The Satellite Helping Slow Climate Change — Right Now | Millie Chu Baird | TED

譯者: 麗玲 辛

Lots of people are really enthusiastic about space.

許多人對太空充滿熱情。

My husband, my daughters and a lot of my colleagues

我先生、女兒們，還有很多同事

love rockets and pretty much anything that has to do with space.

都熱愛火箭和任何與太空有關的事物。

It's never really been my thing.

我從來不是這樣。

However, I recently went to a rocket launch,

然而，最近我去看了一次火箭發射，

and I can honestly say that I got emotional.

說實話，我感到非常激動。

And the emotion that I felt wasn't just thrill or awe.

我感受到的不只是興奮、讚嘆，

It was hope.

還有希望。

Because my colleagues and I helped put something on that rocket

因為我和同事這次 把某個東西送上了火箭，

that will address the single most important thing we can do

用來處理唯一我們能 在有生之年解決的重大問題，

to affect climate change in our lifetimes.

並影響氣候變遷。

We often hear about things we can do to help our grandchildren

我們經常聽到人們說 要做些事來幫助未來子孫

and the Earth that they'll inherit.

以及他們將繼承的地球。

And everything we're doing to reduce carbon dioxide

我們正在努力減少二氧化碳，

will certainly help in the long run.

長期下來，這些作為當然有幫助。

But what if we could do something that would help people's lives now?

但是，假設有些事我們現在做了， 就能改善人們生活呢？

I believe we can, because we're taking on methane.

我相信我們做得到， 因為我們正在應付甲烷。

Methane is a highly potent short-term greenhouse gas.

甲烷是一種高度強效的短期溫室氣體。

Let's compare this year's carbon dioxide pollution from burning fossil fuels

我們來比較一下今年燃燒 化石燃料產生的二氧化碳污染

with this year's methane pollution.

和今年的甲烷污染。

There is a lot more CO2.

二氧化碳多得多。

However,

然而，

because methane is over 80 times as powerful at trapping heat

因為甲烷在短期捕捉熱能的能力

比二氧化碳強 80 倍以上，

in the short term,

甲烷所造成的暖化效應 和全部二氧化碳加總一樣。

methane will cause as much warming as all that CO2.

And methane is easier to control if we know where it's coming from.

如果我們知道甲烷從何而來， 就更容易控制它。

So what was on that rocket that makes me so hopeful?

那麼，讓我滿懷希望的火箭上 裝的是什麼呢？

This is MethaneSAT.

是甲烷衛星 (MethaneSAT)。

It's one of thousands of active satellites orbiting the Earth.

它是繞地球運行的數千顆 主動人造衛星中的一顆。

But it's my favorite.

但它是我的最愛。

Not just because we helped put it there,

不僅因為是我們把它送上去的，

but because we designed it for a purpose to have a profound impact on methane.

還因為它是設計來

對甲烷產生深遠而快速的影響。

And soon.

For the past 20 years,

過去 20 年來，

my job has been to understand climate from a variety of angles,

我的工作是從各個角度了解氣候狀況，

to be a bridge between scientists, policymakers and companies,

成為科學家、政策制定者 和企業之間的橋樑，

ensuring that we're all working towards the same big vision.

確保我們都在朝著共同的願景努力。

And the vision for MethaneSAT is to deliver actionable data quickly,

甲烷衛星的願景是快速提供可行數據，

putting it in the hands of people in the trenches pushing for change.

把數據交到推動變革的人手中。

Now methane comes from several sources.

甲烷來自幾個源頭。

It comes from cows,

它來自牛隻，

it comes from landfills,

來自垃圾掩埋場，

it comes from coal mines.

來自煤礦。

And a lot of it comes from leaks from the oil and gas infrastructure.

很多甲烷來自石油 和天然氣基礎設施的洩漏。

For a while, we've known

長期以來，我們只知道

what the overall concentration of methane is in the atmosphere,

大氣中的甲烷總濃度，

but we haven't been able to pinpoint sources

但我們無法確定來源，

and tell how much was coming from where.

也無法確定具體數量。

In fact, companies and governments often underreport their emissions

事實上，企業和政府 經常低估其排放量，

because they simply haven't had good data.

純然因為他們沒有可用的數據。

But now they will.

但現在，他們會有數據。

When we looked at the data we were collecting using airplanes,

之前我們用飛機收集數據，

we realized that we would never get a comprehensive enough view.

但我們意識到 我們的視角永遠不夠全面。

We simply cannot fly an airplane over every oil and gas field

我們根本做不到讓飛機每天飛越

in the world every day.

世界上每一個油氣田。

We realized that we needed to be collecting our data

我們意識到我們需要

用衛星來收集數據。

using a satellite.

And that satellite would need spectrometers that did not yet exist.

這顆衛星還需要 那時尚未問世的光譜儀。

So we went to the world's most innovative instrument experts,

因此，我們去找世界上 最具創新力的儀器專家，

and they helped us build two spectrometers

他們幫助我們建造了兩個光譜儀，

that would allow us to see methane emissions

這些光譜儀能讓我們

from 590 kilometers away, from space.

從 590 公里外的太空 看到甲烷的排放。

They had to develop a new manufacturing technique

他們得開發一種新的製造技術

to create a prism that would allow us to see

來製作一個棱鏡，

這樣，即使甲烷濃度很低， 我們也能看到它與光的相互作用。

how even the smallest concentrations of methane interact with light.

It's pretty amazing.

這非常了不起。

To give you a sense of the power of MethaneSAT,

為了讓大家了解甲烷衛星的威力，

I'd like to show you some images

我想展示一些圖片，

that will show how we'll see methane from oil and gas.

這些圖片將展示我們怎麼看到 來自石油和天然氣的甲烷。

We'll be able to zoom in and out

我們能夠放大、縮小圖像，

and circle back weekly to see how emissions have changed.

每週回訪，以查看排放量的變化。

MethaneSAT will show the total picture,

甲烷衛星會顯示整體情況，

not just point sources or large leaks,

不僅是點源或大洩漏，

but also the smaller, more spread-out sources

還有那些較小、分散的來源，

that actually make up the majority of emissions most of the time.

但實際上，它們時常構成主要排放量。

MethaneSAT will show how much methane is coming from where over time.

甲烷衛星將顯示隨著時間推移， 甲烷的來源及其數量。

Now you're the first to see this data.

你們是第一批看到這些數據的人。

It's raw data that came from the satellite.

這是來自衛星的原始數據，

It's spectral imagery.

以光譜圖像呈現。

But after we do our analysis on it,

但進行分析之後，

we still have to solve a people challenge and change human behavior.

我們仍需要解決人的問題， 改變人類行為。

So we'll put our analysis directly in the hands of those

因此，我們會把數據分析直接交到 那些能夠採取行動的人手中，

who can take action to reduce methane from oil and gas.

以減少來自石油和天然氣的甲烷。

That would be government regulators,

這些人包括政府監管機構、

the companies themselves

企業本身

and nonprofits who will be receiving our data at no cost.

還有非營利組織， 他們可以免費取得我們的數據。

Fixing leaks is actually not a technical challenge.

修復洩漏其實沒有多大技術挑戰。

Often it's as easy as fixing a crack in a pipe.

通常跟修補管路上的裂縫一樣簡單。

Companies know how to do this.

企業知道如何怎麼做，

It's just a matter of priority.

這只是優先順序的問題而已。

And that's what I mean by a people challenge.

這就是我所說的人的問題。

Environmental Defense Fund is taking this on.

環境保衛基金會正在解決這個問題。

As the first environmental nonprofit to own and operate a satellite,

作為第一個擁有和營運衛星的 環保非營利組織，

we are supporting both the technology and the advocacy.

我們支援技術和倡議活動。

MethaneSAT would not exist without generous donors,

甲烷衛星的存在端賴慷慨贊助者，

some of whom are a part of this TED community.

其中一些人來自 TED 社群。

We'd like to thank you for your belief in our mission.

我們感謝各位對這個使命的信任。

We'd also like to thank government entities

我們還要感謝 紐西蘭太空局等政府機構，

like the New Zealand Space Agency,

who have invested in MethaneSAT to build their space capacity,

他們投資甲烷衛星 以建立他們的太空能力，

but also to better understand methane emissions from agriculture.

同時也更了解來自農業的甲烷排放。

With powerful data and boots on the ground,

借助強大的數據和地面上的努力，

our goal is to reduce methane emissions from oil and gas facilities

我們的目標是在未來六年內

減少 75％ 來自石油 和天然氣設施的甲烷排放。

by 75 percent

in the next six years.

That's 75 percent.

75％。

(Applause)

（掌聲）

It's a lot, and we have momentum.

這是個大數字，而我們也有動能。

Fifty companies representing 40 percent of global oil and gas production

佔全球 40％ 石油 和天然氣產量的 50 家公司

have already pledged to cut their methane emissions by 90 percent

已經承諾到 2030 年

減少 90％ 的甲烷排放。

by 2030.

(Applause)

（掌聲）

Over 150 countries have signed the Global Methane Pledge

超過 150 個國家簽署了 全球甲烷承諾，

to be a part of the solution.

誓言成為解決方案的一份子。

Purchasers can also influence sellers.

買方也可以影響賣家。

The largest importer of natural gas in the world,

世界上最大的天然氣進口國，

the European Union,

歐盟，已經採取措施，

is already taking steps to extend its rules

將其規定延伸至進口，

to apply to imports

and setting in place rules that will allow them to buy from suppliers

並制定規則，

可向甲烷排放量最少的供應商採購。

that have the least methane emissions.

And MethaneSAT will help track all of that.

甲烷衛星將有助追踪這些情況。

It's powerful when countries and companies have this knowledge,

當國家和企業擁有這些知識時， 會是強而有力的，

but it's even more powerful when we all have the knowledge,

但當我們所有人擁有 這些知識時，更加強大，

because it provides the information and the incentive

因為這提供了資訊和動機， 讓人們得以實現承諾。

for people to fulfill their commitments.

This kind of radical transparency changes the dynamic.

這種徹底的透明度改變了局面。

It's what makes me hopeful, and I hope you share that feeling as well.

這就是讓我充滿希望的原因， 我希望你們也有同感。

With MethaneSAT in space and the power of people on Earth,

隨著甲烷衛星在太空中 以及地球上的人們合力，

let's do everything we can as quickly as we can

讓我們盡快盡一切努力，

to slow the rate of global warming in our lifetimes.

在我們的有生之年 減緩全球暖化的速度。

Thank you.

謝謝。

(Applause)

（掌聲）