Meet Our Planet's Hidden Defenders | Anjan Sundaram | TED

Translator: Shelley Tsang 曾雯海 Reviewer: Thomas Tam

I'm here to tell you

我喺度話你知

about some of the most vital heroes of our time.

關於我哋呢個時代 最重要嘅英雄。

係喺世界唔同地方 打緊場隱藏嘅戰爭，

They fight a hidden war across our world that will define our future.

勝負將會定義我哋嘅未來。

佢哋代表咗 我哋所有人戰鬥，

They battle on behalf of us all to protect mountains, rivers, forests

保護我哋嘅山、河流、森林、

and the last pristine ecosystems.

同埋最後嘅原始生態系統。

Yet these warriors pass almost invisible.

但係呢啲戰士幾乎係隱形嘅。

We don't know their names, and we rarely read about them.

我哋唔知佢哋係邊個， 亦都好少睇到佢哋啲名。

These obscure heroes are environmental defenders.

呢啲唔出名嘅英雄 係環保嘅捍衛者。

They mount protests and fight legal and armed battles,

佢哋會發起抗議、 進行法律同武裝嘅鬥爭，

and have already saved many plants and animals from destruction.

而且經已令到好多植物 同動物免受傷害。

Small Indigenous communities make up only five percent

小型原住民社區， 只係佔 5 % 世界人口比例，

of the world's population,

but they defend 80 percent of all the biodiversity that remains on Earth.

但係佢哋經已捍衛咗地球上 所有生物嘅 80 % 多樣性 。

Their stories aren't told,

而家唔會講緊佢哋嘅故事，

in part because many of them live in war zones.

部分原因係因為佢哋當中 好多人住喺戰鬥地區。

I've committed myself to reporting on forgotten conflicts

我已經承諾會報導呢啲 被遺忘嘅衝突，

like those in the Congo and the Central African Republic.

好似剛果同中非共和國 抗爭故事。

For several years now,

幾年嚟，

I’ve documented the war for the environment

我記錄咗呢啲環保戰爭；

and I'd like to show you this fight for the future from the inside.

我想由內心向你展示 呢場為未來而戰嘅戰爭。

The front line of this war runs right through Latin America.

前線穿過拉丁美洲。

喺過去十年，至少有 1,700 個環保捍衛者被殺。

At least 1,700 environmental defenders have been killed over the last decade.

Nearly 70 percent of these assassinations

呢啲暗殺事件當中有近 70 %

were perpetrated on the land between Mexico and Argentina.

係發生喺墨西哥 同阿根廷之間嘅土地度。

Three years ago,

三年前，

喺墨西哥有超過 50 個守護者被殺害，

I read that more than 50 defenders were murdered in Mexico just that year,

making it the world's deadliest country for the defense of nature.

令到墨西哥成為世界上 最致命嘅捍衛自然國家。

I didn't know how long it would take to investigate these crimes

我唔知要等幾耐 先可以調查到

against environmental defenders,

針對環保捍衛者嘅罪行，

so I bought a one-way ticket there

所以我喺嗰度買咗張單程機票，

to uncover and tell the stories of their sacrifices.

嚟到揭開、並講述佢哋 犧牲嘅故事。

One of the first defenders I met was David Salazar.

我第一個遇到嘅犧牲者 係大衛 · 薩拉查。

I met him on the Pan-American Highway.

我喺泛美公路見到佢。

His community had hijacked buses and trucks

佢嘅社區劫持咗巴士同貨車

and blockaded the longest highway in the world

同埋封鎖咗世界上最長嘅公路

to protest a planned industrial mega-project.

用嚟抗議一個計劃中嘅 大型工業項目。

佢哋喺低地森林， 叫做埃爾皮塔雅爾，

Their lowland forest, called El Pitayal,

經已標記咗將會被破壞， 用嚟建造一個新嘅工廠群。

had been marked for destruction to build a new factory complex.

They're up against the US and Mexican governments

佢哋要同墨西哥 及美國政府、

and multinational companies

啲跨國公司對抗，

that want this vast inter-oceanic mega-project to go forward.

想推進呢個廣大 海洋間巨型項目。

According to researchers,

根據研究人員嘅講法，

Mexico's violent cartels also see a chance

墨西哥嘅暴力卡特爾 亦都睇到呢個機會，

to boost their multi-billion dollar revenues

用嚟增加佢哋 幾十億美元收入，

through theft and protection rackets on their territory.

透過喺佢哋控制嘅土地上 盜竊同收保護費。

Governments, companies and cartels stand to profit.

政府、公司同卡特爾 都係有利可圖。

When David's protests didn't stop the construction,

當大衛嘅抗議 阻止唔到建築工程嘅時候，

saboteurs burned government vehicles near their forest.

破壞者喺佢哋嘅森林附近 燒毀咗政府啲車輛。

佢哋嘅武器係火， 當地人稱之為「lumbre」。

Their weapon was fire, which locals call "lumbre."

We don't know who burned the vehicles,

我哋唔知邊個燒咗啲車，

but the community authority, David, was singled out.

但係社區當局，就揀中大衛。

The other men and women organizing the resistance warned me:

其他抗爭嘅男女警告我，

David's going to be attacked or even assassinated.

大衛會畀人襲擊甚至暗殺。

The municipal police had once severely beaten him up.

市政警察曾經嚴重毆打過大衛。

That afternoon, I sat down with David in his yard and I pulled out my notebook.

當日下午，同 David 坐喺佢個花院度，我拎出筆記簿。

我問：「你唔驚佢哋會殺死你咩？」

"Aren't you afraid they'll kill you?" I asked.

He said, "Of course I'm afraid."

佢話：「我當然驚啦。」

David wasn't killed,

大衛冇被殺，

but two months ago, a Mexican court sentenced him

但係喺兩個月前， 墨西哥法庭判咗佢

to 46.5 years in prison

46.5 年監禁：

for damaging property,

因為佢損害別人財產，

effectively handing him a life sentence.

可有效判佢終身監禁。

But David told me all the world’s prisons aren’t large enough to fit the defenders

但係大衛同我講，

世界上所有嘅監獄都唔夠大 去容納嗰啲捍衛者。

willing to risk everything to protect the Earth.

佢願意冒一切嘅風險 去保護地球。

I've gotten his community legal assistance.

我搵到佢嘅社區法律援助。

Since the courts don't reliably protect the planet,

由於法庭對保護呢個星球係唔可靠，

其他社區都武裝起嚟。

other communities have armed themselves.

On Mexico's Pacific coast,

喺墨西哥嘅太平洋海岸，

a locality of only a thousand people

一個只有一千人嘅地方，

fights a drone war to protect their ancestral mountain.

為咗保護佢哋嘅祖先山地 而打無人機戰爭。

A European company has built a huge iron mine nearby,

有間歐洲公司 喺附近起咗個巨大嘅鐵礦，

and now wants to expand its excavation

而家想擴大佢，嚟到呢座 叫做拉曼西拉嘅原始山峰做挖掘。

to this pristine mountain called La Mancira.

A ferocious cartel regularly strikes the community using drones,

一個凶猛嘅卡特爾 定期用無人機去襲擊呢個社區，

as it disappears and kills anti-mining activists.

因為佢要消滅同殺死 反礦業活動嘅人。

The European company denies allegations made by local activists

呢間歐洲公司否認 當地戰鬥者提出嘅指控，

that it's involved in any illegal activity.

佢哋話並冇參與過任何非法活動。

But the mountain is full of gold.

但係山上充滿黃金；

It is also a home to jaguars,

呢度亦都係捷豹嘅家園，

rare plants and an intact forest.

仲有稀有植物同完整嘅森林。

This isolated Indigenous community, called Santa Maria de Ostula,

呢個孤立嘅原住民社區，

叫做聖瑪利亞德奧斯圖拉，

fights back to defend nature and to defend its culture and its people.

啲人民起嚟反抗，為咗捍衛佢哋 賴以生存嘅大自然同本地嘅文化。

It sends its young men to the front lines.

社區派啲後生仔去前線。

It scavenges weapons after its victories over the cartels.

佢哋喺擊敗卡特爾之後 會清理武器。

I'm told it's common knowledge

係眾所週知嘅事實，

that factions of the Mexican army and police

墨西哥軍隊同警察嘅派系

sell weapons to the cartels and communities,

會向卡特爾同社區售賣武器，

thereby profiting from both sides of this war.

從呢場戰爭中嘅雙方獲取利益。

The cartels, by some estimates, Mexico's fifth largest employer,

根據一啲估計，呢啲卡特爾 係墨西哥第五大僱主，

recruit young, poor men, arm them,

佢哋招募年輕嘅窮人， 然後武裝起來，

and have them run illegal businesses in remote places

同埋畀佢哋喺偏遠地方 經營非法生意；

that are dangerous for journalists.

對記者嚟講係危險嘅事。

Scores of reporters have been killed in Mexico,

墨西哥有幾十名記者被殺，

many of whom investigated illegality and corruption.

當中好多人都調查過 非法同貪污嘅事件。

I carry cigarettes and chocolate to hand out,

我拎住煙仔同朱古力 準備派出去；

so any cartel fighters I run into might spare me.

遇到任何卡特爾戰士 都可能會放過我。

I asked one of Ostula's young defenders, a councilman named Pedro,

我問奧斯圖拉 一位年輕嘅捍衛者，

叫佩德羅嘅議員， 帶我去佢哋嘅前線。

to take me to their front line.

I'm not showing you his face for his protection.

為咗保護佢， 唔會畀你睇到佢個樣。

He said, "I'll take you to the European iron mine,

佢話：「我帶你去歐洲人嘅鐵礦，

but it's crawling with cartel fighters."

但係嗰度有卡特爾戰士。」

Ostula had just lost three defenders in a cartel ambush

奧斯圖拉喺卡特爾伏兵襲擊中， 失去咗三個捍衛者；

and was braced for a new attack.

而佢哋經已準備好迎接新嘅攻擊。

Millions of dollars are extracted each year from the iron mine.

每年都由鐵礦稅收抽得幾百萬美元。

But in the nearby municipal capital, the houses were dirty.

但係喺附近嘅市政首都， 啲屋都好邋遢；

Paint peeled, the walls crumbled.

油漆剝落，牆身崩潰。

We drove into a compound with an ordinary low building.

我哋揸車入去一座 普通低樓層嘅大廈。

I wasn't allowed, of course, to take photos inside,

當然佢唔畀我喺入面影相； 但係呢啲係我見到嘅。

but this is what I saw.

As I walked in,

當我行入去嘅時候，

it was like a fixer upper meets the movie "The Matrix."

就好似待修房屋 同電影《矩陣》相遇噉。

I was surrounded by 50-millimeter guns and assault rifles covering the walls.

我周圍都係 50 毫米槍 同突擊步槍，遮住咗啲牆，

Large drones, walkie-talkies.

大型無人機、對講機；

Bullets lay on the ground.

啲子彈喺地上。

A carpenter repaired the roof, fortified with three layers.

有個木匠修理咗個屋頂， 用三層加固。

I interviewed the base commander, a hefty man named El Chopo.

我訪問咗個基地指揮官，

叫埃爾肖波嘅大隻佬。

I asked where the cartel attacked.

我問卡特爾喺邊度攻擊。

佢話：「呢度」。

"Here," he said.

我望出去個山谷度， 問佢哋有幾頻繁嘅攻擊。

I looked out into the valley and asked how often they attacked.

Every two days.

每兩日一次。

“They sent four drones this morning,” he said.

佢話：「對方今朝派咗四架無人機，

"Carrying C4 explosives mounted on motor heads.

攜帶住 C4 爆炸物， 安裝喺電機頭上面。

They didn't drop those bombs, but they'll be back later today."

但係佢哋冇揼嗰啲炸彈， 今日遲啲會返嚟。」

A fighter jumped out of his hammock and loaded his rifle.

有個戰士跳出吊床， 然後裝咗支步槍。

“Estamos listos.” “We’re ready.”

「Estamos listos」 「我哋準備好喇。」

This is how the battle to save nature is waged.

拯救大自然嘅戰爭 就係噉樣進行。

One mountain, forest and river at a time.

一次過一座山、 森林同河流。

The roads were quiet as I drove with Pedro, the councilman,

我同議員佩德羅 坐喺車度，啲路好靜，

當時係去緊歐洲鐵礦；

to the European iron mine.

It was a wide, gray mountainside.

嗰個係一個寬闊嘅灰色山坡。

Mexicans say the mining companies work to “licuar las montañas,”

墨西哥人話啲礦業公司係為咗 「液化啲山」而努力，

or “blend the mountains down.”

或者「將山混合埋一齊」。

Pedro pointed up at an old shack.

佩德羅指住間舊棚屋，

He said, “The cartel fighters are behind those walls and we should leave,

佢話：「卡特爾戰士 喺嗰啲牆後面，我哋應該離開，

because I’m on their hit list.”

因為我喺佢哋 熱門名單入面。」

These remote wars for the environment can seem to not exist.

呢啲為環保偏遠嘅戰爭 好似唔存在。

Meanwhile, the international mining companies

同時，嗰啲國際礦業公司

are winning so-called corporate sustainability awards.

都係啲所謂嘅企業 贏緊可持續發展嘅獎項。

That night, walking on Ostula’s beach,

嗰晚，我喺奧斯圖拉嘅海灘上步行，

I waited for turtles to swim ashore to nest.

等啲龜游上岸築巢。

I saw their soft white egg shells glow in the moonlight.

我見到佢哋嘅軟白色蛋殼 喺月色下發光。

In the morning, baby turtles hatched.

朝早，啲龜仔孵咗出嚟。

The turtles seemed oblivious to the humans fighting around them.

啲龜似乎意識唔到 喺周圍打緊交嘅人類。

Or maybe they knew about the environmental defenders.

或者佢哋已經知道 受到啲環保戰士保衛。

I've now covered a dozen battles for pristine ecosystems rich in titanium,

而家，我已經報導咗 十幾場戰爭；

衝突係因為原始生態系統 有豐富嘅鈦、銅，金，

copper, gold,

water, sand, forests,

水、沙、森林、

捷豹及蝴蝶。

jaguars, butterflies.

如果冇戰爭記者喺生態前線，

Without war reporters on the ecological front lines,

environmental defenders are killed in obscurity,

環保捍衛者會喺黑暗中被殺，

生態系統會喺沉默中被摧毀，

ecosystems are destroyed in silence

而作惡嘅人就可以逃走。

and the perpetrators get away.

In my own work, I've shone a light on war crimes in Central Africa.

喺我自己嘅工作入面， 已經揭示咗中非嘅戰爭罪行。

I've seen criminals be prosecuted.

我見過犯罪分子被起訴。

Yet we won't win the global environmental war

但係我哋唔會贏到 全球嘅環保戰爭，

unless we pay more attention

除非我哋留意多啲，

and join forces with brave defenders around the world.

同埋與世界各地勇敢嘅捍衛者聯手。

These small bands of fighters are fearless.

呢啲不同小隊嘅戰士係冇有怕。

They fought colonial conquerors hundreds of years ago,

佢哋喺幾百年前， 同殖民地征服者打過仗，

then led fiery revolutions

然後帶領火熱嘅革命

and remarkably, hold off heavily armed cartels.

同埋值得注意嘅係， 阻止咗重型武裝嘅卡特爾。

Together with them,

同佢哋一齊，

you and I now need to take on our biggest

你哋同我，

而家需要承擔最大嘅挑戰，

and most important war.

同埋最重要嘅戰爭；

To save all that remains of nature and ensure our survival.

為咗拯救所有殘餘嘅大自然，

同埋確保我哋嘅生存。

Thank you.

多謝你。

(Applause)

（掌聲）