TEDWomen 2017
Nancy Rabalais: The "dead zone" of the Gulf of Mexico
南西·瑞芭萊絲: 墨西哥灣的「死亡區」
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Readability: 3.8
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海洋專家南西·瑞芭萊絲探尋墨西哥灣的「死亡區」（世界上第二大的死亡區）。那裏的水沒有足夠的氧氣來維持生命，除了害死魚類和甲殼綱動物，也終結這些水域的漁業。瑞芭萊絲告訴我們背後的原因，以及怎麼做能夠反轉這有害的效應，恢復美國的自然寶藏。
Nancy Rabalais - Marine scientist, educator
Nancy Rabalais has studied coastal marine ecosystems for more than 40 years now and loves to share that knowledge. Full bio
Nancy Rabalais has studied coastal marine ecosystems for more than 40 years now and loves to share that knowledge. Full bio
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
00:13
Good evening, welcome to New Orleans.
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晚安，歡迎來到紐奧良。
00:16
I don't know if you knew this,
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不知道各位是否知道，
00:17
but you are sitting within 15 minutes
of one of the largest rivers in the world:
of one of the largest rivers in the world:
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各位所坐的地方，距離世界上
最大的河流之一：密西西比河，
最大的河流之一：密西西比河，
00:24
the Mississippi river.
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僅 15 分鐘。
00:26
Old Man River, Big Muddy.
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它出現在歌曲《老人河》
和電影《大泥沼》中。
和電影《大泥沼》中。
00:29
And it goes as far north
as the state of Minnesota,
as the state of Minnesota,
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它向北一路通到明尼蘇達州，
00:34
as far east as the state of New York,
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向東到紐約州，
00:38
as far west as Montana.
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向西則到蒙大拿州。
00:42
And 100 miles from here, river miles,
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距離這裡 100 英哩，河流的英哩，
00:45
it empties its fresh water and sediments
into the Gulf of Mexico.
into the Gulf of Mexico.
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它把淡水和沉積物帶入墨西哥灣。
00:51
That's the end of Geography 101.
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地理學入門到此為止。
00:54
(Laughter)
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（笑聲）
00:55
Now we're going to go
to what is in that water.
to what is in that water.
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現在，我們要來談談水裡有什麼。
00:59
Besides the sediment, there are dissolved
molecules, nitrogen and phosphorus.
molecules, nitrogen and phosphorus.
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除了沉積物，
還有溶解的分子、氮和磷。
還有溶解的分子、氮和磷。
01:06
And those, through a biological process,
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它們透過生物過程，
01:10
lead to the formation
of areas called dead zones.
of areas called dead zones.
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就會導致所謂「死亡區」的形成。
01:16
Now, dead zone is a quite ominous word
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死亡區是個很不吉利的詞，
01:21
if you're a fish or a crab.
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如果你是魚或螃蟹的話。
01:23
(Laughter)
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（笑聲）
01:25
Even a little worm in the sediments.
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甚至是沉積物中的小蟲。
01:28
Which means that there's not enough oxygen
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這表示，沒有足夠的氧氣
01:31
for those animals to survive.
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供那些動物存活。
01:35
So, how does this happen?
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為什麼會發生這種狀況？
01:37
The nitrogen and the phosphorus
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氮和磷刺激
01:39
stimulate the growth of microscopic plants
called phytoplankton.
called phytoplankton.
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名為「浮游植物」的微生植物生長。
01:45
And small animals called zooplankton
eat the phytoplankton,
eat the phytoplankton,
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名為「浮游動物」的小型動物
會去吃浮游植物，
會去吃浮游植物，
01:51
small fish eat the zooplankton,
large fish eat the small fish
large fish eat the small fish
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小魚會吃浮游動物，大魚會吃小魚，
01:55
and it goes on up into the food web.
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以此類推到整個食物鏈。
01:58
The problem is that there's just too much
nitrogen and phosphorus right now,
nitrogen and phosphorus right now,
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問題是，現在有太多的氮和磷了，
02:02
too much phytoplankton
falling to the bottom
falling to the bottom
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太多浮游植物落到底部，
02:05
and decomposed by bacteria
that use up the oxygen.
that use up the oxygen.
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被細菌分解，把氧氣用盡。
02:11
That's the biology.
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這就是背後的生物學。
02:13
Now, you can't see it
from the surface of the water,
from the surface of the water,
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從水面是看不到死亡區的，
02:17
you can't see it in satellite images,
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從衛星影像也看不到，
02:19
so how do we know it's there?
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我們怎麼知道它存在？
02:21
Well, a trawler can tell you,
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拖網漁船就能告訴你，
02:24
when she puts her net over the side
and drags for 20 minutes
and drags for 20 minutes
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如果把它的網放入水中，
拖行 20 分鐘，
拖行 20 分鐘，
02:29
and comes up empty,
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拉起來時還是空的，
02:30
that she knows she's in the dead zone.
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就知道它在死亡區了，
02:33
And she has to go somewhere else.
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就得要去其他地方。
02:35
But where else do you go
if this area is 8,000 square miles big?
if this area is 8,000 square miles big?
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但若死亡區大到 8000 平方英哩，
還有哪裡能去呢？
還有哪裡能去呢？
02:41
About the size of the state of New Jersey.
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這面積和新澤西州差不多大。
02:44
Well, you either make
a decision to go further,
a decision to go further,
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你可以決定繼續向前進，
02:49
without much economic return,
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不會有多少經濟報酬，
02:51
or go back to the dock.
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你也可以返回碼頭。
02:54
As a scientist, I have access
to high-tech equipment
to high-tech equipment
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身為科學家，我能取得高科技設備，
02:58
that we can put over the side
of the research vessel,
of the research vessel,
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我們可以把這設備放在研究船外側，
03:01
and it measures oxygen
and many more things.
and many more things.
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它就能測量氧氣和許多其他東西。
03:03
We start at the Mississippi River,
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我們從密西西比河開始，
03:06
we crisscross the Gulf of Mexico
all the way to Texas,
all the way to Texas,
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我們穿過墨西哥灣，一路到德州，
03:10
and even I sneak into Texas
every now and then and test their waters.
every now and then and test their waters.
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我偶爾會溜進德州
去檢測他們的水體。
去檢測他們的水體。
03:16
And you can tell by the bottom oxygen --
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從底部的氧氣就可以判斷──
03:20
you can draw a map
of everything that's less than two,
of everything that's less than two,
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你可以畫一張地圖，
畫出所有少於 2 的東西，
畫出所有少於 2 的東西，
03:23
which is the magic number
for when the fish start to leave the area.
for when the fish start to leave the area.
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當 2 這個魔術數字出現時，
魚類就開始離開該區域了。
魚類就開始離開該區域了。
03:29
I also dive in this dead zone.
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我也會潛入死亡區。
03:33
We have oxygen meters
that we have to deploy offshore
that we have to deploy offshore
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我們有氧氣計，需要離岸才能部署，
03:37
that tell us continuous measurements
of low oxygen or high oxygen.
of low oxygen or high oxygen.
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它能持續提供我們
低氧或高氧的測量資訊。
低氧或高氧的測量資訊。
03:42
And when you get into the water,
there's a lot of fish.
there's a lot of fish.
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進入水中時，裡面有很多魚。
03:45
Tons of fish, all kinds of fish,
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數不清的魚，各種魚，
03:47
including my buddy here,
the barracuda that I saw one day.
the barracuda that I saw one day.
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包括我的伙計，
有一天我發現的梭魚。
有一天我發現的梭魚。
03:52
Everybody else swam this way
and I went this way with my camera.
and I went this way with my camera.
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大家都往這個方向游泳，
我帶著攝影機往這個方向去。
我帶著攝影機往這個方向去。
03:56
(Laughter)
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（笑聲）
03:57
And then, down at 30 feet
you start to see fewer fish.
you start to see fewer fish.
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接著，下沉到 30 英呎，
看到的魚就變少了。
看到的魚就變少了。
04:02
And then you get to the bottom.
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接著，就到了底部。
04:04
And you don't see any fish.
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這裡看不到任何魚類。
04:06
There's no life on the platform,
there's no life swimming around.
there's no life swimming around.
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在平台上沒有任何生命，
也沒有生物在周圍游動。
也沒有生物在周圍游動。
04:11
And you know you're in the dead zone.
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你就知道自己身在死亡區了。
04:15
So, what's the connection
between the middle of the United States
between the middle of the United States
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美國中部和墨西哥灣
04:19
and the Gulf of Mexico?
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有什麼關聯？
04:21
Well, most of the watershed is farmland.
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大部分的流域都是農地。
04:25
And in particular, corn-soybean rotation.
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尤其是小麥和黃豆輪作。
04:30
The nitrogen that is put in fertilizers
and the phosphorus goes on the land
and the phosphorus goes on the land
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在肥料當中的氮及磷會進入土地中，
04:36
and drains off into the Mississippi River
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然後流入密西西比河中，
04:39
and ends up in the Gulf of Mexico.
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最後到達墨西哥灣。
04:42
There's three times more
nitrogen in the water
nitrogen in the water
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現在在密西西比河中的氮，
是 50 年代的 3 倍之多。
04:47
in the Mississippi now,
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04:49
than there was in the 1950s.
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04:51
Three times.
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3 倍。
04:52
And phosphorus has doubled.
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磷則是 2 倍。
04:54
And what that means is more phytoplankton
and more sinking sails and lower oxygen.
and more sinking sails and lower oxygen.
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那意味著更多浮游植物、
更多沉船、更低的含氧量。
更多沉船、更低的含氧量。
05:00
This is not a natural feature of the Gulf;
it's been caused by human activities.
it's been caused by human activities.
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這並不是海灣的自然特徵，
而是人類的活動造成的。
而是人類的活動造成的。
05:06
The landscape is not what it used to be.
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地景和以前不同了。
05:08
It used to be prairies and forests
and prairie potholes
and prairie potholes
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以前是大草原、森林、草原壺穴、
05:13
and duck areas and all kinds of stuff.
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鴨子聚集處等等種種地景。
05:17
But not anymore -- it's row crops.
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但不再是了。現在是大片的農田。
05:20
And there are ways that we can address
this type of agriculture
this type of agriculture
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我們可以用許多方式
來處理這種類型的農業：
來處理這種類型的農業：
05:25
by using less fertilizer,
maybe precision fertilizing.
maybe precision fertilizing.
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可用較少的肥料，
也許可以更精準地施肥；
也許可以更精準地施肥；
05:31
And trying some sustainable agriculture
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也可以試一些永續農業，
05:34
such as perennial wheatgrass,
which has much longer roots
which has much longer roots
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像是種植根較長的多年生小麥草，
05:39
than the six inches of a corn plant,
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比玉米植株的 6 英吋還長，
05:41
that can keep the nitrogen on the soil
and keep the soil from running off.
and keep the soil from running off.
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能讓氮維持在土壤中，
且不讓土壤流失掉。
且不讓土壤流失掉。
05:47
And how do we convince
our neighbors to the north,
our neighbors to the north,
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我們要如何說服北方的鄰居，
05:51
maybe 1,000 miles away or more,
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也許住在1000 英哩外
或更遠的鄰居，
或更遠的鄰居，
05:54
that their activities are causing problems
with water quality in the Gulf of Mexico?
with water quality in the Gulf of Mexico?
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讓他們了解，他們的活動會造成
墨西哥灣的水質問題呢？
墨西哥灣的水質問題呢？
06:01
First of all, we can take them
to their own backyard.
to their own backyard.
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首先，我們可以帶他們到
他們的自家後院。
他們的自家後院。
06:04
If you want to go swimming
in Wisconsin in the summer
in Wisconsin in the summer
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如果夏天你想要在威斯康辛州游泳，
06:08
in your favorite watering hole,
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到你最愛的水坑，
06:11
you might find something like this
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你可能會發現像這樣的東西，
06:14
which looks like spilled green paint
and smells like it,
and smells like it,
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它看起來像是
溢出的綠漆，聞起來也像，
溢出的綠漆，聞起來也像，
06:18
growing on the surface of the water.
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在水面上生長。
06:21
This is a toxic blue-green algal bloom
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這是有毒的、生長茂盛的藍綠藻，
06:25
and it is not good for you.
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對你有害。
06:29
Similarly, in Lake Erie,
couple of summers ago
couple of summers ago
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同樣在伊利湖，幾個夏天之前，
06:33
there was hundreds of miles
of this blue-green algae
of this blue-green algae
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有數百英哩的這種藍綠色海藻，
06:37
and the city of Toledo, Ohio,
couldn't use it for their drinking water
couldn't use it for their drinking water
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俄亥俄州的托雷多市
連續數日都無法喝這種水。
06:41
for several days on end.
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06:43
And if you watch the news,
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如果你看新聞，
06:45
you know that lots of communities
are having trouble with drinking water.
are having trouble with drinking water.
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你就知道有很多社區
都遇到了飲用水問題。
都遇到了飲用水問題。
06:53
I'm a scientist.
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我是科學家。
06:55
I don't know if you could tell that.
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不知道各位是否看得出來。
06:57
(Laughter)
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（笑聲）
07:01
And I do solid science,
I publish my results,
I publish my results,
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我做紮實的科學，出版研究的結果，
07:05
my colleagues read them,
I get citations of my work.
I get citations of my work.
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我的同事會讀，我的研究會被引用。
07:10
But I truly believe that, as a scientist,
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但身為科學家，我真心相信，
07:15
using mostly federal funds
to do the research,
to do the research,
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我主要用聯邦資金來做研究，
07:20
I owe it to the public,
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我應該向公眾、
07:23
to agency heads and congressional people
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機構負責人和國會議員
07:27
to share my knowledge with them
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分享我的知識，
07:29
so they can use it,
hopefully to make better decisions
hopefully to make better decisions
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以便他們能用來做更好的決策，
07:33
about our environmental policy.
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關於環境政策的決策。
07:36
(Applause)
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（掌聲）
07:38
Thank you.
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謝謝。
07:39
(Applause)
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（掌聲）
07:43
One of the ways that I was able to do this
is I brought in the media.
is I brought in the media.
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要達成這個目標，
我的做法之一就是利用媒體。
我的做法之一就是利用媒體。
07:47
And Joby Warrick
from the "Washington Post"
from the "Washington Post"
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華盛頓郵報的喬比瓦里克
07:52
put this picture in an article
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在一篇文章中放入這張照片，
07:55
on the front page, Sunday morning,
two inches above the fold.
two inches above the fold.
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登在星期日早報的頭版，
在對摺線上方 2 英吋處。
在對摺線上方 2 英吋處。
08:00
That's a big deal.
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那是件大事。
08:02
And Senator John Breaux, from Louisiana,
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路易斯安那州的參議員約翰布里克斯
08:05
said, "Oh my gosh, that's what they think
the Gulf of Mexico looks like?"
the Gulf of Mexico looks like?"
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說：「喔，我的天，他們認為
墨西哥灣看起來像這個樣子？」
墨西哥灣看起來像這個樣子？」
08:09
And I said, "Well, you know,
there's the proof."
there's the proof."
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我說：「嗯，有證據可以證明。」
08:12
And we've go to do something about it.
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對此我們得要做點什麼。
08:15
At the same time,
Senator Olympia Snowe from Maine
Senator Olympia Snowe from Maine
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當時緬因州的參議員奧林匹亞史諾
08:20
was having trouble with harmful
algal blooms in the Gulf of Maine.
algal blooms in the Gulf of Maine.
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遭遇有害藍綠藻在緬因灣
生長茂盛的問題。
生長茂盛的問題。
08:24
They joined forces -- it was bipartisan --
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他們同心協力──兩黨都支持──
08:27
(Laughter)
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（笑聲）
08:29
(Applause)
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（掌聲）
08:31
And invited me to give
congressional testimony,
congressional testimony,
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並邀請我去國會作證，
08:34
and I said, "Oh, all I've done
is chase crabs around south Texas,
is chase crabs around south Texas,
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我說：「喔，我所做的
只是在南德州追著螃蟹跑，
只是在南德州追著螃蟹跑，
08:37
I don't know how to do that."
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我不知道怎麼作證。」
08:39
(Laughter)
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（笑聲）
08:40
But I did it.
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但我去了。
08:41
(Cheers)
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（歡呼）
08:43
And eventually, the bill passed.
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最終，法案通過了。
08:44
And it was called -- yeah, yay!
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它叫做──對啊，太棒了！
08:47
It was called The Harmful Algal Bloom
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它是「1998 年控制和研究
08:50
and Hypoxia Research
and Control Act of 1998.
and Control Act of 1998.
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有害藻類過度繁殖和低氧」法案。
08:55
(Laughter)
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（笑聲）
08:56
(Applause)
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（掌聲）
09:00
Thank you.
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謝謝。
09:01
Which is why we call it
the Snowe-Breaux Bill.
the Snowe-Breaux Bill.
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這就是為什麼我們稱它為
史諾－布里克斯法案。
史諾－布里克斯法案。
09:03
(Laughter)
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（笑聲）
09:06
The other thing is
that we had a conference in 2001
that we had a conference in 2001
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另一件事是 2001 年有一場大會，
09:13
that was put on by
the National Academy of Sciences
the National Academy of Sciences
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由美國國家科學院舉辦，
09:16
that looked at fertilizers,
nitrogen and poor water quality.
nitrogen and poor water quality.
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探討肥料、氮，和水質惡化。
09:21
Our plenary speaker
was the former governor
was the former governor
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我們的專題講者
是紐澤西州的前任州長。
是紐澤西州的前任州長。
09:25
of the state of New Jersey.
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09:28
And she ...
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她……
09:30
There was no thinking she wasn't serious
when she peered at the audience,
when she peered at the audience,
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當她凝視觀眾的時候，
沒有人會認為她不是認真的，
沒有人會認為她不是認真的，
09:35
and I thought,
"Surely she's looking at me."
"Surely she's looking at me."
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當時我心想：「當然她正看著我。」
09:38
"You know, I'm really tired
of this thing being called New Jersey.
of this thing being called New Jersey.
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「我已經厭倦了這被稱為紐澤西的。
09:42
Pick another state, any state,
I just don't want to hear it anymore."
I just don't want to hear it anymore."
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挑別的州吧，任何一州，
我只是不想再聽到紐澤西了。」
我只是不想再聽到紐澤西了。」
09:46
But she was able to move the action plan
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但她有辦法把行動計畫
09:50
across President George H.W. Bush's desk
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放在小布希總統的桌上，
09:56
so that we had environmental goals
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讓我們能夠設定環境目標，
09:59
and that we were working to solve them.
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且努力去解決問題。
10:04
The Midwest does not feed the world.
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中西部沒餵養整個世界的人，
10:07
It feeds a lot of chickens, hogs, cattle
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而是養了許多雞、豬、牛，
10:13
and it generates ethanol
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也生產混入我們的石油的乙醇，
10:15
to put into our gasoline,
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10:18
which is regulated by federal policy.
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那由聯邦的政策控管。
10:22
We can do better than this.
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我們能做得比這更好。
10:25
We need to make decisions
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我們得要決策，
10:28
that make us less consumptive
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要減少消耗，
10:34
and reduce our reliance on nitrogen.
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並減少我們對氮的依賴。
10:39
It's like a carbon footprint.
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就像是碳足跡，
10:42
But you can reduce
your nitrogen footprint.
your nitrogen footprint.
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你可以減少氮足跡。
10:45
I do it by not eating much meat --
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我的做法是少吃肉──
10:50
I still like a little
every now and then --
every now and then --
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我還是喜歡偶爾吃一點──
10:52
not using corn oil,
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不用玉米油，
10:55
driving a car that I can put
nonethanol gas in
nonethanol gas in
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和選擇開不用混乙醇汽油的車，
10:59
and get better gas mileage.
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那樣還更省油。
11:02
Just things like that
that can make a difference.
that can make a difference.
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做這些事就能夠創造改變。
11:05
So I'm challenging, not just you,
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我要挑戰，不只向各位挑戰，
11:08
but I challenge a lot of people,
especially in the Midwest --
especially in the Midwest --
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我要挑戰很多人，
特別是中西部的人──
特別是中西部的人──
11:12
think about how you're treating your land
and how you can make a difference.
and how you can make a difference.
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想想看你們怎麼對待土地，
以及你們能怎麼不同。
以及你們能怎麼不同。
11:18
So my steps are very small steps.
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我跨出的只是小步。
11:22
To change the type
of agriculture in the US
of agriculture in the US
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要改變美國的農業類型，
11:26
is going to be many big steps.
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需要很多的大步。
11:28
And it's going to take political
and social will for that to happen.
and social will for that to happen.
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在政治面和社會面
也都要配合才能實現。
也都要配合才能實現。
11:33
But we can do it.
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但我們能做到。
11:35
I strongly believe
we can translate the science,
we can translate the science,
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我堅信我們能翻譯科學，
11:39
bridge it to policy and make
a difference in our environment.
a difference in our environment.
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把它和政策接軌，
為我們的環境帶來改變。
為我們的環境帶來改變。
11:44
We all want a clean environment.
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我們都想要一個乾淨的環境。
11:47
And we can work together to do this
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我們能同心協力做到這一點，
11:49
so that we no longer have
these dead zones in the Gulf of Mexico.
these dead zones in the Gulf of Mexico.
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這樣我們在墨西哥灣
就不會再有死亡區了。
就不會再有死亡區了。
11:53
Thank you.
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謝謝。
11:55
(Applause)
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（掌聲）
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Nancy Rabalais - Marine scientist, educatorNancy Rabalais has studied coastal marine ecosystems for more than 40 years now and loves to share that knowledge.
Why you should listen
Nancy Rabalais has worked in Louisiana ever since she got her PhD in 1983, studying aspects of marine ecology relevant to environmental health. As she writes: "I work on areas called 'dead zones' that are coastal waters lacking in oxygen in which animals such as fish, shrimp and crabs cannot live. I am also, since 2011, studying the long-term effects of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill on coastal waters and Louisiana wetlands.
"I fell in love with biology in the 8th grade and then marine biology in college. My education was not quite the typical 'academic' training. I worked my way through college, beginning at a two-year college, a regional university for my BS and MS, then worked at the University of Texas Marine Science Institute in Port Aransas, Texas, for three years. My desire for further education sent me back to work on my PhD at The University of Texas at Austin. My first job as a PhD was at the Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium, starting in 1983. I am now a professor and Shell Endowed Chair of Oceanography and Coastal Sciences at Louisiana State University."
Nancy Rabalais | Speaker | TED.com