原型 for the larger story故事.
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因为它是整个故事的原型。
01:09
This is Prickly仙人球 Pear Creek.
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这是仙人掌果溪。
01:11
It runs运行 through通过 a populated人口稠密 area
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它穿过一个人类聚集区域,
01:13
from East Helena海伦娜 to Lake Helena海伦娜.
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从东赫勒拿到赫勒拿湖。
01:16
It supports支持 wild野生 fish
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其中有各种野生鱼类,
01:18
including包含 cutthroat杀手, brown棕色
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包括切喉鳟、褐鳟
01:20
and rainbow彩虹 trout鳟鱼.
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和虹鳟。
01:22
Nearly几乎 every一切 year
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几乎在过去
01:24
for more than a hundred years年份,
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一百年中的每一年里,
01:27
it's looked看着 like this in the summer夏季.
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它在夏天看起来都是这样。
01:30
How did we get here?
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我们是怎样走到今天这一步的呢?
01:32
Well, it started开始 back in the late晚了 1800s
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好的,回到十九世纪末期,
01:35
when people started开始 settling解决 in places地方 like Montana蒙大拿.
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那时人们开始在如蒙大拿这样的地方定居。
01:39
In short, there was a lot of water
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总之,那儿有很多的水
01:41
and there weren't very many许多 people.
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而且没多少人。
01:44
But as more people showed显示 up wanting希望 water,
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但随着更多渴求水源的人出现,
01:46
the folks乡亲 who were there first got a little concerned关心,
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最先定居于此的人们开始有点担心,
01:49
and in 1865, Montana蒙大拿 passed通过 its first water law.
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在1865年,蒙大拿通过了第一部水资源法。
01:53
It basically基本上 said, everybody每个人 near the stream
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简单的说,每个临水而居的人
01:56
can share分享 in the stream.
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都能分享水源。
01:58
Oddly奇怪, a lot of people showed显示 up wanting希望 to share分享 the stream,
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奇妙地是,许多人都表现地愿意分享水源,
02:01
and the folks乡亲 who were there first
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最先定居于此的人们
02:03
got concerned关心 enough足够 to bring带来 out their lawyers律师.
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对此非常关注,还带来了他们的律师。
02:05
There were precedent-setting先例 suits西装
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在1870年和1872年
02:07
in 1870 and 1872,
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有这样的先例,
02:09
both involving涉及 Prickly仙人球 Pear Creek.
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都涉及仙人掌果溪。
02:11
And in 1921,
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而在1921年,
02:13
the Montana蒙大拿 Supreme最高 Court法庭
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蒙大拿最高法院
02:15
ruled统治 in a case案件 involving涉及 Prickly仙人球 Pear
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裁定的一个案件中涉及仙人掌果溪,
02:18
that the folks乡亲 who were there first
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其中裁定最先定居的人们
02:20
had the first, or "senior前辈 water rights权利."
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拥有首先、或更高的水资源权利。
02:24
These senior前辈 water rights权利 are key.
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这种高级的水资源权利很重要。
02:27
The problem问题 is that all over the west西 now
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问题是,整个西部现在
02:29
it looks容貌 like this.
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看起来都像这样。
02:31
Some of these creeks小溪
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其中一些溪流
02:33
have claims索赔 for 50 to 100 times more water
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被超过其实际容量的
02:35
than is actually其实 in the stream.
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50倍至100倍的索取水源。
02:38
And the senior前辈 water rights权利 holders持有人,
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而更高级的水资源权利拥有者,
02:40
if they don't use their water right,
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如果他们不主张他们的水资源权利,
02:43
they risk风险 losing失去 their water right,
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就会冒着失去水资源权利,
02:45
along沿 with the economic经济 value that goes with it.
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以及随之而来的经济价值的风险。
02:48
So they have no incentive激励 to conserve养护.
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因此他们没有动力去保护水源。
02:52
So it's not just about the number of people;
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这不仅是一群人的事儿;
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the system系统 itself本身 creates创建 a disincentive不利因素 to conserve养护
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系统本身抑制了保护水源,
02:58
because you can lose失去 your water right if you don't use it.
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因为如果你主张水资源权利,就会失去它。
03:03
So after decades几十年 of lawsuits诉讼
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因此经历了几十年的诉讼
03:05
and 140 years年份, now, of experience经验,
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和拥有了现在140年的经验后,
03:07
we still have this.
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我们仍然拥有这个。
03:10
It's a broken破碎 system系统.
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这是个破碎的系统。
03:12
There's a disincentive不利因素 to conserve养护,
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它抑制了对水源的保护,
03:14
because, if you don't use your water right,
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因为,你不主张你的水资源权利,
03:16
you can lose失去 your water right.
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就会失去它。
03:18
And I'm sure you all know, this has created创建 significant重大 conflicts冲突
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我确信大家都知道,这在农业团体
03:21
between之间 the agricultural农业的 and environmental环境的 communities社区.
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和环保团体间制造了重大的冲突。
03:25
Okay. Now I'm going to change更改 gears齿轮 here.
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好了。现在我要改变一下方式。
03:28
Most of you will be happy快乐 to know
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各位中的多数会很开心地了解到
03:30
that the rest休息 of the presentation's演示的 free自由,
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演讲剩下的部分是免费的。
03:33
and some of you'll你会 be happy快乐 to know that it involves涉及 beer啤酒.
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而知道其中涉及啤酒一些人也会很开心。
03:36
(Laughter笑声)
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(笑声)
03:39
There's another另一个 thing happening事件 around the country国家,
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全国各地还发生了另一件事儿,
03:41
which哪一个 is that companies公司 are starting开始 to get concerned关心
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那就是企业们开始关注
03:43
about their water footprint脚印.
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他们的水足迹。
03:46
They're concerned关心 about securing确保 an adequate充足 supply供应 of water,
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他们关心用水的安全和充足,
03:49
they're trying to be really efficient高效 with their water use,
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他们尝试在水源的使用上真正地有效率,
03:52
and they're concerned关心 about how their water use
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他们关心他们如何使用水源
03:54
affects影响 the image图片 of their brand.
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所对他们的品牌形象造成的影响。
03:57
Well, it's a national国民 problem问题,
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好的,这是个全国性问题,
03:59
but I'm going to tell you another另一个 story故事 from Montana蒙大拿,
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但我想告诉大家蒙大拿州的另一个故事,
04:01
and it involves涉及 beer啤酒.
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涉及啤酒。
04:03
I bet赌注 you didn't know, it takes about 5 pints品脱 of water
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我打赌你们并不知道,生产1品脱啤酒
04:06
to make a pint品脱 of beer啤酒.
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需要消耗5品脱水。
04:08
If you include包括 all the drain排水,
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如果算上所有排放的废水,
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it takes more than a hundred pints品脱 of water to make a pint品脱 of beer啤酒.
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生产一品脱啤酒要消耗超过一百品脱的水。
04:13
Now the brewers啤酒制造商 in Montana蒙大拿
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现在蒙大拿的啤酒厂
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have already已经 doneDONE a lot
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已经做了许多措施
04:17
to reduce减少 their water consumption消费,
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来减少水的消耗,
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but they still use millions百万 of gallons加仑 of water.
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但他们仍然要用数百万加仑的水。
04:21
I mean, there's water in beer啤酒.
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我的意思是,在啤酒中的水。
04:25
So what can they do
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那么对于这些
04:28
about this remaining其余 water footprint脚印
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遗留下来的会对生态系统
04:31
that can have serious严重 effects效果
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造成严重影响的水足迹,
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on the ecosystem生态系统?
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他们所能做些什么?
04:35
These ecosystems生态系统 are really important重要
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这些生态系统确实对
04:37
to the Montana蒙大拿 brewers啤酒制造商 and their customers顾客.
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蒙大拿的啤酒厂和他们的顾客非常重要。
04:39
After all, there's a strong强大 correlation相关
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毕竟,在水和渔业
04:41
between之间 water and fishing钓鱼,
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紧密相连。
04:43
and for some, there's a strong强大 correlation相关
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而且某种程度上,渔业和啤酒
04:45
between之间 fishing钓鱼 and beer啤酒.
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也紧密相连。
04:47
(Laughter笑声)
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(笑声)
04:49
So the Montana蒙大拿 brewers啤酒制造商 and their customers顾客 are concerned关心,
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因此蒙大拿的啤酒厂和他们的顾客开始担忧,
04:52
and they're looking for some way to address地址 the problem问题.
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他们在寻找一些能解决问题的方案。
04:55
So how can they address地址 this remaining其余 water footprint脚印?
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那么他们如何才能解决这一遗留下来的水足迹呢?
04:58
Remember记得 Prickly仙人球 Pear.
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回忆一下仙人掌果溪。
05:00
Up until直到 now,
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到目前为止,
05:02
business商业 water stewardship管家
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商业水源管理
05:04
has been limited有限 to measuring测量 and reducing减少,
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一直局限于测量和减少使用上,
05:08
and we're suggesting提示 that the next下一个 step
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我们正在建议下一步
05:10
is to restore恢复.
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是恢复。
05:12
Remember记得 Prickly仙人球 Pear.
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回忆一下仙人掌果溪。
05:14
It's a broken破碎 system系统.
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它是个破碎的系统。
05:16
You've got a disincentive不利因素 to conserve养护,
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它抑制了对水源的保护,
05:18
because if you don't use your water right, you risk风险 losing失去 your water right.
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因为你不主张你的水资源权利,就会冒着失去它的风险。
05:21
Well, we decided决定 to connect these two worlds世界 --
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好了,我们决定把这两个世界连接起来 --
05:23
the world世界 of the companies公司
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有着水足迹的
05:25
with their water footprints脚印
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企业的世界
05:27
and the world世界 of the farmers农民
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和对这些溪流
05:29
with their senior前辈 water rights权利 on these creeks小溪.
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有着更高级的水资源权利的农夫的世界。
05:31
In some states状态,
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在一些州,
05:33
senior前辈 water rights权利 holders持有人
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高级水资源权利拥有者
05:35
can leave离开 their water in-stream插播
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能让他们的水留在溪流中
05:38
while legally法律上 protecting保护 it from others其他
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同时合法的保护它
05:41
and maintaining维持 their water right.
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并维护他们的水资源权利。
05:44
After all,
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毕竟,
05:46
it is their water right,
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这是他们的水资源权利,
05:48
and if they want to use that water right
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而如果他们想主张这一权利
05:50
to help the fish grow增长 in the stream,
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来帮助水源中鱼类的成长,
05:52
it's their right to do so.
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他们有权这么做。
05:55
But they have no incentive激励 to do so.
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但他们没有动力这么做。
05:59
So, working加工 with local本地 water trusts信托,
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因此,与当地水务部门合作,
06:02
we created创建 an incentive激励 to do so.
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我们建立了一种这样做的动机。
06:05
We pay工资 them to leave离开 their water in-stream插播.
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我们付钱给他们,让他们把水留在溪流中。
06:08
That's what's happening事件 here.
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这就是所发生的一切。
06:10
This individual个人 has made制作 the choice选择
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这个人做出了选择,
06:13
and is closing关闭 this water diversion导流,
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他合上了这个水闸,
06:15
leaving离开 the water in the stream.
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让水呆在溪流中。
06:17
He doesn't lose失去 the water right,
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他并没有失去水资源权利,
06:19
he just chooses to apply应用 that right,
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他只是选择应用这一权利,
06:22
or some portion一部分 of it,
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或是部分权利,
06:24
to the stream, instead代替 of to the land土地.
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让水呆在溪流中,而不是流入田地。
06:27
Because he's the senior前辈 water rights权利 holder持有人,
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因为他是高级的水资源权利拥有者,
06:29
he can protect保护 the water from other users用户 in the stream.
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他能保护水源免受溪流的其他使用者的伤害。
06:33
Okay?
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对么?
06:35
He gets得到 paid支付 to leave离开 the water in the stream.
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他受雇让水呆在溪流中的。
06:38
This guy's家伙 measuring测量 the water
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他在测量保留
06:40
that this leaves树叶 in the stream.
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在溪流中的水流。
06:43
We then take the measured测量 water,
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接着我们获取测量过的水源,
06:46
we divide划分 it into thousand-gallon千加仑 increments增量.
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我们把它分成数千加仑大小的等份。
06:49
Each increment增量 gets得到 a serial串行 number and a certificate证书,
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每个等份有一个序列号和一个证书,
06:52
and then the brewers啤酒制造商 and others其他
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接着啤酒厂和其他人
06:54
buy购买 those certificates证书
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购买这些证书,
06:56
as a way to return返回 water
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作为向退化的生态系统
06:58
to these degraded降级 ecosystems生态系统.
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注入水源的一种方式。
07:00
The brewers啤酒制造商 pay工资
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啤酒厂出钱
07:02
to restore恢复 water to the stream.
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恢复河流中的水源。
07:05
It provides提供 a simple简单, inexpensive便宜
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这提供了一个简单、廉价
07:07
and measurable可测量 way
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且可测的方式
07:09
to return返回 water to these degraded降级 ecosystems生态系统,
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来向这些退化的生态系统注入水源,
07:12
while giving farmers农民 an economic经济 choice选择
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同时给农夫一个经济补偿
07:15
and giving businesses企业 concerned关心 about their water footprints脚印
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及让关心自己的水足迹的企业
07:18
an easy简单 way to deal合同 with them.
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一个简单易行的处理方法。
07:20
After 140 years年份 of conflict冲突
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在140年的冲突
07:23
and 100 years年份 of dry streams,
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和100年的干涸之后,
07:27
a circumstance环境 that litigation诉讼 and regulation
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一个诉讼和监管
07:29
has not solved解决了,
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没有解决的问题,
07:32
we put together一起 a market-based以市场为基础,
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我们用一个基于市场的,
07:34
willing愿意 buyer买方, willing愿意 seller卖家 solution --
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你情我愿的买卖双方聚在一起的解决方案解决了 --
07:36
a solution that does not require要求 litigation诉讼.
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这个解决方案并不需要诉讼。
07:41
It's about giving
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这就是给
07:43
folks乡亲 concerned关心 about their water footprints脚印
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那些关心他们的水足迹的人们
07:46
a real真实 opportunity机会
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一个真正的机会,
07:48
to put water where it's critically危重 needed需要,
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把水送往急需的地方,
07:50
into these degraded降级 ecosystems生态系统,
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送往退化的生态系统中,
07:53
while at the same相同 time
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而与此同时
07:55
providing提供 farmers农民
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为使用了水源
07:57
a meaningful富有意义的 economic经济 choice选择
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而给农夫提供
07:59
about how their water is used.
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适当的经济补偿。
08:01
These transactions交易 create创建 allies盟国, not enemies敌人.
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这些交易使人们联合起来,而非敌对。
08:04
They connect people rather than dividing them.
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它们让人们联系起来而不是分开他们。
08:06
And they provide提供 needed需要 economic经济 support支持 for rural乡村 communities社区.
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这为农村社区提供了所需的经济支持。
08:09
And most importantly重要的, it's working加工.
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最重要的是,这有效果。
08:12
We've我们已经 returned more than four billion十亿 gallons加仑 of water
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我们向退化的生态系统回馈了超过
08:14
to degraded降级 ecosystems生态系统.
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四十亿加仑的水。
08:16
We've我们已经 connected连接的 senior前辈 water rights权利 holders持有人
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我们把高级级水资源权利拥有者
08:18
with brewers啤酒制造商 in Montana蒙大拿,
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与蒙大拿的啤酒厂,
08:20
with hotels酒店 and tea companies公司 in Oregon俄勒冈
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俄勒冈州的旅馆和茶业公司,
08:23
and with high-tech高科技 companies公司 that use a lot of water in the Southwest西南.
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西南部的耗水众多的高科技公司联系了起来。
08:26
And when we make these connections连接,
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而当我们建立起这些联系,
08:29
we can and we do
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我们就能,我们确实把
08:31
turn this into this.
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它这变成了这样。
08:35
Thank you very much.
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非常感谢。
08:37
(Applause掌声)
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(掌声)
Translated by Felix Chen
Reviewed by Jenny Yang

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ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Rob Harmon - Natural resources expert
Rob Harmon is an expert on energy and natural resources policy -- looking at smart ways to manage carbon, water and the energy we use every day.

Why you should listen

Taking the true measure of our environmental footprint is something that Rob Harmon has been doing for years. Starting as an energy auditor in Massachusetts, Harmon went on to manage an international marketing effort in the wind energy industry and, in 2000, develop and launch the first carbon calculator on the Internet.

Harmon joined Bonneville Environmental Foundation (BEF) in 1999, and is credited with developing their Green Tag program. In 2004, he was awarded the national Green Power Pioneer Award for his introduction of the retail Green Tag (Renewable Energy Certificates) and his ongoing efforts to build a thriving and credible Green Tag market in the United States. He also conceptualized and directed the development of BEF's national Solar 4R Schools program. His latest venture is the creation of BEF's Water Restoration Certificate business line, which utilizes voluntary markets to restore critically de-watered ecosystems. He recently contributed chapters to the book Voluntary Carbon Markets: A Business Guide to What They Are and How They Work. Rob left BEF in November 2010 to explore his next venture, ConvenientOpportunities.com.

More profile about the speaker
Rob Harmon | Speaker | TED.com