Humanity's planet-shaping powers -- and what they mean for the future | Achim Steiner

Transcriber:

翻译人员: YUE QIU 校对人员: suya f.

I work at the United Nations.

And for the past couple of years,

I have served as the head of the UN's Development Programme.

我就职于联合国。

在过去的几年中，

When I first walked into the UN headquarters

我担任联合国开发计划 署的负责人（注：署长）。

in New York City, many years ago,

许多年前，当我第一次

the first thing I noticed was a sculpture standing outside

步入位于纽约市的联合国总部时，

under the flags of the nations of the world.

首先映入我眼帘的是 屹立在外的一座雕像。

It's called the Knotted Gun.

这座雕像位于在万国国旗的下方，

And it still stands there today.

它被称为——“打结的手枪”。

To me, that sculpture symbolizes

时至今日，它依然在那里屹立。

exactly what the UN was created to do 75 years ago:

对我而言，这个雕像阐明了

to build peace out of the ashes of war.

75 年前我们为什么要建立联合国——

War that had been defined for so much of human history

“在战火的废墟中重建和平”。

as the struggle of nations against nations

在人类历史的长河中， 战争有着太多的定义：

or the kind still raging in countries like Syria and Yemen

国家与国家之间的争斗

that the United Nations works to end every day.

或者联合国每天都致力于斡旋调停的

That's what I imagined that knotted gun to represent.

发生在叙利亚、也门那样的内战。

But now, another kind of war is brewing.

这是我所想象的 “打结的手枪”代表着什么。

然而，现在另外一种 “战争”正在酝酿萌发。

One that increasingly defines the 21st century

where the dominant risk to our own survival is ourselves.

它不断地提醒我们，在21世纪，

威胁人类生存的主要 风险其实就来自人类本身。

A few years or even months ago,

if I had suggested that we’re all at war with ourselves,

几年甚至几个月前，

it may have felt strange, especially when,

如果我说我们正处于 与人类自己的战争中，

according to so many metrics,

大家可能会感到奇怪，

humans are on average, healthier,

wealthier, and more educated than at any time in history.

尤其是从许多标准来看

人类的平均健康程度、富裕程度

以及教育程度都比任何历史时期更好。

We have more knowledge, more science,

more choices today

than the founders of the United Nations could have ever imagined.

今天，我们有更多的知识、 更多的科学技术

和更多的选择。

这一切都是当年联合国 的缔造者们不曾想象到的。

But somewhere along the way,

we lost our balance.

但是这条发展的道路上，

In fact, think about this.

我们有些跑偏了。

Scientists are considering

whether for the very first time in human history,

事实上，想想这些。

instead of the planet shaping humans,

科学家们在考虑

这是不是人类历史上的第一次

humans are knowingly shaping the planet.

人们在有意识地改造 我们所在的这颗行星（地球），

It's called the Anthropocene

而不是被地球所改造。

and it represents a new geological era.

这个时代被称作“人类纪”。 （注：参考侏罗纪、白垩纪）

Today, humans literally have the power to alter the atmosphere

它代表了一个新的地质时代。

and the biosphere in which we live.

今天，人类表面上拥有了改变大气圈和

The power to destroy and the power to repair.

生态圈的能力，

No species has ever had that kind of power before.

摧毁和修复的能力。

没有其他物种曾经有过这种能力。

With it, we humans have achieved incredible things together

from closing a giant hole in the ozone layer,

通过这种能力，我们人类一起 获得了难以置信的成就

to preventing nuclear proliferation,

从堵住臭氧层的巨大空洞

to eradicating smallpox.

到防止核扩散，

But we have also taken the Earth and all the people on it to the brink.

到消灭天花。

但是，我们也把地球和地球 上的所有人都带到了悬崖之上。

It's not rational nor fair what we are doing.

Today, one third of all the food produced on the planet

我们所做的既不合理也谈不上公平。

goes to waste.

今天，地球上所产的三分之一食物

While one in 10 people go hungry.

Inequality has become extreme.

最终被浪费，

与此同时，地球上 有 10% 的人口正在挨饿。

Twenty-six people own the same wealth as half of humanity,

不平等的现象在加剧

基于最近的数据，

based on recent data.

Today, seven million people die from air pollution each year,

26 个世界上最富有的人与 世界一半人口所拥有的财富一样多。

while about 7 million trees,

今天，每年有 7 百万人 因为空气污染而去世，

the very things that keep our air clean,

are cut down every few hours.

与此同时，每几个 小时却有 7 百万棵树，

是的，正是可以帮助 我们清洁空气的树木，

We spend over 10 times more on fossil fuel subsidies alone

被成片的砍伐。

than we do on all the investments in renewable power,

我们花在化石能源（石油、煤炭等）

prolonging our carbon habit

一项上的资金比我们用在 可再生电力能源上的投资十倍还多，

like a drug running through the economy’s veins.

这让我们的“碳习惯”

You don't have to be an economist like me

像流过经济“静脉”的“毒品”， 我们在饮鸩止渴，却又欲罢不能。

to know that these numbers just don't add up.

你不需要成为像我一样的经济学家，

That our economic paradigm is neither sustainable nor equitable.

你只要明白，这些数字并不是简单相加。

我们的经济模式既不可持续也不合理。

Climate change,

rupturing inequalities,

record numbers of people forced from their homes

气候变化，

不平等，

by conflict and crisis.

冲突和危机让背井离乡的人数

For all of our power,

创下了记录。

these are the weapons we have built.

我们所拥有的能力

Less tangible than a gun,

成为了我们打造的武器。

but just as real, just as deadly.

它不像手枪一样看得见、摸得着，

Add an epic pandemic

但是却同样真实、同样致命。

and this year, for the first time in 20 years,

加上全球疫情的因素

global extreme poverty is projected to rise,

今年，将是 20 年来第一次

and global human development,

全球极端贫困预计会上升。

a measure of the world's education, health and living standards,

全球人类发展，

is set to decline for the first time

世界教育、健康和生活水平

since the measure began 30 years ago.

将会在自 30 年前 首次采取衡量标准后

COVID-19 has not changed the future yet,

第一次出现下降。

but it has revealed these deep flaws in our present

COVID-19 尚未改变未来，

但它揭示了我们现在 发展模式所存在的严重缺陷。

bringing clarity to the fact

that ending this war against ourselves is not about trade-offs.

实事求是地说

结束这场针对我们自己的战争 并不是要我们权衡利弊

It's not about choosing between people or trees,

between poverty or progress.

不是在人和树木之间做选择，

It's about choosing to do things differently.

不是在贫穷和发展之间做选择，

而是要因地制宜， 采取不同的应对策略。

In the midst of tragedy,

the pandemic has also given us a glimpse of what peace could look like,

在悲痛之余，

全球疫情也让我们一睹和平会是什么样，

where we can see the snow cap of a mountain for the first time,

because the smog has cleared.

就像我们可以在这幅照片中 头一次看到远方的雪顶，

That's what happened in Nairobi, my home of many years,

因为原先笼罩城市的烟雾不见了。

and one of the cities where air pollution plummeted

这是内罗毕，我曾在那里居住多年。

as human activity slowed down.

随着疫情导致的人类活动也逐渐趋缓，

Where it takes 10 days and not 10 years

空气污染的情况得到了极大改善。

for our government to get support to those in need.

之前 10 年没有做到的事情， 现在在 10 天就实现了。

That's what happened in Togo,

我们的政府为需要帮助的人提供帮助

which set up a digital system in record time to get cash to people

在多哥，

政府建立了一个系统， 为由于 COVID-19 疫情停摆

unemployed or unable to work because of COVID-19 lockdowns.

而失去工作或无法工作的人发放资金。

The idea of a green economy that is fair and just,

where people and planet live in balance,

绿色经济的理念是公平公正，

is not new.

人类和地球和平相处。

But this moment is.

这个理念并不是新的，

And if I have learned one thing

since starting out as a young economist years ago,

但是这个意识到人类最大的威胁 是自身的时刻对于人类来说是新的。

从多年以前，

whether I was working with Pattan elders

我成为一个年轻经济学家开始，

to improve the lives of farmers in Pakistan,

无论是我与帕坦（注：巴基斯坦地名） 的老人们并肩劳作，

or navigating the controversies of building colossal dams,

共同改善巴基斯坦农民的生活；

it's that systems don't change systems;

还是主导关于建设大坝的辩论。

people change systems.

如果这些经历能带给我什么的话， 我认为就是一句话：

And whether you're a prime minister,

a paramedic or a protestor on the street,

一个系统不会改变 另外一个系统，人民改变系统。

you can choose to change this one.

不管你是首相，

是医护人员还是街头的示威者，

The people who are choosing to build forward better from COVID-19

你都可以选择去改变这个系统。

build on growing momentum,

那些希望在 COVID-19 疫情 后建设一个更好世界的人们

the momentum of people coming onto the streets in protest

被日益高涨的势头推动，

from Beirut to Bogota,

被推动人们走向街头抗议的势头推动。

Quito to Cairo, or New York to New Delhi

从贝鲁特到波哥大

against racism and discrimination,

从基多到开罗，从纽约到新德里

climate change,

the price of petrol or the cost of a train ticket,

反对种族主义和歧视

气候变化

all united in a deep and rising frustration

油价或者票价

人们因为日益增长的沮丧而团结起来。

with this war we have been waging against ourselves.

意识到我们开始陷入针对 我们人类自身的战争之中。

This moment builds on the choices of leaders I met,

as I traveled with the United Nations before lockdown.

这种势头也基于那些 我曾会见过的领导者的选择。

在疫情停摆前， 我随联合国走访过很多国家。

Leaders who choose to do things differently.

Costa Rica made a choice to abolish its army

领导者们选择了不同的方式

and redirect military spending to education, health

哥斯达黎加选择废除了军队

and the environment.

调整军费开支用于教育、健康

Today, they pay people to protect the trees.

And as a result,

和环境保护。

forests have regenerated and now cover over half of the country.

今天，他们付钱给人民，让其保护树木。

作为成果，

森林得到重生， 目前覆盖率已经超过 50%。

Or consider Denmark.

It has chosen to produce all of its electricity

或者看看丹麦，

from renewable sources by 2050,

他们打算在 2050 年以前

and has already passed the halfway mark.

全面使用可再生能源生产电力，

One of many countries moving in this direction.

目前目标完成过半。

Thirty years ago,

这是一个国家在这个方向所做的前进。

powering our economy with renewable energy was science fiction.

30 年前

使用可再生能源为我们的经济 提供电力还是科学幻想

Ten years ago,

it was considered too expensive.

Today, renewable energy costs less

10 年前

使用再生能源被认为不经济

and creates more jobs than fossil fuels in many parts of the world,

今天，可再生能源花费更低，

在世界的许多地方， 它比化石燃料提供更多的工作机会

and offers the potential to put power,

quite literally, back with the people.

更具有取之于民、

I saw this in Kenya.

用之于民的潜力。

Two youth football teams playing their final match

我在肯尼亚看到了这样的景象

in the Mathare settlement at night,

两支足球队

who kept the game going,

thanks to solar-powered LED lights.

在马萨雷定居点进行决赛。

比赛是在晚上进行的，

I saw this change, these better choices,

这多亏了太阳能 LED 灯。

with His Majesty the king of Bhutan

在不丹国王的身上，

just turned 40 years old,

who chooses to measure progress based on gross national happiness,

我看到这种改变， 这些更好的选择。

他刚刚 40 岁，

他选择使用国民幸福总值

not gross domestic product.

And I saw it on a rooftop

代替国民生产总值来衡量国家的进步。

in Khartoum with the young people who led the revolution in Sudan in 2019.

我在喀土穆的一个屋顶上

与 2019 年领导苏丹 革命的年轻人看到了这种改变。

Young women and men

who came out onto the streets with everything to lose,

年轻的女人和男人们

who spoke up for political change with conviction and courage

他们走上街头，准备失去一切

他们带着信念和勇气，主张政治变革

and who ultimately changed the course of their country.

他们最终改变了自己国家的进程。

These are the people,

the first generation of the Anthropocene who are writing the next chapter

这些就是人民

for people and planet in this unprecedented moment.

在这个前所未有的时刻， 为了人类和地球，

And with each choice they make,

with each choice we all make,

有他们做出的选择，

the future we want gets closer.

有我们做出的选择，

Just like the Knotted Gun,

我们会与未来越来越近。

there is another piece of art at the United Nations

像“打结的手枪”一样，

that I think about.

我不由得想起

A poem by a great Persian poet, Saadi.

联合国里还陈列着另外一件艺术品。

The poem is embroidered on a giant carpet

那是一首伟大波斯诗人萨迪所作的诗

that hangs on the wall inside the UN building.

这首诗被绣在一块巨大的地毯上

beneath which diplomats and staff from all nations

高挂在联合国大厦内

work together every day towards that future we want.

为了我们所想拥有的未来每日共同协作。

Saadi wrote that all the people on the planet

are like different parts of the same body.

萨迪写道：

Different, but united as if limbs of each other.

地球上的人们，如同躯体的不同部分

各不相同，却又相互支撑

It was that idea that led the generation before us

to come together in the wake of war

这是我们先贤的理念

to create the United Nations 75 years ago.

引导我们在战后觉醒，走到一起

于75年前建立联合国。

The idea that though we are different, we must choose to be united,

我们生来不同， 但是我们必须选择团结。

but now it's our turn.

Our challenge is to come together to preserve our collective self-interest

现在轮到我们了

我们的挑战是团结起来， 维护我们共同的利益

and humanity

rather than tearing ourselves asunder.

和人性，

People and planet in balance,

building lasting sustainable peace.

人类和地球和谐相处，

Thank you.

共建持久和平。

谢谢！