The African Swamp Protecting Earth's Environment | Vera Songwe | TED

翻译人员: Ying Du 校对人员: Yip Yan Yeung

There is a play by one of my favorite writers,

有这样一个戏剧， 来自我最喜欢的作家之一：

Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka,

诺贝尔文学奖获得者沃莱·索因卡 （Wole Soyinka）。

I would like to tell you about,

我希望与你们分享，

"The Swamp Dwellers."

这本书叫做《沼泽地的居民》 (The Swamp Dwellers)。

"The Swamp Dwellers" are about a blind beggar

它讲述了一个盲人乞丐的故事，

who attempts to buy a piece of swampland

这个乞丐想买一块沼泽地，

because he believes that the swamps will provide him

因为他觉得这能改善他的生活。

with a better livelihood.

However, the villagers in that swamp believe

然而，沼泽地附近的居民相信，

that deep in the forests of the swamp lies a deity

在这个沼泽的森林深处住着一位神，

whose job is to protect them from all misfortune.

神的职责是保佑他们免于苦难。

There is another swamp

还有另一个沼泽，

that protects us from misfortune.

它保护我们免于苦难，

And holds the promise of humanity's survival.

并拥有人类生存的希望，

Those are the peatlands of the Congo Basin.

这些是刚果盆地的泥炭地。

The peatlands of the Congo Basin

刚果盆地的泥炭地，

are a lush, vast, expanse of weeds, shrubs

是一片郁郁葱葱、 广阔无垠的野草、灌木、

and trees that absorb carbon

和树木，它们从空气中 吸收二氧化碳。

from the atmosphere.

They span 145,000 kilometers.

它们绵延 145000 公里。

The peat formations began 10,000 years ago,

在一万年前，泥炭开始形成，

when man moved from hunter-gatherer to farmer.

那时，人类从狩猎转为务农，

Nature, I guess, figured, "I better start protecting myself."

我猜自然那时在想， “我最好开始保护自己。”

A couple of years ago,

几年前，

scientists discovered that these tropical peatlands

科学家们发现 这些地处热带的泥炭地，

are probably the largest carbon sink in the world.

可能是世界上最大的碳汇区。

They store 30 billion tons of carbon.

那里聚集着 300 亿吨碳。

If they did not exist,

如果没有这些泥炭地，

we would have probably already stepped beyond

我们可能已经跨过了

the threshold of 1.5 degrees of warming.

升温 1.5 摄氏度的门槛。

However, the peatlands are under threat.

然而，这些泥炭田正处于危险之中，

We have, of course, oil explorations being contemplated.

我们正考虑石油的开采，

Logging licenses have already been awarded.

我们授予伐木许可证，

And many of the communities that live around the peatlands

而且生活在泥炭地周围的许多社区

have just this for survival.

只有这种维持生计的方式。

We have all collectively seen,

我想大家有目共睹

in the Amazon forest,

亚马逊雨林中，

burning down because of economic interest.

树木因为经济利益而被焚毁。

Turning this forest from carbon sink to carbon source.

这个森林也从碳汇变成了碳源。

We have witnessed, in Indonesia, the swamps drained

在印度尼西亚， 我们目睹了被排干的沼泽，

for palm oil plantations.

仅为了棕榈油种植园，

Turning them from carbon sink to carbon source.

把它们从碳汇变成碳源。

It will be devastating if the same fate

如果同样的命运降临到 刚果盆地的泥炭地上，

were to befall the peatlands of the Congo Basin.

那将是毁灭性的。

The peatlands are a passion of mine.

泥炭地是我的激情所在，

I believe they must be protected.

我认为它们必须受到保护。

But we must also, in this fight against climate change,

但是，在应对气候变化的斗争中，

ensure that responsibility and accountability

我们还必须确保责任和问责 得到充分分配。

are adequately apportioned.

The world emits over 54 billion tons of carbon.

全世界排放的碳超过 540 亿吨，

The peatlands of the Congo Basin absorb a large majority of that.

刚果盆地的泥炭地 吸收了其中的大部分，

Africa emits 1.2 billion tons of carbon a year.

非洲每年排放十二亿吨碳，

And the communities that live around the peatlands

但生活在泥炭地周围的社区

have no access to basic services.

无法获得基本服务。

Education, health care,

教育、医疗、

clean drinking water, an adequate meal,

干净的饮用水、充足的膳食、

good transportation, technology.

良好的交通、技术。

Clearly, they are not tweeting.

显然，它们并不是小事。

The peatlands are an economic asset,

泥炭地是一种经济资产，

which, if valued appropriately, could provide the stepping stone

如果估价适当，

可以为改善这些社区的生计 提供垫脚石。

for these communities to improve their livelihoods.

Nature has acted already as a store of value for the peatlands.

大自然已经行动， 在为泥炭地储备价值，

A kind of federal reserve.

就像美联储一样。

Now, imagine if we had a price for carbon at 50 dollars.

现在，想象一下， 如果碳的价格是 50 美元，

With 30 billion tons of carbon sequestered in the peatlands,

在泥炭地中封存了 300 亿吨碳，

we're talking at 1.5 trillion.

我们在讨论的就是 1.5 万亿。

A peatland development fund

泥炭地发展基金，

could help us today to address the stubborn

可以帮助我们解决

and seemingly persistent developmental challenges

非洲大陆今天面临的

that the continent faces today.

顽固的、看似持久的发展挑战。

This is not just about decarbonization.

这不仅仅是关于脱碳，

This is also about development with dignity.

这也关于有尊严的发展。

This is about equity.

这是关于公平的，

It is about justice, and it is about transparency.

它关乎正义，关乎透明度。

(Applause)

（掌声）

Indeed, Africa has not contributed enormously

事实上，非洲并没有对气候危机

to the climate crisis.

做出巨大“贡献”。

But we have visibly contributed enormously to keeping the planet alive.

但显然，我们为地球的生存 做出了巨大贡献。

We can, therefore ...

因此，我们可以……

(Applause)

（掌声）

Not expect, but as the blind beggar,

没想到，但作为一个盲人乞丐，

we continue to plead for assistance to achieve a better livelihood,

我们继续请求援助 以实现更好的生活，

and we certainly cannot be like Wole Soyinka’s swamp dwellers

我们当然不能像沃莱·索因卡 描述的沼泽居民那样，

who wait patiently while the world overlooks

仅是耐心地等待，

在世界忽视并破坏了 非洲对气候变化的贡献的时候。

and undermines Africa's contribution to climate change.

Science has recognized Africa's contribution.

科学界已经认可了非洲的贡献，

I ask you to join me in recognizing Africa's contribution,

我请你们和我一起认可非洲的贡献，

and collectively,

就集体而言，

we must ask the markets to recognize

我们必须要求市场承认这一点，

and adequately reward Africa's contribution

并通过给碳定价的方式，

by putting a price on carbon.

充分奖励非洲的贡献。

(Applause)

（掌声）