Chibeze Ezekiel: A vision for sustainable energy in Africa | TED Countdown

翻译人员: Xinlin Liu 校对人员: Yip Yan Yeung

About 600 million people in Africa

非洲大约有 6 亿人

still don’t have reliable access to electricity,

仍然没有可靠的电力供应，

and energy shortages are still a part of daily life.

能源短缺仍然是 日常生活的一部分。

Africa needs energy.

非洲需要能源，

A lot of energy.

许多的能源。

But the question is: What kind of energy?

但是问题是：非洲需要哪种能源？

I want to tell you a story.

我想给你们讲个故事。

My name is Chibeze Ezekiel

我的名字是奇贝泽·埃塞克尔 （Chibeze Ezekiel），

and I work at the Strategic Youth Network for Development.

我在战略青年发展网络工作。

In 2013, the government of my country, Ghana,

2013 年，我的国家加纳的政府

began consultations to construct a coal plant,

开始了建造一座煤电厂的讨论。

a 700-megawatt coal plant,

一座 700 兆瓦的煤电厂

meant to be sited at Ekumfi District,

要建在埃库姆菲（Ekumfi）区，

a coastal fishing community in the central region of Ghana.

加纳中部大区（Central Region）的 一个沿海捕鱼社区。

It would have required a 1.5-billion US dollar loan

这将需要中非发展基金的

from the China African Development [Fund].

15 亿美元的贷款。

And because Ghana has no coal reserves,

由于加纳没有煤炭储备，

the project made a provision to import two million tons of coal annually

该项目要每年从南非 进口 200 万吨煤。

from South Africa.

So I ask again,

所以我再次提出这个问题：

Ghana and Africa need energy.

加纳和非洲需要能源，

But what kind of energy?

需要的是哪种能源？

In Africa, job creation and economic opportunities are the priority,

在非洲，创造就业和 经济机会是首要任务，

and those were the same arguments

这和支持该项目的人论点一致。

that were made by those who were in support of the project.

They claimed that the project of the coal plant

他们声称煤电厂的项目

would have created jobs for the local youth

会为当地年轻人创造就业机会，

and also expanded the economy of the country.

也扩大了国家的经济。

But we know that coal is the most polluting form of power generation.

但我们知道煤炭是 污染最重的发电方式。

We are also aware that from a purely economic point of view,

我们也知道， 单单从经济角度来看，

coal is cheap.

煤炭很便宜。

But that is only true when we ignore the noneconomic impact of coal.

然而，只有当我们忽视煤炭的 非经济影响时，它才是便宜的。

Talk about waste water,

比如说，废水、

fly ash, emissions of sulfur

扬尘、硫和汞的排放，

and mercury,

which would have posed serious health and environmental risk

都会对埃库姆菲居民的健康 与环境带来严重的危害。

to the Ekumfi population.

In our part of the world,

在我们这里，

we have people who depend on water bodies,

我们有依赖水体为生的人，

for bathing, for cooking,

他们在水里洗澡、煮饭、 洗衣、甚至直接饮用。

for washing and even for drinking.

So what this means

所以这就意味着，

is that it's going to have a devastating impact

煤电厂会对他们的生计来源 和整个生活产生毁灭性的影响。

on their source of livelihood and their life as a whole.

So this shows

所以这表明煤炭的负面影响

that the adverse impact of coal

far outweighs the economic benefit.

远超其经济利益。

Ghana and Africa need energy,

加纳和非洲需要能源，

but we don't want coal to be that energy.

但我们不希望煤炭成为我们的能源，

We managed to shut down the coal plant.

我们成功关闭了煤电厂。

And we didn't want coal to be part of the country's energy system.

并且，我们不希望煤炭成为 国家能源体系中的一部分。

But it did take a bit of fighting.

但这确实需要一些斗争。

When we learned of the plan to build a coal plant,

当我们得知要建造 煤电厂的计划时，

we began engaging the local communities.

我们就开始介入当地社区。

We took an approach known as the “submarine approach.”

我们采取的方法 被称为“潜水法”，

So basically, what that means

基本来说，“潜水法”就是 我们从不希望它上社交媒体，

is that we never wanted it on social media,

we didn't go publicly,

我们不公开进行，

we didn’t engage in media on our reservations.

我们不报道我们的保留意见。

We spent days with the people in our community,

我们和社区里的人们 一起生活一段时间，

talking to the chiefs, the elders,

与酋长、长者、 妇女团体、青年群体交谈，

the women groups, the youth networks,

to inquire from them

从他们那里打听

whether they have all the necessary knowledge about the coal plant

他们是否了解 关于煤电厂的所有必要知识，

because it is our right to have adequate information.

因为我们有充分的知情权。

And that is what we did.

这也正是我们所做的。

We brought them information

我们给他们带来信息，

about the negative impact of coal in other countries.

带来煤炭在其他国家 产生负面影响的信息。

We also had to assure them

我们还必须让他们知道，

that the jobs being promised to them

承诺给他们的工作 不能保证长期利益。

do not guarantee long-term benefits.

We also sought their input in our advocacy campaign.

我们还在我们的宣传活动中 征求他们的意见。

In our engagement with the local communities,

在我们与当地社区的交流中，

we realized that most of them were not even aware of the consequences

我们发现，他们中的多数人甚至 都没有意识到煤电厂会带来的后果。

of the coal plant.

They had been assured by the promoters

发起者向他们保证过了，

that the plant will be clean and safe for residents.

煤电厂对居民们会是清洁安全的。

Others also had their own reservations

也有些人有自己的担忧，

but didn't know who to channel them to.

但他们不知道与谁去沟通。

We teamed up with other NGOs working in the environmental sector.

我们与其他在环境领域 工作的非政府组织合作。

It was only when local community got well-informed about the plant,

直到当地社区充分 了解了这座煤电厂、

to challenge the promoter’s claim,

质疑发起人的说法，

that gave us a time to bring out the “submarine approach.”

才显现出我们“潜水法”的效果。

That was when we began social media campaigns,

这时候我们开始进行 社交媒体活动、

organized press conferences

举办新闻发布会、

and did a lot of media engagement

让媒体大量参与进来，

to also share our views against the coal plant.

以分享我们反对建立煤电厂的观点。

We also accompanied our campaign against [the] coal plant

我们还在反对煤电厂的运动中，

with the need for renewable energy.

提倡可持续能源。

And I must say that I was very surprised

我必须说，当加纳政府选择 在建立煤电厂上让步时，

when the government of Ghana chose to back down

on the construction of the coal plant,

我感到非常惊讶，

having heard our concerns and voices of the local communities.

政府听取了我们的忧虑和 当地社区的声音。

Indeed, the then-Minister of Environment at a press conference announced

事实上，当时的环境部长 在新闻发布会上宣布了

that Ghana is not going to build a coal plant,

加纳在签署《巴黎气候协定》后 不会建造一座煤电厂。

having signed the Paris Climate Agreement.

In 2019, [the] government released our renewable energy master plan,

2019 年，政府发布了 可再生能源总体规划，

which shows a very comprehensive plan

这是关于加纳可再生能源发展的 一个非常全面的计划。

on the development of renewable energy in Ghana.

Among others,

除此之外，该计划还 争取在 2030 年前

the plant seeks to increase by 30 times our renewable energy development

将可再生能源开发量 提高 30 倍，

by 2030,

and also create more than 200,000 jobs by 2030.

并在 2030 年前创造 超过 20 万个就业岗位。

Some countries have shut down,

一些国家已经关闭 或计划关闭煤电厂。

or are planning to shut down, their coal plants.,

Others are frantically planning to build coal plants.

另有一些国家则在 疯狂地计划建造煤电厂。

Once a coal plant is built,

一旦一座煤电厂被建造出来，

it becomes part of the energy system for decades.

它在几十年里都会是 能源体系中的一部分。

But our experience shows that resistance is possible.

但我们的经验表明， 反对是有用的。

How?

怎么去做呢？

By bringing into the conversation the adverse impacts

首先，讨论煤电厂的 负面影响和外部影响。

and externalities of coal plants.

Secondly, also by providing clean alternatives,

其次，提供清洁的替代品。

and more importantly,

更重要的是，

by involving the local communities --

我们要让当地社区参与进来，

because they’re the first to be impacted,

因为他们是首当其冲 受到影响的人，

and they must also have a seat in the conversation.

他们必须在对话中占有一席之地。

In the last decade,

过去的十年间， 科技发展迅猛。

technology has moved at a fast pace.

It has lowered its costs dramatically.

能源成本价格急剧降低。

Africa can, and must, develop

非洲有能力，也必须发展，

with all the energy it requires

用上它所需要的全部能源，

without incurring the disastrous impact of coal,

前提是不造成煤炭 所带来的灾难性影响，

i.e. health and environmental consequences.

即健康和环境方面的后果。

Development and clean, breathable air

发展和清洁、清新的空气

must not be mutually exclusive.

不应该相互排斥。

Thank you.

谢谢。