Do we really need pesticides? - Fernan Pérez-Gálvez

翻译人员: Yuyang Zhao 校对人员: Jenny Yang

In 1845, Ireland's vast potato fields were struck by an invasive fungal disease

在1845年，爱尔兰大量土豆受到一种入侵真菌疾病的侵袭。

that rapidly infested this staple crop.

并迅速影响了这个主要作物。

The effect was devastating.

后果是灾难性的。

One million people died of famine,

100万人死于饥饿，

and over a million more were forced to leave Ireland.

并且超过100完万人被迫离开爱尔兰。

Nowadays, we avoid such agricultural catastrophes with the help of pesticides.

今天，农药的使用避免了这种农业灾难。

Those are a range of manmade chemicals that control insects,

农药是各种人造化学品，用来控制昆虫，

unwanted weeds,

杂草，

funguses,

真菌植物，

rodents,

田鼠，

and bacteria

以及细菌

that may threaten our food supply.

等威胁我们食物供应的东西。

They've become an essential part of our food system.

农药已经称为我们食物链中的一个重要组成部分。

As populations have grown, monoculture, single crop farming,

随着人口增长，单作、单种作物农业，

has helped us feed people efficiently.

有助于高效地供应食物。

But it's also left our food vulnerable to extensive attack by pests.

可是，也是我们的食物很脆弱，易于受到害虫的威胁。

In turn, we've become more dependent on pesticides.

反过来，我们也更加依赖农药。

Today, we annually shower over 5 billion pounds of pesticides across the Earth

今天，全球每年喷洒农药50亿磅

to control these unwanted visitors.

来控制对农业的威胁。

The battle against pests, especially insects,

对害虫的防治，特别是昆虫，

has marked agriculture's long history.

已经有很长的历史。

Records from thousands of years ago

几千年前的记录记载

suggest that humans actively burned some of their crops after harvest

收获后焚烧庄稼

to rid them of pests.

来杀死害虫。

There's even evidence from ancient times that we recruited other insects to help.

甚至古代证据表明，我们可以利用昆虫天敌。

In 300 A.D., Chinese farmers specially bred ferocious predatory ants

公元300年，中国农民养殖一种食肉蚂蚁

in orange orchards to protect the trees from other bugs.

来保护桔园中的果树免受害虫威胁。

Later, as large-scale farming spread,

以后，随着农业的规模化，

we began sprinkling arsenic, lead, and copper treatments on crops.

我们开始对农作物喷洒砷、铅和铜等化学品。

But these were incredibly toxic to humans as well.

可是，这也不可避免地使人类受到毒害。

As our demand for more, safer produce increased,

随着需求的增加，安全性也在提高，

so did the need for effective chemicals

于是，对有效化学品的需求

that could control pests on a grander scale.

大规模地控制了害虫。

This ushered in the era of chemical pesticides.

农业进入了化学农药时代。

In 1948, a Swiss chemist named Paul Hermann Müller

在1948年，一位名叫Paul Hermann Müller的瑞士化学家

was awarded a Nobel Prize for his discovery

获得了诺贝尔奖

of dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane, also known as DDT.

因发现二氯二苯三氯乙烷，也叫滴滴涕。

This new molecule had unparalleled power to control many insect species

这种新的分子具有前所唯有的功能，可以杀死各种昆虫

until the 1950s, when insects became resistant to it.

至到20世纪50年代，昆虫才开始对它产生抗体。

Worse, the chemical actually drove dramatic declines in bird populations,

糟糕的是，农药显著地减少了鸟类，

poisoned water sources,

污染了水源，

and was eventually found to cause long-term health problems in humans.

而且最终发现引起了人类的长期健康问题。

By 1972, DDT had been banned in the United States,

到1972年， DDT在美国被禁止使用，

and yet traces still linger in the environment today.

然而在今天的环境中仍能找到它的残留。

Since then, chemists have been searching for alternatives.

从那开始，化学家在不断地寻找替代化学品。

With each new wave of inventions, they've encountered the same obstacle -

每一波新的发明，总能遇到同样的问题-

rapid species evolution.

物种的迅速进化。

As pesticides destroy pest populations,

随着农药摧毁了害虫，

they leave behind only the most resistant individuals.

有抗体的昆虫得以存活。

They then pass on their pesticide-resisting genes

他们遗传他们的抗基因

to the next generation.

给后代。

That's lead to the rise of super bugs,

这导致了超级害虫的出现，

such as the Colorado potato beetle,

诸如科罗拉多土豆甲虫，

which is resistant to over 50 different insecticides.

他们对50多种不同的农药有抗体。

Another downside is that other bugs get caught in the crossfire.

另一个问题是，和其它的害虫互相影响。

Some of these are helpful predators of plant pests or vital pollinators,

一些对植物有益的昆虫或重要的传授花粉的昆虫，

so erasing them from agriculture wipes out their benefits, too.

也被农药清除了。

Pesticides have improved over time

农药在不断改进

and are currently regulated by strict safety standards,

并且目前有着严格的安全标准，

but they still have the potential to pollute soil and water,

可是他们仍然对土壤和水有着潜在的污染，

impact wildlife,

影响野生动物，

and even harm us.

甚至危害人类。

So considering all these risks, why do we continue using pesticides?

可是考虑到这些风险，我们为什么仍然使用农药呢？

Although they're imperfect,

虽然他们不是十全十美，

they currently may be our best bet against major agricultural disasters,

但是它是目前防治主要农业灾害的最好产品，

not to mention mosquito-born diseases.

不包括与蚊子相关的疾病。

Today, scientists are on a quest for alternative pest control strategies

今天，科学家仍在寻找控制害虫的替代方案

that balance the demands of food production

来平衡食物供应

with environmental concerns.

与环境的关系。

Nature has become a major source of inspiration,

自然已经称为主要的灵感来源，

from natural plant and fungal chemicals that can repel or attract insects,

从抵制或吸引昆虫的天然植物和真菌化学，

to recruiting other insects as crop bodyguards.

到利用害虫的天敌保护农作物。

We're also turning to high-tech solutions, like drones.

我们正在转向高科技的解决途径，比如无人机。

Programmed to fly over crops,

程序控制在作物上空飞行，

these machines can use their sensors and GPS

这些设备用他们的传感器和GPS

to carry out more targeted sprays

来执行多目标喷洒

that limit a pesticide's wider environmental impact.

来限制农药对环境的广泛影响。

With a combination of biological understanding,

通过对生物理解，

environmental awareness,

环境意识，

and improved technologies,

以及技术改进的组合，

we have a better chance of finding a holistic solution to pests.

我们又更好的机会来找到控制害虫的重要方案。

Chemical pesticides may never shake their controversial reputation,

化学农药备受争议的名声从来没有动摇，

but with their help,

可是在他们的帮助下，

we can ensure that agricultural catastrophes

我们能确保农业灾害

stay firmly in our past.

不再出现。