The Eco-Creators Helping the Climate Through Social Media | Zahra Biabani | TED

翻译人员: Xinyun Zheng 校对人员: Violet Yu

I recently graduated college

我最近刚从大学毕业。

where I studied environmental science and environmental sociology.

我在大学主修环境科学和环境社会学。

Now during one of my many, many finals week study breaks,

在我众多期末周中的学习假期，

I came across something that piqued my interest --

我遇到了激起我兴趣的一件事，

and it wasn’t something I was supposed to be studying.

而且我本不应该研究这件事。

It was a survey of 10,000 young people

那是一份针对一万个 来自十个不同国家的年轻人的

across ten different countries

on their feelings regarding the climate crisis.

关于气候危机看法的调查。

A survey found that 56 percent of Gen-Zers,

调查发现， 56% 的九七后，

the generation that I’m a part of

也就是和我一代的人

and the largest age demographic in the world,

同时也是世界上占比最大的年龄群体，

believe that because of the climate crisis,

相信由于气候危机

humanity is doomed.

人类前途灰暗。

This felt like a punch in the gut.

这对我是个巨大的打击。

I had just spent four and a half years

我花了四年半时间 和上万块钱读这门课，

and tens of thousands of dollars studying these things:

countless time organizing on and off campus

有数不尽的时间在校内校外组织活动，

and energy getting involved with both local and national groups,

费精力加入地方、全国的组织，

yet most of my generation viewed it all as pointless.

但大部分我这一代人觉得这毫无意义。

Now if we look at the way that younger generations talk about the climate crisis,

现在让我们看年轻人 对气候危机的看法，

these feelings of doom and despair make sense.

这些消极的悲观和绝望是合理的。

I mean, we’re drowning in bad climate news.

我们被淹没在气候方面的坏消息中。

Headline after headline detail each week’s latest catastrophe.

一个又一个头条讲述每周新的悲剧。

“Unprecedented” has taken on a new meaning as each day is unprecedented.

“史无前例”有了新定义， 即每天都是史无前例的。

Just count how many times you’ll probably hear it today.

只需数数你会一天听到它多少次。

I gave you two ones for free right there.

我刚刚就提了两遍。

And everything is amplified on social media

社交媒体放大了所有事情，

where there’s a remarkable lack of nuance

急缺意义的辨别，

and an oversupply of attention-grabbing rhetoric.

有充斥着引人注目的修辞。

Many of us, including myself,

我们中的许多人，包括我，

seem to believe that if we just share these awareness posts enough times

似乎相信如果分享这些帖子足够多次，

that someone somewhere will finally do something about it.

就会有人来解决这些问题。

But unfortunately, Joe Biden probably doesn't follow you on Instagram,

但不幸的是， 拜登大概率没有关注你的 Instagram ,

and he doesn’t follow me either -- yet.

当然啦他也没关注我—— 目前还没关注。

I’m part of a diverse, 19-person-strong collective

我是一个名为 EcoTalk ， 由 19 人组成的多样化强大组织的一员，

called EcoTok,

and we use social media to share nuanced climate education through infographics,

我们用社交媒体分享 细致的气候教育，通过信息图片、

memes

梗图，

and you guessed it, TikToks,

还有你可能猜到了，抖音，

to our collective audience of over four million people,

我们的消息分享给至少四百万人，

most of whom are Gen Z and millennials.

他们中的大多数是 97 后或零零后。

And through our work,

在工作中，

we’ve picked up on this pattern.

我们发现了一个规律。

Our comments sections are filled with people who have given up hope.

评论区里满是已经放弃希望的人。

People who say they have weekly anxiety attacks

他们说他们因为气候问题 每周都有严重的焦虑，

about the climate crisis.

Or that they don’t want to have kids anymore

或者害怕受苦，而不想要孩子，

out of fear of adding to the suffering.

Or that they see no point in taking action

或者他们觉得任何行为都没有意义，

when the powers that stand against us are so strong.

毕竟我们面对的权势是那么强大。

Our generation and younger generations

我们这一代，和更年轻的一代，

need a new way of addressing the climate crisis

需要从新角度看待气候危机，

that unshackles us from the cycles of doom and gloom

来把我们从导致不作为的 悲观的循环中解脱出来，

that so often lead to inaction,

because we cannot play a part in making change

如果我们不相信改变是有可能的，

if we do not believe that change is possible.

我们永远无法做出改变。

Climate denialism,

气候变化否定说，

which for decades has been peddled by oil, gas and other big business interests,

这个几十年来被汽油 或其他大公司兜售的假说

has met its rival:

遇到了敌人：

climate doomism.

气候末日论。

The belief that we cannot save our planet,

气候末日论认为 既然我们无法拯救地球，

so why take action?

那为什么要努力？

Though they differ in origin,

虽然这两种说法起源不同，

both have the ability to paralyze action and prevent progress.

但都可能阻滞行动、阻碍进程。

And though things are bad,

虽然情况不乐观，

they’re far from over.

但还远远没到世界毁灭的程度。

So how do we find hope when things feel hopeless,

那么，我们要怎么样在事情看上去 绝望的情况下找到希望？

and how do we communicate

我们要怎么样传递希望和 行动之间密不可分的联系？

the inextricable link between hope and action?

To answer this,

为了解答这个问题，

let me take you back to March of 2020 --

让我带大家回到 2020 年的 3 月——

absolutely no one’s first choice of when to time travel to.

不会有人把这个时间点当作 时空旅行的目的地的首选。

Many of us were quarantined in our homes,

我们中的许多当时在家隔离。

people had stopped going out and socializing,

人们不再出门，不再社交。

yet the stream and virality of bad news certainly had not stopped.

但噩耗并没有停止迅速传播。

I was finishing up my semester at home,

我在家中上完了一个学期，

as well as working to move my activism online

也把活动工作转移到了线上。

when I was hit, not only with COVID

我被击垮了，不但是新冠，

but also with burnout.

还有劳累。

I began to question the efficacy of my work,

我开始质疑我的工作的意义，

my passion for environmentalism

我对环境主义的热爱，

and the purpose in studying what I was studying.

以及我在这个专业学习的目的。

I knew I needed something to inspire me.

我知道我需要什么来激励我。

I was scrolling on social media,

我在刷社交媒体，

and I saw a friend who had been sharing positive news stories.

然后我看到了一个朋友 在分享正面的消息故事。

I paired this with the rise of feel-good dance videos that had really emerged

我把这些故事和抖音上新流行的 正能量跳舞视频结合在一起，

on TikTok

and started a series called “Weekly Earth Wins.”

创办了一个叫“每周地球胜利”的系列。

Here's a look at one of those videos.

这是那些视频中的其中一个。

(Music)

（音乐）

(Applause)

（掌声）

So at first this felt really, really silly.

刚开始这真的感觉很蠢。

I mean, what did dancing have to do with climate action?

毕竟，跳舞和环境行动有什么关系？

And what good was sharing good news when everything felt so bad?

而且世界一团糟的时候 分享好消息有什么好？

But then I began to receive people's feedback.

但然后我开始收到人们的反馈。

People told me

人们告诉我说，

that these videos really helped mitigate their climate anxiety,

这些视频大大帮助了 他们减轻环境问题焦虑，

that they looked forward to these videos week after week

他们每周都期待这些视频，

and that these videos helped turn their anger and anxiety into action.

而且这些视频促进他们把 气愤和焦虑转化为行动。

So I continued making them.

因此，我接着做这些视频。

And in the process of finding good news stories to share,

在寻找好消息来分享的这个过程中，

I began to pick up on trends.

我开始关注流行趋势。

Week after week,

一周又一周，

institutions were divesting from fossil fuels.

机构废除化石燃料。

Week after week,

一周又一周,

land was given back to Indigenous communities.

原著居民拿回了他们的土地。

And week after week,

一周又一周，

states were implementing renewable energy standards.

各个州实行了再生能源的标准。

I never overlooked the scientific projections or data,

我从没忽略科学数据和预测，

but rather tuned in

相反，我关注这些难找的好消息，

to the hard-to-find good news stories

and examples of successful on-the-ground work.

和成功的实地工作。

And in the process,

在这个过程中，

I uncovered the framework that I had been yearning for:

我发觉了我一直以来渴望的观点：

climate optimism.

气候变化乐观主义

Climate optimism is a framework based on the idea

气候变化乐观主义相信，

that despite the bleak projections and the high stakes,

虽然前景严峻、风险高，

we can restore our planet back to health,

我们仍然可以让 地球恢复到健康的状态。

and in doing so,

与此同时，

protect all that inhabit it.

我们也可以保护所有 栖息于地球上的生物。

Climate optimism is what gives us hope when things feel hopeless,

气候变化乐观主义在事情看似不乐观的 情况下给我们希望，

is what sustains us in our pursuit of sustainability

支持我们追求可持续性，

and is what fuels us in the uphill battle of transitioning away from fossil fuels.

激励我们坚持 代替化石燃料的艰苦斗争。

It’s also what gives us the energy to continue fighting for our successes.

这也给我们能量，继续为胜利而战，

Virtually, the zero-emissions energy source that nobody talks about.

表面上， 没人在乎的零排放的能源资源。

So in this process,

在这个过程中，

I realize also that climate optimism is not for everybody.

我意识到气候乐观主义 并不适用与所有人。

Climate optimism is not for politicians who have stalled on action

它不适用于停止行动的政客，

or corporations who have incessantly pursued profits over people.

或是只追求利润而不在乎人类的企业。

To them, my message is clear:

对他们，我要说的很清楚：

listen to science and act now.

听听科学是怎么说的， 并从当下开始行动。

Stop failing the citizens and people that you have a duty to serve.

不要再辜负你们 有责任服务的人民。

Rather, climate optimism is for those of us here today ...

相对的， 气候乐观主义适用于现在我们中

that have dedicated our lives

那些终其一生

to fighting the greatest battle of our time.

为当下最重要的斗争而战的人。

But also to the part-time activists:

还有那些兼职的活动家：

those who do what they can, when they can.

那些做了他们力所能及的事的人。

And perhaps most significantly,

可能最重要的是，

to the marginalized communities and people in the Global South,

对那些只是没时间陷入悲观循环的 边缘化的群体和南半球的人民，

who frankly don’t have time to get stuck in the cycles of doom and gloom.

The need for climate optimism has never been more urgent.

气候乐观主义的需求从未如此迫切。

If we limit our vision of the future to one filled with oil rigs,

如果我们把对未来的看法局限于 一个只有石油钻机的世界，

smokestacks

只有烟囱的世界，

and suffering,

只有苦难的世界，

we limit our capacity

我们也在局限我们的能力

and shirk our duty to change the course of humanity for the better.

和我们改变世界 让人类命运更好的责任。

By looking for good and working towards the good,

通过专注于真善美并向其努力，

we empower ourselves to be agents of good

在为我们值得的未来而战的过程中， 为自己赋予真善美的力量

in the fight for the future that we deserve.

The alternative --

另一条路——

giving up hope --

放弃希望——

only relinquishes power

只会让将我们处于此境的东西

into the very entities that have gotten us into this mess.

夺走我们的力量。

Luckily, I’m not alone in championing this movement.

幸运的是， 我并不是唯一支持这一运动的人。

My friends at EcoTok provide a great example

我在 EcoTalk 的朋友们提供了 一个很好的有各种背景、

of a diverse set of backgrounds,

experiences

and voices coming together to encourage this generation and the next.

声音汇聚在一起鼓舞 这一代和下一代人的例子。

Here's a look at some of our work.

让我们来看看其中一些我们的作品。

(Video) Doria Brown: Canada is banning six types of plastics.

（视频）Doria Brown： 加拿大将禁止六类塑料制品。

The plastics include grocery bags,

这些塑料制品包括食品袋，

stir sticks,

搅拌棒、

six-pack rings,

塑料提扣、

reusable food containers,

可重复利用食物容器，

straws and utensils.

吸管和餐具。

Now hopefully they put some systems in place

现在，他们有希望制定一些规定，

for some people who need those things for accessibility purposes,

给那些出于无障碍目的 需要这些东西的人，

but this is a step in the right direction,

但这总归是迈向正确方向的一步，

and I’m excited.

所以我还是激动的。

Gabrielle Langhorn: From desertification to bountiful vegetation,

Gabrielle Langborn：从荒漠化到茂盛的植被，

a community in Cearà, Brazil has been able to rehabilitate their landscape

一巴西塞阿拉的社区，已通过出色的集体行动 和 FUNCEME 的资金恢复其地形。

using amazing collective action and funding from FUNCEME.

Water is flowing,

水在流动，

crops are growing

农作物在生长，

and you can truly see a difference.

你能真切看到改变。

(Music)

（音乐）

Carissa Cabrera: [Good Blue News!!]

Carissa Cabrera：[来自海洋的好消息！！]

[The endangered Hawaiian Monk seal population is up to ...

[濒危的僧海豹数量已经达到……

over 1,500!]

超过 1500 只！]

[This is the highest it’s been in decades!]

[这是这几十年来最高的数量！]

Henry Ferland: Welcome back, it is me, Trash Boy.

Henry Ferland: 欢迎回来，是我，垃圾男孩。

Every time I step outside I see trash and litter on the ground, and I hate it!

每次我走出门我都能看到 地上有垃圾，我讨厌这样！

So let’s clean some up!

那么，让我们来清理干净！

I got my trash bag and gloves, let’s go.

我带上了我的垃圾袋和手套， 咱们走吧。

One, two, three, four, five.

一，二，三，四，五。

And all this trash in this grate, too.

和所有这个下水道上的垃圾。

Much better.

好多了。

Storm grates like that is exactly how trash enters the ocean,

这样的下水道是 垃圾进入海洋的罪魁祸首，

and we don’t want that.

我们不想要这样。

There are already over 5.25 trillion pieces of trash in our oceans.

我们的海洋里已经 有超过 5.25 兆的垃圾了。

Let’s not let in any more.

我们不要再让垃圾进入海洋了。

(Applause and cheers)

（掌声和欢呼声）

ZB: We’re not naive.

我们不是天真。

We know the details and the data

我们知道 支撑环境危机恶化的细节和数据，

that speak to the devastation of the climate crisis

like the back of our hands

完全知道，

because it's our future to inherit.

因为这是我们会继承的未来。

But we also know that the future we deserve cannot be built

但我们同时知道 我们应得的未来不该建立在

on the unstable foundations of fear and anxiety.

恐惧和焦虑组成的摇摇欲坠的基础上。

It must be built

必须由这个有限的世界 少数几个无限的资源建成：

with one of the few infinite resources that we have on this finite planet:

hope.

希望。

So we choose climate optimism.

所以，我们选择气候乐观主义。

We choose to fight for the future that we deserve.

我们选择去为了 我们应得的未来而奋斗。

And I hope you will, too.

并且，我希望你也这么做。

Thank you.

谢谢。

(Applause)

（鼓掌）