Biodiesel: The afterlife of oil - Natascia Radice

生物柴油：石油的來生 - 娜塔西亞．羅蒂斯 (Natascia Radice)

譯者: Geoff Chen 審譯者: Marssi Draw

Just a minute ago,

就在一分鐘前

this oil helped make a delicious meal possible.

這油幫助我們享用了一頓美食

But now, it's just some nasty goop.

但現在，它只是一坨噁心的糊糊

What should we do with it?

我們該怎麼處理它呢？

Well, the easiest thing would be

嗯，最簡單的應該是

to pour it down the drain;

把它倒進排水管裡

that makes it seem like it's gone,

這樣看起來似乎就沒事了

but it's not really gone.

但它並不是真的不見

Instead, it's collecting bits of food

相反地，它把食物

and other random stuff,

和其他隨機的東西集結在一塊兒

producing monstrous, greasy blockages

產出了醜惡的、 油膩的堵塞物

that clog not only your own drain

不只塞住了你自己的排水管

but entire sewage systems,

還堵住了整個污水處理系統

causing flooding and pollution.

造成水災和污染

Many places have laws for proper disposal of grease,

很多地方設有妥善處置油脂的法規

but we can go one step further.

但我們可以再進一步

Instead of just throwing it away safely,

不僅僅只是 把它仍到其他安全的地方

we can turn it into something useful.

我們其實可以把它變成有用的東西

And if you're wondering

如果你想知道

what anyone could possibly want

這一大坨噁心的廚餘烹飪油

with a bunch of digusting, used cooking oil,

可以變成什麼 人們想要的東西的話

the answer is: biodiesel.

答案是：生物柴油

You've probably heard of diesel engines.

你可能聽說過柴油引擎

They power farming and construction equipment,

它們為農業和建築機具

trucks, buses, ships, trains, backup generators,

卡車、 公車、 船舶、 火車、 備用發電機

and even some cars.

甚至一些汽車提供電源

Most of the fuel that feeds these engines

大部分供給這些引擎的燃料

is refined from petroleum,

是從石油中提煉而成

which comes from long-dead dinosaurs

它們來自於 死了很久的恐龍

and other ancient fossils.

和其他古老的化石

But diesel fuel can also be derived from

但柴油也來自於

more recently-dead organisms,

最近死去的有機體

like plants and animals.

比如動植物

And this type of fuel is what we call biodiesel.

這種類型的燃料 就是我們所說的生物柴油

Biodiesel is a biodegradable energy source,

生物柴油是可生物降解的能源

made from plant oils or animal fats,

從植物油或動物脂肪提煉而成

that can usually be burned in regular diesel engines.

通常可以在常規的 柴油引擎中燃燒

You guessed it,

你猜對了

it's the 'bio' version of diesel.

它是柴油的「生物」版本

It's cleaner than normal diesel,

它比普通柴油乾淨

so there has been a push to generate it

所以人們試圖 推動這種能源的使用

from crops like soybeans.

從作物中提煉而成，比如大豆

Now, growing plants for fuel,

現在，栽種作物，不為了食物

instead of food, comes with its own problems.

卻作為燃料之用，已造成許多問題

But fortunately, we already have some oils and fats right here.

但幸運的是，我們在這裡 已經有一些油和油脂了

Preparing your used cooking grease for recycling

回收你所用過的烹飪油

is easy.

是容易的

First, let it cool down to room temperature.

第一，把它冷卻至室溫

Then, transfer it to a clean container.

然後，將它放到乾淨的容器裡

You can use any old bottles you have lying around,

你可以用身邊任何舊瓶子

like milk jugs,

像牛奶罐

as long as they're completely empty,

只要它們是空的即可

rinsed, and dried.

用清水沖洗、烘乾

Use a funnel to avoid spills

使用漏斗，以避免溢漏

and a sieve to filter out any small food particles.

並用篩子過濾掉 任何小的食物顆粒

You can even add bacon grease

你甚至可以添加培根油

and other animal fats

和其他動物脂肪

or the excess oil from canned food,

或罐頭食品裡多餘剩下的油

like tuna or sardines,

像鮪魚或沙丁魚罐頭

just make sure it's really oil and not brine.

確保它真的是油，不是鹵水

So, what happens now that your oil is safely contained?

現在你的油已經安放在容器裡了 那麼，接下來該怎麼辦？

Well, many cities have recycling services

嗯，許多城市都有回收服務

that will pick up large amounts of grease

從餐廳和其他地方

from restaurants and other establishments.

接受大量的油脂回收

But there are locations

但也有的是透過回收站

where individuals can drop off their containers, as well.

人們可以把回收油放在那兒

All of this grease will end up at a processing plant,

所有這些油脂最終會來到加工廠

where it can be converted to useable biodiesel.

在那裡，它可以轉換為可用的生物柴油

How does this conversion work?

這種轉換是如何運作的？

Well, all these oils and fats you donated

嗯，你捐出的所有這些油和油脂

are made up of triglycerides,

都是由三酸甘油酯所組成的

a glycerol molecule connected to

一個甘油分子連接到

three fatty acid chains.

三個脂肪酸鏈

To convert fats to fuel,

將脂肪轉換為燃料

they react with an alcohol,

它們會與酒精反應

usually methanol or ethanol,

通常使會產出長鏈酯和甘油的

which produces long-chain esters and glycerol.

甲醇或乙醇

To compare, here are some molecules

這裡有一些常規柴油燃料的分子

of regular diesel fuel.

可進行比較

Now, here are the molecules we created

現在，這裡是我們創造的分子

by breaking apart the triglycerides.

透過拆分三酸甘油酯

Glycerol is the odd man out,

甘油是那多出來的異類

so it's removed at the end of the process.

因此它會在過程結束時被剔除

But look at these esters!

但看看這些酯類 ！

If you squint, their structures look pretty similar

如果你定睛一看，它們的結構看起來

to those of the long-chain hydrocarbons in regular diesel.

和那些普通柴油的長鏈烴類很相似

And diesel engines, with a few small modifications,

柴油引擎，做幾個小修改

can also be made to squint

也可以像普通柴油燃料一般

and burn these esters like regular diesel fuel.

燃燒這些酯類

Et voila! Biodiesel.

瞧！這就是生物柴油

Now, you might be wondering whether all this hassle

現在，你可能想知道，是否所有這一切

over recycling used cooking oil

對回收使用烹調油的麻煩事

is even worth it.

是否值得

After all, how much energy can it possibly generate?

到底它可以產生多少能量？

Well, if all the grease that New Yorkers throw away in one day

好吧，如果把所有在紐約 一天當中所扔掉的油脂

were converted to jet fuel,

都轉換為飛航燃料

it would be enough to power several hundred flights

它足足可以供給幾百架

from New York to Los Angeles.

從紐約到洛杉磯的用油

And let's not forget that using waste oil

不要忘了我們所用的是廢油

instead of burning more fossil fuels

而不是燃燒更多

will limit our negative effects on the environment.

會加重對環境負面影響的化石燃料

Recycling used cooking grease

回收食用油

turns goop into good.

將黏糊物轉化為好產品

By contributing a little bit,

個人和企業都可以

individuals and businesses can help create

以舉手之勞，創造出

an alternative, stable source of diesel oil,

替代的穩定油源

while protecting the environment

同時保護環境

and keeping our cities cleaner.

並使我們的城市更乾淨

And that's pretty slick.

這才是聰明的作法