Unions for Climate Action! | Payton M. Wilkins | TED

翻译人员: Lovelle Liu 校对人员: suya f.

Fossil fuels have got to go.

化石燃料必须消失。

We must put an end to these climate-destructive, loosely regulated,

我们必须结束这些破坏气候、监管松散、

dirty businesses that are destroying the Earth.

并且正在摧毁地球的肮脏企业。

We've done the math,

我们已经做了数学运算，

we have the data,

我们有了数据，

and we know that these dirty businesses

而且我们知道这些肮脏的企业

are making it increasingly more uninhabitable on this planet.

正在使这个星球变得 越来越不适合居住。

But when those jobs go away, there'll be green jobs, right?

但是当这些工作消失时，就会 有环保工作，对吧？

Again, we've run the numbers, we have the data

再说一遍，我们已经 计算了数字，有了数据

and we know that the more we invest in a green economy,

并且我们知道我们 在绿色经济上的投资越多，

the more jobs there’ll be:

就业机会就会越多：

[more] healthier, higher-paying jobs in the future than there are today.

未来会有更多比今天 更健康、薪水更高的工作 。

But here's the thing.

但问题是这样的。

People eat bread, not data.

人们吃的是面包，而不是数据。

And when a corporation shuts down a coal mine,

当一家公司关闭煤矿时，尽管我们

as happy as some of us may be about cleaner air,

当中有些人可能 对更清洁的空气感到高兴，

the reality is that people lose paychecks,

但现实情况是，人们失去了薪水，

they lose pensions,

失去了养老金，

they lose jobs that they thought were going to be there for their children.

他们失去了他们认为 可以为孩子服务的工作。

Schools close, small businesses shutter,

学校关闭，小型企业关闭，

and homes are lost.

人们失去了房屋。

Poverty sets in.

贫困开始了。

There are no green jobs waiting for those folks.

没有环保的工作在等着那些人。

Shutting down a coal mine,

关闭煤矿、

a coal refinery or most polluting facilities

炼煤厂或其它污染最严重的设施

can devastate a community and a family.

可能会摧毁社区和家庭。

At the end of the day,

归根结底，

I'm not so much a tree hugger as I am a people hugger.

与其说我是一个拥抱树木的人， 不如说是拥抱人际关系的人。

And I don't really believe in this dichotomy

而且我真的不相信这种

of jobs versus the environment.

就业与环境的二分法。

We can protect both.

我们可以同时保护两者。

But we're not going to get it right if we just helicopter in

但是，如果我们只是 来告诉人们什么是对的，

and tell people what's right.

我们就无法做好。

That's where unions come in.

这就是工会的用武之地。

Unions for generations have been fighting to protect workers' rights and justice.

几代人以来，工会一直在 为保护工人的权利和正义而奋斗。

I grew up hearing people speak about justice all the time.

我从小就听到人们 一直在谈论正义。

My mom started the first environmental justice organization here in Detroit.

我妈妈在底特律创办了 第一个环境正义组织。

Yes, Donele Wilkins, Detroiters Working for Environmental Justice.

是的，多内尔·威尔金斯， 《为环境正义而奋斗的底特律人》。

(Applause)

（掌声）

She started the first environmental justice organization

她在底特律市创办了

here in the city of Detroit,

第一个环境正义组织，

and yet, I still didn't truly understand the intricacies of workers

但是，我依然无法真正明白工人

and the environmental movement

和环保运动的复杂性，

until I was sitting offstage, listening to a heated back and forth

直到我坐在台下，听着

between a high-ranking member of the United Mine Workers of America

美国矿工联合会的一名高级成员和

and a panel of climate experts that I had assembled

我为黑人工会联盟年会召集的 一个气候专家小组之间的激烈争论，

for the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists's Annual Convention.

我才意识到了这一点。

On this panel, I had Cecil Corbin-Mark, the late Cecil Corbin-Mark,

在这个小组中， 我有Cecil Corbin Mark，

已故的Cecil Colbin Mark，

deputy director of WE ACT, an Environmental Justice Organization,

总部位于哈莱姆区的环境 正义组织WE ACT

based out of Harlem;

的副主任；

Jackie Patterson,

Jackie Patterson，

the founder and director of the Shirley Chisholm Legacy Project,

气候正义资源中心 雪莉·奇泽姆遗产项目的

a climate justice resource hub;

创始人兼主任；

and Donele Wilkins, CEO of Green Door Initiative,

以及绿色之门倡议的首席 执行官Donele Wilkins，

who also happens to be my mother.

同时她也是我的母亲。

(Applause)

（掌声）

I thought everything was going well.

我以为一切都很顺利。

I thought that regardless of politics,

我认为，无论政治形势如何，

we all kind of agreed that climate change was a problem for human health,

我们都同意，气候变化是有关人类健康、

for our families, for our homes.

家庭和家园的问题。

So there I was, sitting in the first row, Cecil was moderating,

我当时在那里，坐在第一排， 塞西尔正在主持会议，

and then this high-ranking leader from the United Mine Workers of America

然后这位来自美国矿业 工人联合会的高级领导人

comes to the mic.

开始发言。

And shit got heated.

然后狗屎变热了。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

Like, really bad.

真的很糟糕。

I'm talking at this point, I'm flushed red,

我现在说的是，我脸红了，

sweat is beading down my face,

汗水从脸上流下来，

and I'm thinking how best to update my resume

我正在考虑如何完善我的简历，

because they're not going to let me keep my job after this shit.

因为他们不会让我继续工作。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

I look to my boss and he has this look on his face that says,

我看着我的老板，他脸上有 这样的表情，上面写着：

"Get your ass on stage."

“去舞台上吧。”

That's a lot to say in the book, but I promise you this look said a lot.

这本书中有很多话要说， 但我向你保证，

这种表情把要说的全都说了。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

When the panel ended, my boss pulled me aside and he said,

当小组讨论结束时， 我的老板把我拉到一边，他说，

"You need to fix this."

“你需要解决这个问题。”

So I quickly secured a room to have a private conversation

于是我很快找到了一个房间，

with the mineworkers and the panelists,

与矿工和小组成员进行私下交谈，

and we listened.

然后我们听了。

We heard the coal miners talk about their desires,

我们听到煤矿工人 谈论他们的愿望、

their fears, their legacies, this dignity in their work.

他们的恐惧、遗产， 以及在工作中的尊严。

And we talked about the real reason why the coal industry was dying,

我们还谈到了煤炭行业 濒临灭亡的真正原因，

which had more to do with profitability than it did with activists or policy.

这与其说与积极分子或政策有关， 不如说与盈利能力有关。

Coal is becoming more expensive

煤炭变得越来越昂贵，

while the cost of renewable energy is falling.

而可再生能源的成本却在下降。

Investors are divesting from coal because of its impact on the climate

投资者之所以从煤炭中撤资， 是因为煤炭对气候的影响

and the risk associated with climate change.

以及与气候变化相关的风险。

We all felt heard.

我们都感到被听见了。

We felt understood.

我们感到被理解了。

The coal miners had opportunity to separate the person

煤矿工人有机会将这个人

from the problem.

与问题区分开来。

We talked about the history of environmental justice

我们谈到了环境正义的历史

and its roots in the labor movement.

及其在劳工运动中的根源。

Since that day,

从那天起，

and the months and years following,

以及随后的几个月和几年，

I started to see change in the coal miners.

我开始看到煤矿工人的变化。

They, for a long time, have been actively [in] opposition

长期以来，他们一直坚决反对

to any types of climate policy.

任何类型的气候政策。

But now they're open to exploring taxes

但是现在，他们愿意探索税收

and emission standards to regulate their industry.

和排放标准来监管自己的行业。

And while they aren't exactly where I would like them to be,

虽然这并没有达到我想要的水平，

they have come a long way, they've made progress.

但他们已经走了很长一段路， 他们已经取得了进展。

Unions have a long history of keeping the needs

工会在考虑工人的需求

and priorities of workers in their mind,

和优先事项、

protecting workers rights and fighting for justice.

保护工人权利和争取 正义方面有着悠久的历史。

In Memphis, 1968,

1968年，在孟菲斯，

a union of sanitation workers went on strike

一个由环卫工人组成的工会举行罢工，

after two African Americans had been crushed

那是因为两位非裔美国人

in a malfunctioning garbage truck.

被一辆故障的垃圾车撞倒。

That strike ended in April of 1968,

那次罢工于1968年4月结束，

when the city of Memphis agreed to recognize their union

当时孟菲斯市同意承认他们的工会

and to meet the workers' demands.

并满足工人的要求。

In South Africa in 1985,

1985年，在南非，

the Congress of South African Trade Unionists

南非工会成员大会

quickly became the strongest and most powerful union in South Africa

通过抗议、抵制和罢工

by putting pressure on the apartheid government through protests,

向种族隔离政府施加压力，

boycotts and strikes

并迅速成为南非最强大的工会，

that led to negotiations in 1990

这也导致了1990年的谈判

and the end of apartheid in 1994.

和1994年种族隔离的结束。

And in Denmark,

在丹麦，

when the country was transitioning away from fossil fuels to wind energy,

当该国从化石燃料过渡到风能时，

the union 3F negotiated with the government

工会3F与政府

and wind energy companies to secure jobs,

和风能公司进行了谈判， 以确保就业、

retraining programs and fair wages.

再培训计划和公平的工资。

Those workers were equipped to get employed

这些工人有能力

in this new and growing wind energy sector.

在这个新的、不断增长的 风能领域就业。

Those workers were equipped.

那些工人装备齐全。

You know,

我们都知道，

the union movement is the only multigenerational, multiethnic,

工会运动是世界上唯一的 多代人、多民族、

multiracial, multigender movement in the world.

多种族、多性别的运动。

We're talking about tens of millions of people

我们说的是数千万人

united around a singular set of ideas.

围绕着相同的想法团结在一起。

So it makes so much sense that they're a part of this fight

因此，他们参与这场争取公正过渡的斗争

for a just transition.

是非常有道理的。

So how can we,

那么，对我们来说，

those of us that are in the climate fight, properly work with unions?

我们当中那些参与气候斗争的人， 如何才能正确地与工会合作呢？

It starts with deep listening conversations,

它应当从深度倾听对话开始，

like the ones we had at CBTU's annual convention.

就像我们在CBTU年度 大会上的对话一样。

And workers and those who are pushing for a green energy transition

工人和推动绿色能源转型的人

need to hear each other out.

需要互相倾听。

We need to hear each other's fears, each other's desires,

我们需要倾听彼此的恐惧、彼此的愿望、

each other's ideas for the future.

彼此对未来的想法。

There needs to be an education on both sides,

双方都需要进行教育，

one that allows us to learn about the livelihood of workers

让我们能够了解工人的生计，

and for all of us to learn about the impact of the climate crisis.

让我们所有人都能够 了解气候危机的影响。

Since that conversation that I had at CBTU,

自从我在CBTU进行对话以来，

I started to actively invite the coal miners to meetings

我开始积极邀请煤矿工人参加

and to the conferences that I attend discussing just transition.

讨论关于转型的会议。

My desire is for them to articulate a path towards green jobs

我的愿望是在负盈利能力 和政策决定他们的命运之前，

before negative profitability and policies decides the fate for them.

让他们明确通往绿色就业的道路。

I want unions to secure federal dollars

我希望工会获得联邦资金，

to aid in this transition to retrain their members.

能够在过渡期对成员进行再培训。

I want them to realize they don't have to choose

我希望他们意识到， 他们不必

between making a living and living in a safe and healthy environment.

在谋生和生活在安全健康 的环境中之间做出选择。

They can have both.

他们可以两者兼而有之。

Hell, they deserve both.

他们值得两者兼而有之。

(Applause)

（掌声）

I want them to realize that they can live in a community

我希望他们意识到，他们可以生活在

that generates renewable energy,

一个生产可再生能源的社区中，

that they can live in a community where they don't have to speculate

生活在一个不必去推测

what's in their water and their air.

他们所饮用的水和呼吸的空气 中有什么的社区中。

A community where people are valued over pollution.

一个重视人而非污染的社区。

I want them -- thank you.

我想要它们——谢谢。

(Laughs)

（笑）

(Applause)

（掌声）

I want them to realize that this isn't some distant utopic future,

我希望他们意识到， 这不是什么遥远的乌托邦未来，

but a reality that can be had in a few short years.

而是可以在短短几年内实现的现实。

If the US government can bail out banks and the auto industry,

如果美国政府能够 像在2008年金融危机中那样

like they did in the financial crisis of 2008,

救助银行和汽车行业，

surely they can bail out the American worker.

那么他们肯定可以救助美国工人。

(Applause)

（掌声）

But I have a feeling that this isn't going to happen

但我觉得如果没有工会的共同推动，

without a concerted push from the unions.

这就不会发生。

To transition to a green-energy economy,

为了向绿色能源经济过渡，

to protect our planet,

为了保护我们的地球，

we're going to have to make some tough changes.

我们必须做出一些艰难的改变。

But I'm a serial optimist,

但我一直是一个乐观主义者，

and I believe we can make this change without too much pain.

我相信我们可以毫不费力地 做出这样的改变。

Thank you.

谢谢。

(Applause)

（掌声）