The African Swamp Protecting Earth's Environment | Vera Songwe | TED

譯者: gisele chan 審譯者: Amanda Zhu

There is a play by one of my favorite writers,

有一部戲由一位 我很喜歡的作家創作的

Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka,

諾貝爾獲獎者渥雷·索因卡

I would like to tell you about,

我想和你介紹這部戲

"The Swamp Dwellers."

「沼澤居民」

"The Swamp Dwellers" are about a blind beggar

「沼澤居民」是關於一個盲人乞丐

who attempts to buy a piece of swampland

試圖購買一塊沼澤地的故事

because he believes that the swamps will provide him

因為他相信沼澤地會給他

with a better livelihood.

更好的生計

However, the villagers in that swamp believe

然而，那片沼澤地的村民相信

that deep in the forests of the swamp lies a deity

在沼澤地的森林深處有一位神靈

whose job is to protect them from all misfortune.

其職責是保護他們免遭一切不幸

There is another swamp

還有另一個沼澤

that protects us from misfortune.

也保護我們免遭不幸

And holds the promise of humanity's survival.

並為人類的生存帶來了希望

Those are the peatlands of the Congo Basin.

這是剛果盆地的泥炭苔地

The peatlands of the Congo Basin

剛果盆地的泥炭苔地

are a lush, vast, expanse of weeds, shrubs

是一片茂密廣闊的雜草、灌木和樹木

and trees that absorb carbon

它們從大氣中吸收碳

from the atmosphere.

They span 145,000 kilometers.

緜延 145,000 公里

The peat formations began 10,000 years ago,

泥炭苔層始於一萬年前

when man moved from hunter-gatherer to farmer.

當人類從狩獵採集者轉變為農民時

Nature, I guess, figured, "I better start protecting myself."

大自然想：「我最好開始保護自己。」

A couple of years ago,

幾年前

scientists discovered that these tropical peatlands

科學家們發現這些熱帶泥炭苔地

are probably the largest carbon sink in the world.

可能是世界上最大的碳匯

They store 30 billion tons of carbon.

它們儲存了 300 億噸碳

If they did not exist,

如果它們不存在，

we would have probably already stepped beyond

我們可能已經超越

the threshold of 1.5 degrees of warming.

升溫 1.5 度的臨界值

However, the peatlands are under threat.

然而，泥炭地正受到威脅

We have, of course, oil explorations being contemplated.

當然，我們還在考慮進行石油勘探

Logging licenses have already been awarded.

更多伐木許可證已經被授予

And many of the communities that live around the peatlands

許多生活在泥炭苔地周圍的居民

have just this for survival.

只能靠泥炭苔生存

We have all collectively seen,

我們都看到

in the Amazon forest,

在亞馬遜森林

burning down because of economic interest.

因為經濟利益而燒毀

Turning this forest from carbon sink to carbon source.

將這片森林從碳匯轉變為碳排放源

We have witnessed, in Indonesia, the swamps drained

我們目睹印度尼西亞 沼澤地的水被排乾

for palm oil plantations.

用於棕櫚油種植園

Turning them from carbon sink to carbon source.

將它們從碳匯轉變為碳排放源

It will be devastating if the same fate

如果同樣的命運 降臨剛果盆地的泥炭苔地

were to befall the peatlands of the Congo Basin.

那有毀滅性的結果

The peatlands are a passion of mine.

泥炭苔地是我的熱情所在

I believe they must be protected.

我相信它必須受到保護

But we must also, in this fight against climate change,

但我們還必須在與氣候變遷的鬥爭中

ensure that responsibility and accountability

確保責任和問責的適當分配

are adequately apportioned.

The world emits over 54 billion tons of carbon.

世界排放超過 540 億噸碳

The peatlands of the Congo Basin absorb a large majority of that.

剛果盆地的泥炭苔地 吸收了其中很大的一部分，

Africa emits 1.2 billion tons of carbon a year.

非洲一年排放 12 億噸碳

And the communities that live around the peatlands

生活在泥炭苔地周圍的居民

have no access to basic services.

無法獲得基本的公共服務

Education, health care,

像是教育、醫療、乾淨的飲用水

clean drinking water, an adequate meal,

以及充足的膳食

good transportation, technology.

還有便利的交通、技術等

Clearly, they are not tweeting.

顯然，他們無法發推文

The peatlands are an economic asset,

泥炭苔地是一種經濟資產

which, if valued appropriately, could provide the stepping stone

如果適當地加以重視

它可以為居民生計的改善提供墊腳石

for these communities to improve their livelihoods.

Nature has acted already as a store of value for the peatlands.

大自然已經為泥炭苔地蘊藏價值

A kind of federal reserve.

像是一種聯邦儲備

Now, imagine if we had a price for carbon at 50 dollars.

現在，想像一下如果 我們的碳價格是 50 美元

With 30 billion tons of carbon sequestered in the peatlands,

泥炭苔地儲存了 300 億噸碳

we're talking at 1.5 trillion.

我們說的是 1.5 兆

A peatland development fund

泥炭苔地發展基金

could help us today to address the stubborn

可以幫助我們立即解決

非洲大陸今天所面臨的

and seemingly persistent developmental challenges

頑固以及看似永遠解決不了的發展挑戰

that the continent faces today.

This is not just about decarbonization.

這不僅僅關乎脫碳

This is also about development with dignity.

這也關乎在發展時保持尊嚴

This is about equity.

關乎平等

It is about justice, and it is about transparency.

關乎正義，也關乎透明度

(Applause)

（掌聲）

Indeed, Africa has not contributed enormously

事實上，氣候變遷的造成

to the climate crisis.

非洲的責任很小

But we have visibly contributed enormously to keeping the planet alive.

但我們顯然為保持地球的生生不息

做出了巨大貢獻

We can, therefore ...

所以我們可以……

(Applause)

（掌聲）

Not expect, but as the blind beggar,

不心存期待，但作為盲人乞丐

we continue to plead for assistance to achieve a better livelihood,

我們繼續懇求援助以改善生計

and we certainly cannot be like Wole Soyinka’s swamp dwellers

我們當然不能像 沃爾索因卡的沼澤居民

who wait patiently while the world overlooks

在世界忽略和破壞 非洲對氣候變遷的貢獻時

and undermines Africa's contribution to climate change.

還耐心等待

Science has recognized Africa's contribution.

科學已經肯定非洲的貢獻

I ask you to join me in recognizing Africa's contribution,

我請你和我一起來肯定非洲的貢獻

and collectively,

我們要共同地

we must ask the markets to recognize

要求市場肯定並適當回饋

and adequately reward Africa's contribution

非洲的貢獻

by putting a price on carbon.

這要透過為碳定價來達成

(Applause)

（掌聲）