ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Topher White - Conservation technologist
Through his startup Rainforest Connection, Topher White transforms used cell phones into guardians of the rainforest.

Why you should listen

In 2012, Topher White founded Rainforest Connection, a startup which converts recycled cell-phones into solar-powered listening devices to monitor and protect remote areas of the rainforest. Now an established NGO, Rainforest Connection has helped stop illegal logging and poaching operations in Sumatra, and the system is being expanded to three more rainforest reserves in Indonesia, the Amazon and Africa.

With a background in physics and engineering, White worked as web chief of ITER and co-founded Enthuse, a sports engagement and mobile rewards platform. For Rainforest Connection, he’s fashioned a simple device made of discarded cell phones and solar panels that detects and sends alerts when it picks up the sound of chainsaws in protected rainforests, allowing for intervention in real time.

More profile about the speaker
Topher White | Speaker | TED.com
TEDxCERN

Topher White: What can save the rainforest? Your used cell phone

Topher White: 如何拯救热带雨林?——你的旧手机

Filmed:
1,377,242 views

热带雨林的声音包括:鸟类的啁啾,蝉的嗡嗡声,长臂猿的戏谑。但背景里几乎总是有非法伐木者的电锯声音。工程师 Topher White与我们分享了一个简单的,可扩展的方式来制止这种野蛮的森林砍伐 ——使用你的旧手机。
- Conservation technologist
Through his startup Rainforest Connection, Topher White transforms used cell phones into guardians of the rainforest. Full bio

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

00:12
(Rainforest雨林 noises噪音)
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(热带雨林的声音)
00:21
In the summer夏季 of 2011,
as a tourist游客,
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在2011年的夏天,
作为一名旅游者,
00:25
I visited参观 the rainforests热带雨林 of Borneo婆罗洲
for the very first time,
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我第一次参观了
婆罗洲的热带雨林,
00:29
and as you might威力 imagine想像,
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正如你可能会想象,
00:31
it was the overwhelming压倒 sounds声音
of the forest森林 that struck来袭 me the most.
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森林无法抗拒的声音
给我下了最深刻的印象。
就是这种持续不断的喧闹的声音。
00:36
There's this constant不变 cacophony杂音 of noise噪声.
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00:39
Some things actually其实 do stick out.
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但有些东西的确非常引人注意。
例如,这是一只很大的鸟,
名叫犀鸟。
00:42
For example, this here is a big bird,
a rhinoceros犀牛 hornbill犀鸟.
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00:46
This buzzing余音绕梁 is a cicada.
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这嗡嗡的声音是蝉声。
00:51
This is a family家庭 of gibbons长臂猿.
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这是一个长臂猿家族,
00:54
It's actually其实 singing唱歌 to each other
over a great distance距离.
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它们其实在对彼此唱歌,
隔着很远的距离。
这个地方实际上是
一个长臂猿保护区,
00:59
The place地点 where this was recorded记录
was in fact事实 a gibbon长臂猿 reserve保留,
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01:02
which哪一个 is why you can hear so many许多 of them,
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这就是为什么你能
听到这么多的声音,
01:04
but in fact事实 the most important重要 noise噪声 that
was coming未来 out of the forest森林 that time
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但实际上那个时候最重要的噪声
是来自森林外,
01:09
was one that I didn't notice注意,
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我当时却并没注意到,
01:10
and in fact事实 nobody没有人 there
had actually其实 noticed注意到 it.
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事实上,那里也根本没有人
注意到这种声音。
因此,正如我所说,
这是一个长臂猿保护区。
01:14
So, as I said, this was a gibbon长臂猿 reserve保留.
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他们花了大部分的时间,
重建长臂猿保护区,
01:16
They spend most of their time
rehabilitating恢复 gibbons长臂猿,
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01:19
but they also have
to spend a lot of their time
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但他们也花了很多时间
保护他们的地区周边
不遭受非法砍伐。
01:21
protecting保护 their area from illegal非法 logging记录
that takes place地点 on the side.
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如果我们弱化森林的声音,
01:25
And so if we take the sound声音 of the forest森林
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01:27
and we actually其实 turn down the gibbons长臂猿,
the insects昆虫, and the rest休息,
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我们调低长臂猿,
昆虫和其它的声音,
01:31
in the background背景, the entire整个 time,
in recordings录音 you heard听说,
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在这个背景下,整个时间段内,
你听到的这个录音
01:34
was the sound声音 of a chainsaw电锯
at great distance距离.
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是电锯的声音,
从很远的地方传来。
他们有三个全职警卫,
被派驻在整个保护区周围,
01:38
They had three full-time全职 guards卫士
who were posted发布 around this sanctuary避难所
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01:42
whose谁的 job工作 was in fact事实
to guard守卫 against反对 illegal非法 logging记录,
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他们的工作实际上
是防范非法采伐,
01:46
and one day, we went walking步行,
again as tourists游客, out into the forest森林,
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有一天,我们再次作为旅游者
走进这个森林,
01:50
and within five minutes'分钟' walk步行,
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在五分钟的步行路程里,
01:52
we stumbled迷迷糊糊 upon somebody
who was just sawing锯切 a tree down,
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我们意外发现有人
正把树锯断,
01:55
five minutes'分钟' walk步行, a few少数 hundred meters
from the ranger游侠 station.
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五分钟步行路程,
离护林站几百米。
他们一直没能听到电锯声,
01:58
They hadn't有没有 been able能够
to hear the chainsaws链锯,
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因为你们能听到森林的声音
是非常嘈杂的。
02:01
because as you heard听说,
the forest森林 is very, very loud.
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我觉得这是非常难以接受的,
在当今这个时代,
02:04
It struck来袭 me as quite相当 unacceptable不可接受
that in this modern现代 time,
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02:08
just a few少数 hundred meters away
from a ranger游侠 station in a sanctuary避难所,
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距离一个保护区的护林站仅数百米,
02:13
that in fact事实 nobody没有人 could hear it when
someone有人 who has a chainsaw电锯 gets得到 fired解雇 up.
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竟然没有人能听到有人启动了电锯。
02:17
It sounds声音 impossible不可能,
but in fact事实, it was quite相当 true真正.
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这听起来不可能,
但实际上却是事实。
02:21
So how do we stop illegal非法 logging记录?
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那么我们要如何制止非法采伐呢?
02:23
It's really tempting诱人的, as an engineer工程师,
always to come up with a high-tech高科技,
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这真的很让人激动,作为一名
工程师,总是想到高科技,
02:26
super-crazy超级疯狂 high-tech高科技 solution,
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超级疯狂的高科技解决方式。
02:28
but in fact事实, you're in the rainforest雨林.
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但实际上,你在热带雨林里。
能够采用的方法必须是简单的,
能大范围应用的,
02:30
It has to be simple简单,
it has to be scalable可扩展性,
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02:33
and so what we also noticed注意到
while were there was that
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我们也注意到,在这个地方
我们需要的每件东西
其实都唾手可得。
02:36
everything we needed需要 was already已经 there.
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02:38
We could build建立 a system系统
that would allow允许 us to stop this
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我们可以建立一个系统,
使我们能够阻止非法砍伐,
02:41
using运用 what's already已经 there.
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仅仅利用天然的条件。
02:43
Who was there? What was
already已经 in the forest森林?
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谁在那里?
森林里有哪些现成的条件?
那里有人。
02:45
Well, we had people.
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02:46
We had this group there that was
dedicated专用, three full-time全职 guards卫士,
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我们已经有三名敬业的专职警卫,
会竭力阻止非法砍伐,
02:50
that was dedicated专用 to go and stop it,
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但他们首先需要知道
在森林里发生了什么事。
02:51
but they just needed需要 to know
what was happening事件 out in the forest森林.
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02:54
The real真实 surprise, this is the big one,
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有一件重要的事情非常出人意料,
02:56
was that there was connectivity连接
out in the forest森林.
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那就是森林与外界之间可以建立连接。
有移动电话服务,
在这种偏僻的地方很不寻常。
02:59
There was cell细胞 phone电话 service服务
way out in the middle中间 of nowhere无处.
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我们谈论的地方距离
最近的公路也有数百公里,
03:02
We're talking hundreds数以百计 of kilometers公里
from the nearest最近的 road,
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03:05
there's certainly当然 no electricity电力,
but they had very good cell细胞 phone电话 service服务,
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肯定没有电,
但他们有很好的手机通讯服务,
小镇里的人们一直挂在Facebook上,
03:08
these people in the towns城市
were on FacebookFacebook的 all the time,
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在手机上浏览网页,
03:11
they're surfing冲浪 the web卷筒纸 on their phones手机,
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03:13
and this sort分类 of got me thinking思维
that in fact事实 it would be possible可能
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这种情况不禁让我想到,
事实上是有可能
利用森林的声音,
03:16
to use the sounds声音 of the forest森林,
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03:18
pick up the sounds声音
of chainsaws链锯 programmatically编程,
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按照程序指示提取电锯的声音,
因为人们听不到这种声音,
03:20
because people can't hear them,
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再发出警报。
03:22
and send发送 an alert警报.
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03:24
But you have to have a device设备
to go up in the trees树木.
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但是,你必须有
一个装置能固定在树上。
03:26
So if we can use some device设备
to listen to the sounds声音 of the forest森林,
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所以,如果我们可以用
一些装置采集森林的声音,
03:30
connect to the cell细胞 phone电话
network网络 that's there,
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并连接到那里的手机网络,
03:32
and send发送 an alert警报 to people on the ground地面,
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再发送警报给地面上的人,
03:34
perhaps也许 we could have a solution
to this issue问题 for them.
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也许我们就有了一个
对付非法砍伐的解决办法。
03:38
But let's take a moment时刻
to talk about saving保存 the rainforest雨林,
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不过让我们再花点时间
谈论一下拯救热带雨林,
我们肯定早就已经有所了解。
03:41
because it's something that we've我们已经
definitely无疑 all heard听说 about forever永远.
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03:45
People in my generation
have heard听说 about saving保存 the rainforest雨林
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我们这一代人在小时候
就已经听说过关于拯救
03:48
since以来 we were kids孩子,
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热带雨林的话题,
似乎这种信息从未改变:
03:50
and it seems似乎 that the message信息
has never changed:
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03:52
We've我们已经 got to save保存 the rainforest雨林,
it's super urgent紧急,
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我们必须拯救热带雨林,
情况非常危急,
在过去的时间内,相当于这么多
足球场的雨林面积已经遭到破坏,
03:54
this many许多 football足球 fields领域
have been destroyed销毁 yesterday昨天.
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03:57
and yet然而 here we are today今天,
about half of the rainforest雨林 remains遗迹,
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到今天为止,热带雨林的面积
大约只剩下一半,
04:00
and we have potentially可能 more urgent紧急
problems问题 like climate气候 change更改.
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我们可能还有更迫切的问题,
例如气候变化。
04:05
But in fact事实, this is the little-known鲜为人知的 fact事实
that I didn't realize实现 at the time:
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但事实上,有一件鲜为人知的事实,
我当时并不知道:
04:09
Deforestation森林砍伐 accounts账户
for more greenhouse温室 gas加油站
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砍伐森林导致了更多
温室气体的排放,
04:12
than all of the world's世界 planes飞机,
trains火车, cars汽车, trucks卡车 and ships船舶 combined结合.
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超过世界上所有的飞机,火车,
汽车,卡车和船只的排放总和。
这是导致气候变化第二大的诱因。
04:16
It's the second第二 highest最高 contributor贡献者
to climate气候 change更改.
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还有,根据国际刑警组织提供的信息,
04:18
Also, according根据 to Interpol国际刑警组织,
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04:21
as much as 90 percent百分 of the logging记录
that takes place地点 in the rainforest雨林
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高达90%的发生在热带雨林的伐木
都是非法伐木,
就像我们之前看到的那种情况。
04:25
is illegal非法 logging记录,
like the illegal非法 logging记录 that we saw.
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04:29
So if we can help people in the forest森林
enforce执行 the rules规则 that are there,
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因此,如果我们能帮助护林员
加强警戒和监督,
04:33
then in fact事实 we could eat heavily严重
into this 17 percent百分
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实际上,我们可以
大量削减这17%的数字,
04:37
and potentially可能 have a major重大的 impact碰撞
in the short term术语.
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并有可能在短时间内产生重大影响。
04:39
It might威力 just be the cheapest最便宜,
fastest最快的 way to fight斗争 climate气候 change更改.
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这可能是最廉价快速应对
气候变化的方法。
04:44
And so here's这里的 the system系统 that we imagine想像.
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这就是我们想象中的系统。
它看起来超高科技。
04:46
It looks容貌 super high tech高科技.
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此刻电锯的声音
在森林中被采集,
04:48
The moment时刻 a sound声音 of a chainsaw电锯
is heard听说 in the forest森林,
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04:50
the device设备 picks精选 up the sound声音
of the chainsaw电锯,
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该装置接收了电锯声,
并通过现成的标准GSM网络发送警报,
04:52
it sends发送 an alert警报 through通过 the standard标准
GSMGSM network网络 that's already已经 there
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04:56
to a ranger游侠 in the field领域
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通知现场的护林员,
04:58
who can in fact事实 show显示 up in real真实 time
and stop the logging记录.
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让他们可以及时赶到制止非法伐木行为。
05:01
It's no more about going out
and finding发现 a tree that's been cut.
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不再需要四处寻找已经被砍掉的树。
05:05
It's not about seeing眼看
a tree from a satellite卫星
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也不需要通过卫星观察
05:07
in an area that's been clear明确 cut,
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某个区域有一颗树被砍下了,
而是要实现实时干预。
05:09
it's about real-time即时的 intervention介入.
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05:11
So I said it was the cheapest最便宜
and fastest最快的 way to do it,
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所以我刚才说了,这是能实现这个目的
最廉价快捷的方式,
05:14
but in fact事实, actually其实, as you saw,
they weren't able能够 to do it,
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但事实上,正如你们看到的,
它们还做不到这一点,
所以这种方法可能不会这么便宜和快速。
05:17
so it may可能 not be so cheap低廉 and fast快速.
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但是,如果在树上的这些装置
实际上是手机,
05:19
But if the devices设备 in the trees树木
were actually其实 cell细胞 phones手机,
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它就可能相当便宜。
05:22
it could be pretty漂亮 cheap低廉.
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每年有数以亿计的手机被扔掉,
05:24
Cell细胞 phones手机 are thrown抛出 away
by the hundreds数以百计 of millions百万 every一切 year,
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仅在美国就有上亿,
05:28
hundreds数以百计 of millions百万 in the U.S. alone单独,
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05:30
not counting数数 the rest休息 of the world世界,
which哪一个 of course课程 we should do,
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更不要说世界上的其它地方,
当然,这么做没什么问题,
05:33
but in fact事实, cell细胞 phones手机 are great.
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不过事实上,手机可是个好东西。
它们内置了很多传感器。
05:36
They're full充分 of sensors传感器.
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05:37
They can listen
to the sounds声音 of the forest森林.
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它们可以听到森林里的声音。
我们还需要保护它们。
05:39
We do have to protect保护 them.
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我们必须把它们放在
现在看到的这种盒子里,
05:41
We have to put them in this box
that you see here,
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还要给他们充电。
05:43
and we do have to power功率 them.
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05:45
Powering供电 them is one of the greater更大
engineering工程 challenges挑战
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充电是我们必须应对的较大的
05:47
that we had to deal合同 with,
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工程学挑战之一,
05:49
because powering供电 a cell细胞 phone电话
under a tree canopy华盖,
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因为在树冠下给手机充电,
05:51
any sort分类 of solar太阳能 power功率
under a tree canopy华盖,
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任何一种树冠以下的太阳能发电
05:54
was an as-yet-unsolved的尚未解决的 problem问题,
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都是一个尚未解决的难题。
05:56
and that's this unique独特
solar太阳能 panel面板 design设计 that you see here,
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这种独特的太阳能电池板设计,
你们现在看到的,
实际上也是通过回收一个工业过程中
的副产品建立起来的。
05:58
which哪一个 in fact事实 is built内置 also from recycled回收
byproducts副产品 of an industrial产业 process处理.
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这些是被切割成条之后的样子。
06:03
These are strips带子 that are cut down.
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06:05
So this is me putting it all together一起
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我就像这样把它们拼装在一起,
06:09
in my parents'父母' garage车库, actually其实.
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其实是在父母的车库里。
非常感谢他们的支持和理解。
06:11
Thanks谢谢 very much to them
for allowing允许 me to do that.
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06:13
As you can see,
this is a device设备 up in a tree.
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你们现在看到的是固定在
一棵树上的装置。
06:18
What you can see from here, perhaps也许,
is that they are pretty漂亮 well obscured模糊
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从这个角度可能看得到,
其实它们被遮挡得很好,
06:21
up in the tree canopy华盖 at a distance距离.
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就在距离很远的树冠上。
06:23
That's important重要, because although虽然
they are able能够 to hear chainsaw电锯 noises噪音
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(挂在树冠上)这点很重要,因为虽然
它们能接收电锯的声音,
最远可以达到1公里,
06:27
up to a kilometer公里 in the distance距离,
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这样它们就可以覆盖
约3平方公里的区域,
06:28
allowing允许 them to cover
about three square广场 kilometers公里,
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但如果有人把它们取走,
就会导致该区域不在保护范围之内。
06:31
if someone有人 were to take them,
it would make the area unprotected无保护.
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06:35
So does it actually其实 work?
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那么它真的能起作用吗?
06:38
Well, to test测试 it,
we took it back to Indonesia印度尼西亚,
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为了进行测试,
我们把它带回了印尼,
不在同一个的地方,
而在另外一处,
06:41
not the same相同 place地点, but another另一个 place地点,
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06:43
to another另一个 gibbon长臂猿 reserve保留
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另一个长臂猿保护区,
每天都会受到非法采伐的威胁。
06:44
that was threatened受威胁 daily日常
by illegal非法 logging记录.
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第二天,它就接收到
了非法电锯伐木的声音。
06:48
On the very second第二 day, it picked采摘的 up
illegal非法 chainsaw电锯 noises噪音.
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06:52
We were able能够 to get a real-time即时的 alert警报.
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我们能够收到实时警报,
06:54
I got an email电子邮件 on my phone电话.
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我在手机上收到
一个电子邮件。
06:55
Actually其实, we had just climbed爬上 the tree.
Everyone大家 had just gotten得到 back down.
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事实上,我们刚爬上了树,
每个人又返回下来。
所有这些人都在吸烟,
06:59
All these guys are smoking抽烟 cigarettes香烟,
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07:01
and then I get an email电子邮件,
and they all quiet安静 down,
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然后我收到一封邮件,
他们都安静下来,
07:04
and in fact事实 you can hear the chainsaw电锯
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事实上,你可以听到背景音中
07:06
really, really faint in the background背景,
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真的有微弱的电锯声,
但没有人注意到它,
直到接到警报的那一刻。
07:08
but no one had noticed注意到 it
until直到 that moment时刻.
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于是我们立刻起身去
直接阻止这些伐木工,
07:11
And so then we took off
to actually其实 stop these loggers记录仪.
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我当时很紧张。
07:14
I was pretty漂亮 nervous紧张.
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这会儿我们其实已经
抵达了伐木工所在地的附近。
07:15
This is the moment时刻 where we've我们已经 actually其实
arrived到达 close to where the loggers记录仪 are.
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此时此刻你们可以看出来,
在那里我已经开始后悔
07:20
This is the moment时刻 where you can see
where I'm actually其实 regretting后悔
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之前的所有努力,
07:23
perhaps也许 the entire整个 endeavor努力.
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2001
07:25
I'm not really sure what's on
the other side of this hill爬坡道.
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我真的不知道这座山的
另一边是什么状况。
那家伙比我勇敢得多。
07:27
That guy's家伙 much braver勇敢 than I am.
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1963
07:29
But he went, so I had to go, walking步行 up,
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但他去了,我不得不跟着,
往山上爬,
07:34
and in fact事实, he made制作 it over the hill爬坡道,
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事实上,他翻过去了,
07:36
and interrupted间断 the loggers记录仪 in the act法案.
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直接制止了伐木工的行动。
07:39
For them, it was such这样 a surprise --
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这完全出乎了他们的意料——
07:41
they had never, ever
been interrupted间断 before --
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之前他们从来不曾被中途制止过——
07:43
that it was such这样 an impressive有声有色
event事件 for them,
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这让他们印象十分深刻,
我们已经从合作伙伴里听说,
他们没有再回来过。
07:45
that we've我们已经 heard听说 from our partners伙伴
they have not been back since以来.
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事实上,他们(伐木工)人都不错。
07:48
They were, in fact事实, great guys.
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他们给我们展示了
整个操作过程,
07:50
They showed显示 us how
the entire整个 operation手术 works作品,
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他们在现场就让我们真正确信了,
07:52
and what they really convinced相信 us
on the spot was that
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07:55
if you can show显示 up
in real真实 time and stop people,
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如果你能当场现身阻止人们伐木,
07:57
it's enough足够 of a deterrent威慑
they won't惯于 come back.
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这就是一个足够的威慑,
他们不会再回来。
08:01
So --
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所以 ——
谢谢。(掌声)
08:03
Thank you. (Applause掌声)
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08:09
Word of this spread传播, possibly或者
because we told a lot of people,
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这件事传播开了,可能
因为我们告诉了很多人,
08:13
and in fact事实, then some really
amazing惊人 stuff东东 started开始 to happen发生.
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事实上,有些令人
惊讶的事开始发生了。
08:16
People from around the world世界
started开始 to send发送 us emails电子邮件, phone电话 calls电话.
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来自世界各地的人们开始
给我们发邮件和打电话。
08:20
What we saw was that people
throughout始终 Asia亚洲,
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我们看到的是,
整个亚洲,
08:22
people throughout始终 Africa非洲,
people throughout始终 South America美国,
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整个非洲,
整个南美洲的人们,
08:25
they told us that they could use it too,
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他们告诉我们他们也
可以使用这种装置,
08:27
and what's most important重要,
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最重要的是,
我们发现,
当初我们认为可能极不寻常的是,
08:28
what we'd星期三 found发现 that
we thought might威力 be exceptional优秀,
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2498
08:31
in the forest森林 there was
pretty漂亮 good cell细胞 phone电话 service服务.
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在森林里有相当不错的手机服务。
不过我们被告知这一点也不稀奇,
08:33
That was not exceptional优秀, we were told,
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08:35
and that particularly尤其 is on the periphery周边
of the forests森林 that are most under threat威胁.
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特别是在森林的周边地区,
那里受到的威胁最大。
08:39
And then something
really amazing惊人 happened发生,
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2300
有些神奇的事情真的发生了,
08:41
which哪一个 was that people started开始 sending发出 us
their own拥有 old cell细胞 phones手机.
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人们开始寄来自己的旧手机。
08:45
So in fact事实 what we have now is a system系统
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所以,事实上我们现在有一个系统,
我们可以利用地面上的人,
已经在那里的人,
08:47
where we can use people on the ground地面,
people who are already已经 there,
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他们能够同时改进和
使用现有的连接,
08:50
who can both improve提高
and use the existing现有 connectivity连接,
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08:53
and we're using运用 old cell细胞 phones手机
that are being存在 sent发送 to us
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我们也同时在使用来自世界各地的人们
贡献的旧手机,
08:56
by people from around the world世界
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他们希望自己的手机能够发挥余热,
08:57
that want their phones手机 to be doing
something else其他 in their afterlife来世,
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可以这么说。
09:01
so to speak说话.
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如果其余部分的装置
可以完全回收利用,
09:01
And if the rest休息 of the device设备
can be completely全然 recycled回收,
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我们相信,这就是一个
完全升级了的回收装置。
09:04
then we believe it's
an entirely完全 upcycled升级回收 device设备.
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09:07
So again, this didn't come
because of any sort分类 of high-tech高科技 solution.
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那么,这并不是什么高科技的解决方案,
09:11
It just came来了 from using运用
what's already已经 there,
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它只是利用现有的材料,
而且我完全相信,
即便不用手机,
09:13
and I'm thoroughly convinced相信
that if it's not phones手机,
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09:16
that there's always
going to be enough足够 there
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也总会有足够的材料
09:18
that you can build建立 similar类似 solutions解决方案
191
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让你可以建立类似的解决方案,
在新的环境中同样会十分有效。
09:20
that can be very effective有效
in new contexts上下文.
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09:22
Thank you very much.
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非常感谢。
(鼓掌)
09:24
(Applause掌声)
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Translated by Jingyao Xue
Reviewed by Lee Li

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ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Topher White - Conservation technologist
Through his startup Rainforest Connection, Topher White transforms used cell phones into guardians of the rainforest.

Why you should listen

In 2012, Topher White founded Rainforest Connection, a startup which converts recycled cell-phones into solar-powered listening devices to monitor and protect remote areas of the rainforest. Now an established NGO, Rainforest Connection has helped stop illegal logging and poaching operations in Sumatra, and the system is being expanded to three more rainforest reserves in Indonesia, the Amazon and Africa.

With a background in physics and engineering, White worked as web chief of ITER and co-founded Enthuse, a sports engagement and mobile rewards platform. For Rainforest Connection, he’s fashioned a simple device made of discarded cell phones and solar panels that detects and sends alerts when it picks up the sound of chainsaws in protected rainforests, allowing for intervention in real time.

More profile about the speaker
Topher White | Speaker | TED.com