ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Dianna Cohen - Artist and activist
Dianna Cohen co-founded the Plastic Pollution Coalition, which is working to help end our cycle of plastics use.

Why you should listen

Dianna Cohen is the co-founder of the Plastic Pollution Coalition, a group that addresses the pervasive problem of plastic pollution. She was inspired to co-found the group by her work as an artist -- because her chosen material is the ubiquitous plastic bag. She writes: "Having worked with the plastic bag as my primary material for the past fifteen years, all of the obvious references to recycling, first-world culture, class, high and low art give way to an almost formal process which reflects the unique flexibility of the medium."

With the Plastic Pollution Coalition, she helps to raise awareness of ocean waste -- the majority of which is nondegradable plastic -- and everyday strategies to cut down the amount of plastic we use and throw away.

More profile about the speaker
Dianna Cohen | Speaker | TED.com
Mission Blue Voyage

Dianna Cohen: Tough truths about plastic pollution

戴安娜·科恩Dianna Cohen:关于塑料污染的严峻事实

Filmed:
896,666 views

艺术家戴安娜·科恩分享关于塑料污染对大海和我们日常生活严重影响的事实和一些想法,帮助大家来摆脱塑料包围圈。
- Artist and activist
Dianna Cohen co-founded the Plastic Pollution Coalition, which is working to help end our cycle of plastics use. Full bio

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

00:15
I'm a visual视觉 artist艺术家,
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我是个视觉艺术家,
00:17
and I'm also one of the co-founders联合创始人 of the Plastic塑料 Pollution污染 Coalition联盟.
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也是塑料污染联盟的创始人之一。
00:20
I've been working加工 with plastic塑料 bags包装袋,
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过去20年,我一直参与塑料包的工作,
00:23
which哪一个 I cut up and sew back together一起 as my primary material材料 for my artwork艺术品
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我艺术创作的原材料是裁制和缝合塑料
00:26
for the last 20 years年份.
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00:28
I turn them into two and three-dimensional三维 pieces
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让塑料变为平面和立体型艺术,
00:31
and sculptures雕塑 and installations安装.
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雕塑和艺术装置。
00:34
Upon working加工 with the plastic塑料, after about the first eight years年份,
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在与塑料打交道的八年之后,
00:37
some of my work started开始 to fissure裂缝
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我的一些作品开始开裂
00:39
and break打破 down into smaller little bits of plastic塑料.
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碎成许多小塑料块。
00:43
And I thought, "Great.
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我想,“好极了。
00:45
It's ephemeral短暂的 just like us."
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塑料就像我们人类一样短命。”
00:48
Upon educating教育 myself a little further进一步 about plastics塑料,
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我自学进一步深入了解塑料,
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I actually其实 realized实现 this was a bad thing.
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我的确了解到塑料是个坏材料。
00:54
It's a bad thing that plastic塑料 breaks休息 down into smaller little bits,
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塑料碎成许多小块,
00:57
because it's always still plastic塑料.
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但它还是塑料,这很糟糕。
00:59
And what we're finding发现
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我们发现有很多塑料
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is that a lot of it is in the marine海洋 environment环境.
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漂浮于大海。
01:03
I then, in the last few少数 years年份,
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然而在过去的几年,
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learned学到了 about the Pacific和平的 garbage垃圾 patch补丁 and the gyre环流.
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我知道太平洋垃圾环流和垃圾漩涡。
01:08
And my initial初始 reaction反应 --
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我第一反应--
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and I think this is a lot of people's人们 first reaction反应
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我想这也是多数人的第一反应,
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to learning学习 about it --
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知道这之后--
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is, "Oh my God!
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“喔,我的上帝!
01:16
We've我们已经 got to go out there and clean清洁 this thing up."
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我们要去那里并清理这些塑料。”
01:18
So I actually其实 developed发达 a proposal提案
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所以我提议
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to go out with a cargo货物 ship
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一只货船,
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and two decommissioned退役 fishing钓鱼 trawlers拖网渔船,
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两只退役拖网渔船,
01:24
a crane起重机, a chipping碎裂 machine
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一台起重机,一台削片机
01:27
and a cold-molding冷成型 machine.
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和一台冷压机出海。
01:29
And my intention意向 was to go out to the gyre环流,
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我计划是航行到垃圾环流带,
01:31
raise提高 awareness意识 about this issue问题
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提高对于此污染的高度重视,
01:33
and begin开始 to pick up the plastic塑料,
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开始回收塑料,
01:35
chip芯片 it into little bits and cold mold模子 it into bricks砖块
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切割它变成小片,然后冷压变成塑料块,
01:38
that could potentially可能 be used as building建造 materials物料
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它可能被用来作为欠发达社区的
01:41
in underdeveloped发育不全的 communities社区.
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建筑材料。
01:45
I began开始 talking with people
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我同那些曾去过
01:47
who actually其实 had been out to the gyre环流
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垃圾环流带的人们谈过,
01:49
and were studying研究 the plastic塑料 problem问题 in the marine海洋 environment环境
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他们也曾研究过塑料污染对海洋环境的污染,
01:52
and upon doing so,
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交谈之后,
01:55
I realized实现 actually其实 that cleaning清洁的 it up
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我开始意识到海上清理塑料
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would be a very small drop下降 in the bucket
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相比起
02:00
relative相对的 to how much is being存在 generated产生
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全球每天产生塑料的生产量
02:02
every一切 day around the world世界,
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就如大海捞针一样,
02:05
and that actually其实 I needed需要 to back up and look at the bigger picture图片.
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我必须回过头想想,要展望更大的蓝图。
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And the bigger picture图片 is:
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真正的解决办法就是:
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we need to find a way to turn off the faucet龙头.
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我们需要在源头找到解决方法。
02:12
We need to cut the spigot塞子
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我们需要切断
02:14
of single-use一次性使用 and disposable一次性 plastics塑料,
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一次性使用塑料和一次性塑料的源头,
02:16
which哪一个 are entering进入 the marine海洋 environment环境 every一切 day
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使得它们在全球范围内每天不会再进入大海
02:19
on a global全球 scale规模.
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02:21
So in looking at that, I also realized实现 that I was really angry愤怒.
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看看这个,我也知道我非常生气。
02:24
I wasn't just concerned关心 about plastic塑料
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我并不只关心
02:27
that you're trying to imagine想像 out in the middle中间 of the Pacific和平的 Ocean海洋 --
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你也可能想象到的在太平洋中部
02:29
of which哪一个 I have learned学到了 there are now
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我们现在所知的,
02:31
11 gyres环流, potentially可能, of plastic塑料
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权威数据是,11个垃圾塑料环流带,
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in five major重大的 oceans海洋 in the world世界.
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遍及世界五大海洋。
02:36
It's not just that gyre环流 of plastic塑料 that I'm concerned关心 about --
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我不仅仅是关心塑料环流带,
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it's the gyre环流 of plastic塑料 in the supermarket超级市场.
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也包括超市的塑料包围圈。
02:41
I'd go to the supermarket超级市场 and all of my food餐饮 is packaged包装 in plastic塑料.
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我要去超市,所有事物都是塑料包装。
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All of my beverages饮料 are packaged包装 in plastic塑料,
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所有饮料都是塑料包装,
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even at the health健康 food餐饮 market市场.
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甚至健康的有机市场。
02:49
I'm also concerned关心 about the plastic塑料 in the refrigerator冰箱,
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我也关注在冰箱的塑料,
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and I'm concerned关心 about the plastic塑料 and the toxins毒素 that leach过滤 from plastic塑料
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还有塑料以及滤取塑料的毒素
02:55
into us and into our bodies身体.
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被我们吃下和吸收到我们身体里。
02:58
So I came来了 together一起 with a group of other people
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我和其他的一群人们
03:00
who were all looking at this issue问题,
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都关注这个塑料污染问题,
03:02
and we created创建 the Plastic塑料 Pollution污染 Coalition联盟.
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组建了塑料污染联盟。
03:05
We have many许多 initiatives倡议 that we're working加工 on,
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我们为解决这问题开始许多活动,
03:07
but some of them are very basic基本.
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它们中的一些是非常简单的。
03:09
One is: if 80 to 90 percent百分
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其中一个是:在大海,
03:12
of what we're finding发现 in the ocean海洋 --
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我们发现百分80到百分90
03:14
of the marine海洋 debris废墟 that we're finding发现 in the ocean海洋 -- is plastic塑料,
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海洋废弃物是塑料,
03:16
then why don't we call it what it is.
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然后我们为什么不称其为:
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It's plastic塑料 pollution污染.
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塑料污染。
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Recycling回收 -- everybody每个人 kind of ends结束 their books图书
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再循环。关于可持续和再循环的环保想法的书籍都是
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about being存在 sustainable可持续发展 and greening绿化 with the idea理念 of recycling回收.
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类似的观点。
03:27
You put something in a bin箱子 and you don't have to think about it again.
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大家扔东西到垃圾桶里,但是从来没有再想过此事。
03:30
What is the reality现实 of that?
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现实是什么呢?
03:32
In the United联合的 States状态, less than seven percent百分 of our plastics塑料 are recycled回收.
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在美国,塑料垃圾回收率少于百分之七。
03:35
And if you really look into it,
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大家想实际看看,
03:37
particularly尤其 when it comes to plastic塑料 bottles瓶子,
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特别当塑料变成塑料瓶,
03:39
most of it is only down-cycled向下循环,
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绝大多数塑料瓶仅被降级回收,
03:41
or incinerated焚烧, or shipped to China中国.
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或者焚烧,或运到中国。
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It is down-cycled向下循环 and turned转身 into lesser较小 things,
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当一个塑料瓶
03:47
while a glass玻璃 bottle瓶子 can be a glass玻璃 bottle瓶子 again
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可以被重制成一个塑料瓶,
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or can be used again --
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或者重被使用时,
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a plastic塑料 bottle瓶子 can never be a plastic塑料 bottle瓶子 again.
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正是被降级回收,使得塑料瓶被制成小塑料体,使得一个塑料瓶不再被制成塑料瓶回收利用。
03:55
So this is a big issue问题 for us.
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对我们而言,这是个重大问题。
03:57
Another另一个 thing that we're looking at and asking people to think about
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我们关注,并让人们思考的另一件事
04:00
is we've我们已经 added添加 a fourth第四 R
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是我们
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onto the front面前
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在原本3个R原则前,
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of the "Reduce减少, Reuse重用, Recycle回收," three R's的r,
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Reduce(减量)、Reuse(复用)、Recycle(再生),
04:07
and that is refuse垃圾.
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加了第四个R原则,它就是拒绝使用(Refuse)。
04:09
Whenever每当 possible可能, refuse垃圾 single-use一次性使用 and disposable一次性 plastics塑料.
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无论何时,拒绝使用一次性使用塑料和即丢塑料。
04:12
Alternatives备择方案 exist存在;
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有替代品的使用。
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some of them are very old-school老套.
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其中一些是非常老套。
04:16
I myself am now collecting搜集 these cool Pyrex耐热玻璃 containers集装箱
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我自己现在收集这些很酷的耐热玻璃容器,
04:19
and using运用 those instead代替 of Glad高兴 and Tupperware特百惠 containers集装箱
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使用这些而替换高兴派和特百惠派塑料容器
04:21
to store商店 food餐饮 in.
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来储存食物。
04:23
And I know that I am doing a service服务
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我知道我这样做
04:25
to myself and my family家庭.
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有利于我自己和我的家庭。
04:27
It's very easy简单 to pick up a stainless-steel不锈钢 bottle瓶子
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我们选择使用不锈钢瓶
04:29
or a glass玻璃 bottle瓶子,
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和玻璃瓶是很容易的,
04:31
if you're traveling旅行 and you've forgotten忘记了 to bring带来 your stainless-steel不锈钢 bottle瓶子
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你如果要出门,记得带不锈钢瓶,
04:33
and fill that up with water or filtered过滤 water,
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让它灌满水,或者滤过水,
04:36
versus purchasing购买 plastic塑料 bottled瓶装 water.
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而不要购买塑料瓶装水。
04:39
I guess猜测 what I want to say to everybody每个人 here --
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我猜我想要告诉大家的是
04:41
and I know that you guys know a lot about this issue问题 --
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我知道你们大家关于此塑料污染知道得很多
04:44
is that this is a huge巨大 problem问题 in the oceans海洋,
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漂在大海上的塑料是个严重的问题,
04:46
but this is a problem问题 that we've我们已经 created创建 as consumers消费者
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但这是我们做为消费者自身产生的问题,
04:49
and we can solve解决.
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我们也能自身解决这问题。
04:51
We can solve解决 this by raising提高 awareness意识 of the issue问题
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我们通过提高这问题的意识,
04:54
and teaching教学 people to choose选择 alternatives备择方案.
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教导人们选择可替换性产品,能够解决这问题。
04:57
So whenever每当 possible可能, to choose选择 alternatives备择方案
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所以无论何时,请选择使用可替换性产品,
04:59
to single-use一次性使用 plastics塑料.
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拒绝使用一次性使用塑料和即丢塑料。
05:01
We can cut the stem -- tide浪潮 the stem of this
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我们可以切断源头,阻止这塑料污染
05:03
into our oceans海洋
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到我们的海洋里,
05:05
and in doing so,
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通过如上4R行动,
05:07
save保存 our oceans海洋, save保存 our planet行星, save保存 ourselves我们自己.
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拯救我们的海洋,拯救我们的家园,拯救我们自己。
05:10
Thank you. (Applause掌声)
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谢谢。
Translated by Angelia King
Reviewed by Ying Zhang

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ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Dianna Cohen - Artist and activist
Dianna Cohen co-founded the Plastic Pollution Coalition, which is working to help end our cycle of plastics use.

Why you should listen

Dianna Cohen is the co-founder of the Plastic Pollution Coalition, a group that addresses the pervasive problem of plastic pollution. She was inspired to co-found the group by her work as an artist -- because her chosen material is the ubiquitous plastic bag. She writes: "Having worked with the plastic bag as my primary material for the past fifteen years, all of the obvious references to recycling, first-world culture, class, high and low art give way to an almost formal process which reflects the unique flexibility of the medium."

With the Plastic Pollution Coalition, she helps to raise awareness of ocean waste -- the majority of which is nondegradable plastic -- and everyday strategies to cut down the amount of plastic we use and throw away.

More profile about the speaker
Dianna Cohen | Speaker | TED.com