ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Joe Smith - Lawyer
Joe Smith is an active figure in the Oregon community and a powerful advocate for proper paper towel use.

Why you should listen

R.P. Joe Smith served as District Attorney for Umatilla County and is the former chair of the Oregon Democratic Party. He was the Executive Assistant to the Speaker of the Oregon House of Representatives and held a short interim position in the Oregon House of Representatives. An active lawyer in a private practice, he once famously ran for the position of Oregon Attorney General without soliciting a single contribution over $99.99.

More profile about the speaker
Joe Smith | Speaker | TED.com
TEDxConcordiaUPortland

Joe Smith: How to use a paper towel

Joe Smith : Comment utiliser un essuie-tout

Filmed:
3,684,496 views

Vous utilisez des serviettes en papier pour vous sécher les mains tous les jours, mais il y a de grandes chances pour que vous le fassiez de la mauvaise manière. Dans cette courte causerie instructive, Joe Smith révèle la technique parfaite de l’essuie-tout (filmé à TEDxConcordiaUPortland).
- Lawyer
Joe Smith is an active figure in the Oregon community and a powerful advocate for proper paper towel use. Full bio

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

00:12
Five hundred seventy-one million
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Deux cent cinquante neuf millions
00:16
two hundred thirty thousand pounds of paper towels
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cent cinq mille kilos de papier essuie-tout
00:22
are used by Americans
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sont utilisés par les Américains
00:24
every year.
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chaque année.
00:28
If we could -- correction, wrong figure --
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Si nous pouvions, correction, mauvais chiffre,
00:31
13 billion used every year.
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6 milliards de kilos sont utilisés chaque année.
00:33
If we could reduce the usage of paper towels,
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Si nous pouvions réduire l'utilisation des essuie-tout
00:36
one paper towel per person per day,
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à un essuie-tout par personne par jour,
00:39
571,230,000 pounds of paper not used.
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259 105 000 kilos d'essuie-tout seraient épargnés.
00:46
We can do that.
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Nous pouvons le faire.
00:48
Now there are all kinds of paper towel dispensers.
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Il existe toutes sortes de distributeurs d'essuie-tout.
00:52
There's the tri-fold. People typically take two or three.
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Il y a le trois plis. Les gens en prennent typiquement deux ou trois.
00:56
There's the one that cuts it, that you have to tear off.
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Il y a celui qui le coupe et que vous devez déchirer.
01:01
People go one, two, three, four, tear.
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Les gens en prennent un, deux, trois, quatre
et déchirent.
01:03
This much, right?
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Tout ça, n'est ce pas?
01:04
There's the one that cuts itself.
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Il y a celui qui se coupe tout seul.
01:07
People go, one, two, three, four.
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Les gens en prennent un, deux, trois, quatre.
01:11
Or there's the same thing, but recycled paper,
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Ou il y a la même chose mais en papier recyclé.
01:15
you have to get five of those because they're not as absorbant, of course.
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Vous devez en prendre 5 parce qu'ils sont
moins absorbants, bien sûr.
01:20
The fact is, you can do it all with one towel.
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Le fait est que vous pouvez tout faire avec
une serviette.
01:26
The key, two words:
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La clé, deux mots :
01:28
This half of the room, your word is "shake."
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Cette moitié de la salle, votre mot est « secouer ».
01:33
Let's hear it. Shake. Louder.
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Allez-y. Secouer. Plus fort.
01:35
Audience: Shake.
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Public : Secouer.
01:36
Joe Smith: Your word is "fold."
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Joe Smith : Votre mot est « plier ».
01:38
Audience: Fold.
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Public : Plier.
01:40
JS: Again.
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J.S. : Encore.
01:40
Audience: Fold. JS: Really loud.
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Public : Plier
J.S. : Vraiment fort.
01:43
Audience: Shake. Fold.
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Public : Secouer. Plier.
01:44
JS: Okay. Wet hands.
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OK. Mains mouillées.
01:48
Shake -- one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, 10, 11, 12.
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Secouer : un, deux, trois, quatre, cinq, six, sept, huit, neuf, dix, onze, douze.
01:53
Why 12? Twelve apostles, twelve tribes,
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Pourquoi douze? Douze apôtres, douze tribus,
01:56
twelve zodiac signs, twelve months. The one I like the best:
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douze signes du zodiaque, douze mois.
L'explication que je préfère :
02:00
It's the biggest number with one syllable.
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c'est le plus grand nombre avec une syllabe.
02:02
(Laughter)
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(Rires)
02:07
Tri-fold. Fold ...
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Trois plis. Plier...
02:14
Dry.
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Sec.
02:15
(Applause)
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(Applaudissements)
02:20
Audience: Shake.
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Public : Secouer.
02:25
Fold.
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Plier.
02:28
JS: Cuts itself. Fold. The fold is important
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Se coupe tout seul. Plier. Le pli est important,
02:30
because it allows interstitial suspension.
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parce qu'il permet la suspension interstitielle.
02:35
You don't have to remember that part, but trust me.
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Vous n'avez pas besoin de vous rappeler de ça,
mais faites-moi confiance.
02:38
(Laughter)
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(Rires)
02:43
Audience: Shake. Fold.
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Public : Secouer. Plier.
02:50
JS: Cuts itself.
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Se découpe.
02:55
You know the funny thing is,
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Vous savez, ce qui est étonnant
02:56
I get my hands drier than people do with three or four,
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c'est que mes mains sont plus sèches que celles des gens qui utilisent trois ou quatre essuie-tout,
02:59
because they can't get in between the cracks.
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parce qu'ils ne peuvent pas aller dans les recoins.
03:01
If you think this isn't as good...
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Si vous pensez que ce n'est pas aussi bon...
03:04
Audience: Shake. Fold.
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Public : Secouer. Plier.
03:13
JS: Now, there's now a real fancy invention,
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Maintenant, voici une invention vraiment sophistiquée
03:16
it's the one where you wave your hand
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où vous agitez votre main
03:19
and it kicks it out.
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et elle l'éjecte.
03:20
It's way too big a towel.
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La serviette est beaucoup trop grande.
03:22
Let me tell you a secret.
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Je vais vous dire un secret.
03:24
If you're really quick, if you're really quick --
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Si vous êtes très rapide,
03:26
and I can prove this --
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et je peux le prouver,
03:27
this is half a towel from the dispenser in this building.
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voici une demi-serviette du distributeur
de ce bâtiment.
03:32
How? As soon as it starts, you just tear it off.
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Comment? Dès que ça commence, déchirez-la.
03:35
It's smart enough to stop.
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C'est assez intelligent pour s'arrêter.
03:37
And you get half a towel.
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Et vous obtenez une demi-serviette.
03:41
Audience: Shake. Fold.
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Public : Secouer. Plier.
03:54
JS: Now, let's all say it together. Shake. Fold.
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Maintenant, disons-le tous ensemble. Secouer. Plier.
04:01
You will for the rest of your life remember those words
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Vous vous souviendrez de ces mots pour le reste de votre vie
04:05
every time you pick up a paper towel.
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chaque fois que vous prendrez un essuie-tout.
04:08
And remember, one towel per person for one year --
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Et souvenez-vous, une serviette par personne pendant un an,
04:13
571,230,000 pounds of paper. No small thing.
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259 105 000 kilos de papier en moins.
Ce n'est pas rien.
04:18
And next year, toilet paper.
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Et l'année prochaine, le papier de toilette.
04:20
(Laughter)
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(Rires)
Translated by Yasmina Hablani
Reviewed by Caroline Gagné

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ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Joe Smith - Lawyer
Joe Smith is an active figure in the Oregon community and a powerful advocate for proper paper towel use.

Why you should listen

R.P. Joe Smith served as District Attorney for Umatilla County and is the former chair of the Oregon Democratic Party. He was the Executive Assistant to the Speaker of the Oregon House of Representatives and held a short interim position in the Oregon House of Representatives. An active lawyer in a private practice, he once famously ran for the position of Oregon Attorney General without soliciting a single contribution over $99.99.

More profile about the speaker
Joe Smith | Speaker | TED.com

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