The "dead zone" of the Gulf of Mexico | Nancy Rabalais

譯者: Lilian Chiu 審譯者: Yanyan Hong

Good evening, welcome to New Orleans.

晚安，歡迎來到紐奧良。

I don't know if you knew this,

不知道各位是否知道，

but you are sitting within 15 minutes of one of the largest rivers in the world:

各位所坐的地方，距離世界上 最大的河流之一：密西西比河，

the Mississippi river.

僅 15 分鐘。

Old Man River, Big Muddy.

它出現在歌曲《老人河》 和電影《大泥沼》中。

And it goes as far north as the state of Minnesota,

它向北一路通到明尼蘇達州，

as far east as the state of New York,

向東到紐約州，

as far west as Montana.

向西則到蒙大拿州。

And 100 miles from here, river miles,

距離這裡 100 英哩，河流的英哩，

it empties its fresh water and sediments into the Gulf of Mexico.

它把淡水和沉積物帶入墨西哥灣。

That's the end of Geography 101.

地理學入門到此為止。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

Now we're going to go to what is in that water.

現在，我們要來談談水裡有什麼。

Besides the sediment, there are dissolved molecules, nitrogen and phosphorus.

除了沉積物， 還有溶解的分子、氮和磷。

And those, through a biological process,

它們透過生物過程，

lead to the formation of areas called dead zones.

就會導致所謂「死亡區」的形成。

Now, dead zone is a quite ominous word

死亡區是個很不吉利的詞，

if you're a fish or a crab.

如果你是魚或螃蟹的話。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

Even a little worm in the sediments.

甚至是沉積物中的小蟲。

Which means that there's not enough oxygen

這表示，沒有足夠的氧氣

for those animals to survive.

供那些動物存活。

So, how does this happen?

為什麼會發生這種狀況？

The nitrogen and the phosphorus

氮和磷刺激

stimulate the growth of microscopic plants called phytoplankton.

名為「浮游植物」的微生植物生長。

And small animals called zooplankton eat the phytoplankton,

名為「浮游動物」的小型動物 會去吃浮游植物，

small fish eat the zooplankton, large fish eat the small fish

小魚會吃浮游動物，大魚會吃小魚，

and it goes on up into the food web.

以此類推到整個食物鏈。

The problem is that there's just too much nitrogen and phosphorus right now,

問題是，現在有太多的氮和磷了，

too much phytoplankton falling to the bottom

太多浮游植物落到底部，

and decomposed by bacteria that use up the oxygen.

被細菌分解，把氧氣用盡。

That's the biology.

這就是背後的生物學。

Now, you can't see it from the surface of the water,

從水面是看不到死亡區的，

you can't see it in satellite images,

從衛星影像也看不到，

so how do we know it's there?

我們怎麼知道它存在？

Well, a trawler can tell you,

拖網漁船就能告訴你，

when she puts her net over the side and drags for 20 minutes

如果把它的網放入水中， 拖行 20 分鐘，

and comes up empty,

拉起來時還是空的，

that she knows she's in the dead zone.

就知道它在死亡區了，

And she has to go somewhere else.

就得要去其他地方。

But where else do you go if this area is 8,000 square miles big?

但若死亡區大到 8000 平方英哩， 還有哪裡能去呢？

About the size of the state of New Jersey.

這面積和新澤西州差不多大。

Well, you either make a decision to go further,

你可以決定繼續向前進，

without much economic return,

不會有多少經濟報酬，

or go back to the dock.

你也可以返回碼頭。

As a scientist, I have access to high-tech equipment

身為科學家，我能取得高科技設備，

that we can put over the side of the research vessel,

我們可以把這設備放在研究船外側，

and it measures oxygen and many more things.

它就能測量氧氣和許多其他東西。

We start at the Mississippi River,

我們從密西西比河開始，

we crisscross the Gulf of Mexico all the way to Texas,

我們穿過墨西哥灣，一路到德州，

and even I sneak into Texas every now and then and test their waters.

我偶爾會溜進德州 去檢測他們的水體。

And you can tell by the bottom oxygen --

從底部的氧氣就可以判斷──

you can draw a map of everything that's less than two,

你可以畫一張地圖， 畫出所有少於 2 的東西，

which is the magic number for when the fish start to leave the area.

當 2 這個魔術數字出現時， 魚類就開始離開該區域了。

I also dive in this dead zone.

我也會潛入死亡區。

We have oxygen meters that we have to deploy offshore

我們有氧氣計，需要離岸才能部署，

that tell us continuous measurements of low oxygen or high oxygen.

它能持續提供我們 低氧或高氧的測量資訊。

And when you get into the water, there's a lot of fish.

進入水中時，裡面有很多魚。

Tons of fish, all kinds of fish,

數不清的魚，各種魚，

including my buddy here, the barracuda that I saw one day.

包括我的伙計， 有一天我發現的梭魚。

Everybody else swam this way and I went this way with my camera.

大家都往這個方向游泳， 我帶著攝影機往這個方向去。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

And then, down at 30 feet you start to see fewer fish.

接著，下沉到 30 英呎， 看到的魚就變少了。

And then you get to the bottom.

接著，就到了底部。

And you don't see any fish.

這裡看不到任何魚類。

There's no life on the platform, there's no life swimming around.

在平台上沒有任何生命， 也沒有生物在周圍游動。

And you know you're in the dead zone.

你就知道自己身在死亡區了。

So, what's the connection between the middle of the United States

美國中部和墨西哥灣

and the Gulf of Mexico?

有什麼關聯？

Well, most of the watershed is farmland.

大部分的流域都是農地。

And in particular, corn-soybean rotation.

尤其是小麥和黃豆輪作。

The nitrogen that is put in fertilizers and the phosphorus goes on the land

在肥料當中的氮及磷會進入土地中，

and drains off into the Mississippi River

然後流入密西西比河中，

and ends up in the Gulf of Mexico.

最後到達墨西哥灣。

There's three times more nitrogen in the water

現在在密西西比河中的氮，

in the Mississippi now,

是 50 年代的 3 倍之多。

than there was in the 1950s.

Three times.

3 倍。

And phosphorus has doubled.

磷則是 2 倍。

And what that means is more phytoplankton and more sinking sails and lower oxygen.

那意味著更多浮游植物、 更多沉船、更低的含氧量。

This is not a natural feature of the Gulf; it's been caused by human activities.

這並不是海灣的自然特徵， 而是人類的活動造成的。

The landscape is not what it used to be.

地景和以前不同了。

It used to be prairies and forests and prairie potholes

以前是大草原、森林、草原壺穴、

and duck areas and all kinds of stuff.

鴨子聚集處等等種種地景。

But not anymore -- it's row crops.

但不再是了。現在是大片的農田。

And there are ways that we can address this type of agriculture

我們可以用許多方式 來處理這種類型的農業：

by using less fertilizer, maybe precision fertilizing.

可用較少的肥料， 也許可以更精準地施肥；

And trying some sustainable agriculture

也可以試一些永續農業，

such as perennial wheatgrass, which has much longer roots

像是種植根較長的多年生小麥草，

than the six inches of a corn plant,

比玉米植株的 6 英吋還長，

that can keep the nitrogen on the soil and keep the soil from running off.

能讓氮維持在土壤中， 且不讓土壤流失掉。

And how do we convince our neighbors to the north,

我們要如何說服北方的鄰居，

maybe 1,000 miles away or more,

也許住在1000 英哩外 或更遠的鄰居，

that their activities are causing problems with water quality in the Gulf of Mexico?

讓他們了解，他們的活動會造成 墨西哥灣的水質問題呢？

First of all, we can take them to their own backyard.

首先，我們可以帶他們到 他們的自家後院。

If you want to go swimming in Wisconsin in the summer

如果夏天你想要在威斯康辛州游泳，

in your favorite watering hole,

到你最愛的水坑，

you might find something like this

你可能會發現像這樣的東西，

which looks like spilled green paint and smells like it,

它看起來像是 溢出的綠漆，聞起來也像，

growing on the surface of the water.

在水面上生長。

This is a toxic blue-green algal bloom

這是有毒的、生長茂盛的藍綠藻，

and it is not good for you.

對你有害。

Similarly, in Lake Erie, couple of summers ago

同樣在伊利湖，幾個夏天之前，

there was hundreds of miles of this blue-green algae

有數百英哩的這種藍綠色海藻，

and the city of Toledo, Ohio, couldn't use it for their drinking water

俄亥俄州的托雷多市

連續數日都無法喝這種水。

for several days on end.

And if you watch the news,

如果你看新聞，

you know that lots of communities are having trouble with drinking water.

你就知道有很多社區 都遇到了飲用水問題。

I'm a scientist.

我是科學家。

I don't know if you could tell that.

不知道各位是否看得出來。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

And I do solid science, I publish my results,

我做紮實的科學，出版研究的結果，

my colleagues read them, I get citations of my work.

我的同事會讀，我的研究會被引用。

But I truly believe that, as a scientist,

但身為科學家，我真心相信，

using mostly federal funds to do the research,

我主要用聯邦資金來做研究，

I owe it to the public,

我應該向公眾、

to agency heads and congressional people

機構負責人和國會議員

to share my knowledge with them

分享我的知識，

so they can use it, hopefully to make better decisions

以便他們能用來做更好的決策，

about our environmental policy.

關於環境政策的決策。

(Applause)

（掌聲）

Thank you.

謝謝。

(Applause)

（掌聲）

One of the ways that I was able to do this is I brought in the media.

要達成這個目標， 我的做法之一就是利用媒體。

And Joby Warrick from the "Washington Post"

華盛頓郵報的喬比瓦里克

put this picture in an article

在一篇文章中放入這張照片，

on the front page, Sunday morning, two inches above the fold.

登在星期日早報的頭版， 在對摺線上方 2 英吋處。

That's a big deal.

那是件大事。

And Senator John Breaux, from Louisiana,

路易斯安那州的參議員約翰布里克斯

said, "Oh my gosh, that's what they think the Gulf of Mexico looks like?"

說：「喔，我的天，他們認為 墨西哥灣看起來像這個樣子？」

And I said, "Well, you know, there's the proof."

我說：「嗯，有證據可以證明。」

And we've go to do something about it.

對此我們得要做點什麼。

At the same time, Senator Olympia Snowe from Maine

當時緬因州的參議員奧林匹亞史諾

was having trouble with harmful algal blooms in the Gulf of Maine.

遭遇有害藍綠藻在緬因灣 生長茂盛的問題。

They joined forces -- it was bipartisan --

他們同心協力──兩黨都支持──

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

(Applause)

（掌聲）

And invited me to give congressional testimony,

並邀請我去國會作證，

and I said, "Oh, all I've done is chase crabs around south Texas,

我說：「喔，我所做的 只是在南德州追著螃蟹跑，

I don't know how to do that."

我不知道怎麼作證。」

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

But I did it.

但我去了。

(Cheers)

（歡呼）

And eventually, the bill passed.

最終，法案通過了。

And it was called -- yeah, yay!

它叫做──對啊，太棒了！

It was called The Harmful Algal Bloom

它是「1998 年控制和研究

and Hypoxia Research and Control Act of 1998.

有害藻類過度繁殖和低氧」法案。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

(Applause)

（掌聲）

Thank you.

謝謝。

Which is why we call it the Snowe-Breaux Bill.

這就是為什麼我們稱它為 史諾－布里克斯法案。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

The other thing is that we had a conference in 2001

另一件事是 2001 年有一場大會，

that was put on by the National Academy of Sciences

由美國國家科學院舉辦，

that looked at fertilizers, nitrogen and poor water quality.

探討肥料、氮，和水質惡化。

Our plenary speaker was the former governor

我們的專題講者 是紐澤西州的前任州長。

of the state of New Jersey.

And she ...

她……

There was no thinking she wasn't serious when she peered at the audience,

當她凝視觀眾的時候， 沒有人會認為她不是認真的，

and I thought, "Surely she's looking at me."

當時我心想：「當然她正看著我。」

"You know, I'm really tired of this thing being called New Jersey.

「我已經厭倦了這被稱為紐澤西的。

Pick another state, any state, I just don't want to hear it anymore."

挑別的州吧，任何一州， 我只是不想再聽到紐澤西了。」

But she was able to move the action plan

但她有辦法把行動計畫

across President George H.W. Bush's desk

放在小布希總統的桌上，

so that we had environmental goals

讓我們能夠設定環境目標，

and that we were working to solve them.

且努力去解決問題。

The Midwest does not feed the world.

中西部沒餵養整個世界的人，

It feeds a lot of chickens, hogs, cattle

而是養了許多雞、豬、牛，

and it generates ethanol

也生產混入我們的石油的乙醇，

to put into our gasoline,

which is regulated by federal policy.

那由聯邦的政策控管。

We can do better than this.

我們能做得比這更好。

We need to make decisions

我們得要決策，

that make us less consumptive

要減少消耗，

and reduce our reliance on nitrogen.

並減少我們對氮的依賴。

It's like a carbon footprint.

就像是碳足跡，

But you can reduce your nitrogen footprint.

你可以減少氮足跡。

I do it by not eating much meat --

我的做法是少吃肉──

I still like a little every now and then --

我還是喜歡偶爾吃一點──

not using corn oil,

不用玉米油，

driving a car that I can put nonethanol gas in

和選擇開不用混乙醇汽油的車，

and get better gas mileage.

那樣還更省油。

Just things like that that can make a difference.

做這些事就能夠創造改變。

So I'm challenging, not just you,

我要挑戰，不只向各位挑戰，

but I challenge a lot of people, especially in the Midwest --

我要挑戰很多人， 特別是中西部的人──

think about how you're treating your land and how you can make a difference.

想想看你們怎麼對待土地， 以及你們能怎麼不同。

So my steps are very small steps.

我跨出的只是小步。

To change the type of agriculture in the US

要改變美國的農業類型，

is going to be many big steps.

需要很多的大步。

And it's going to take political and social will for that to happen.

在政治面和社會面 也都要配合才能實現。

But we can do it.

但我們能做到。

I strongly believe we can translate the science,

我堅信我們能翻譯科學，

bridge it to policy and make a difference in our environment.

把它和政策接軌， 為我們的環境帶來改變。

We all want a clean environment.

我們都想要一個乾淨的環境。

And we can work together to do this

我們能同心協力做到這一點，

so that we no longer have these dead zones in the Gulf of Mexico.

這樣我們在墨西哥灣 就不會再有死亡區了。

Thank you.

謝謝。

(Applause)

（掌聲）