How pollution is changing the ocean's chemistry | Triona McGrath

119,948 views ・ 2017-06-19

TED


請雙擊下方英文字幕播放視頻。

譯者: Ming Lee 審譯者: 易帆 余
00:13
Do you ever think about how important the oceans are in our daily lives?
0
13447
4333
請問你們是否知道, 海洋對我們的生活有多重要嗎?
00:19
The oceans cover two-thirds of our planet.
1
19650
2746
地球有 2/3 的面積是海洋。
00:23
They provide half the oxygen we breathe.
2
23010
2401
我們呼吸的氧氣, 有一半是它們提供的。
00:25
They moderate our climate.
3
25856
1654
它們調節氣候。
00:27
And they provide jobs and medicine and food
4
27875
3777
提供人類就業機會和醫藥、食物,
00:32
including 20 percent of protein to feed the entire world population.
5
32001
4944
包括 20% 全人類食用的蛋白質。
00:38
People used to think that the oceans were so vast
6
38151
2516
人們認為海洋這麼的浩瀚,
00:40
that they wouldn't be affected by human activities.
7
40692
2460
應該不會受到人類活動的影響。
00:44
Well today I'm going to tell you about a serious reality
8
44025
3286
但今天我想告訴各位,
00:47
that is changing our oceans called ocean acidification,
9
47336
4632
關於「海洋酸化」的嚴重現實,
00:52
or the evil twin of climate change.
10
52183
2365
或稱之為「氣候改變的邪惡雙胞胎」。
00:55
Did you know that the oceans have absorbed 25 percent of all of the carbon dioxide
11
55720
5422
你是否知道海洋可以吸收 人類釋放到大氣中二氧化碳的 25%。
01:01
that we have emitted to the atmosphere?
12
61167
2243
01:03
Now this is just another great service provided by the oceans
13
63790
3638
這是海水提供的極大貢獻,
01:07
since carbon dioxide is one of the greenhouse gases
14
67453
2869
因為二氧化碳, 是一種溫室效應氣體,
01:10
that's causing climate change.
15
70347
1756
會造成地球氣候的變遷。
01:13
But as we keep pumping more and more and more
16
73130
4036
由於我們繼續製造 更多的二氧化碳,
01:17
carbon dioxide into the atmosphere
17
77192
2492
並且釋放到空氣中,
01:19
more is dissolving into the oceans.
18
79850
2453
海洋就吸收了更多的二氧化碳。
01:22
And this is what's changing our ocean chemistry.
19
82623
2920
所以這是海洋化學正在改變的主因。
01:27
When carbon dioxide dissolves in seawater,
20
87170
2388
當二氧化碳溶解在海裡時,
01:29
it undergoes a number of chemical reactions.
21
89583
2238
它會產生一連串的化學反應。
01:32
Now lucky for you,
22
92240
1165
今天你們很幸運,
01:33
I don't have time to get into the details of the chemistry for today.
23
93430
3285
我不需要在此詳述化學的細節。
01:37
But I'll tell you as more carbon dioxide enters the ocean,
24
97208
3324
但我可以告訴你多一點, 有關二氧化碳溶入海水的事,
01:40
the seawater pH goes down.
25
100557
2357
它會造成海水酸鹼值 (pH) 的下降。
01:43
And this basically means that there is an increase in ocean acidity.
26
103550
3967
基本上來說就是海水會愈來愈酸。
01:48
And this whole process is called ocean acidification.
27
108168
4122
整個過程稱之為「海洋酸化」。
01:52
And it's happening alongside climate change.
28
112724
2726
同時也造成氣候的改變。
01:56
Scientists have been monitoring ocean acidification for over two decades.
29
116176
4103
科學家偵測海水酸化的時間, 已經長達 20年。
02:00
This figure is an important time series in Hawaii,
30
120818
2673
這是對夏威夷很重要的 一張時間序列圖,
02:03
and the top line shows steadily increasing concentrations of carbon dioxide,
31
123516
4895
最上面那條棕色曲線, 顯示二氧化碳濃度,
或大氣中的 CO2 氣體含量,
02:08
or CO2 gas, in the atmosphere.
32
128436
2515
呈現出穩定上升的趨勢。
02:11
And this is directly as a result of human activities.
33
131062
3246
直接來自人類活動造成的結果。
02:15
The line underneath shows the increasing concentrations of carbon dioxide
34
135160
4031
下面那藍色條線,
顯示 CO2 溶解在海洋表面的濃度,
02:19
that is dissolved in the surface of the ocean
35
139216
2936
02:22
which you can see is increasing at the same rate
36
142398
2959
可看出它也是以同樣速率在增加,
02:25
as carbon dioxide in the atmosphere since measurements began.
37
145382
3174
與開始測量大氣 CO2 含量時 具有相同的增加速率。
02:28
The line on the bottom shows then shows the change in chemistry.
38
148747
3007
最底下的綠色曲線, 顯示化學反應的變化。
02:31
As more carbon dioxide has entered the ocean,
39
151779
2826
當更多二氧化碳進入海洋時,
02:34
the seawater pH has gone down,
40
154630
2246
海水酸鹼值也降低,
02:37
which basically means there has been an increase in ocean acidity.
41
157371
4047
代表海水的酸度增加了。
02:43
Now in Ireland, scientists are also monitoring ocean acidification --
42
163005
4070
愛爾蘭的科學家 現在也在監視海洋酸化,
02:47
scientists at the Marine Institute and NUI Galway.
43
167100
2793
他們是愛爾蘭高威大學 海洋學院的研究員,
02:50
And we, too, are seeing acidification at the same rate
44
170044
4149
我們也看到 海洋以相同速度在酸化中,
02:54
as these main ocean time-series sites around the world.
45
174218
3007
跟全球其他海洋時間序列一樣。
02:57
So it's happening right at our doorstep.
46
177686
2873
所以它的問題迫在眉睫。
03:01
Now I'd like to give you an example of just how we collect our data
47
181390
3158
我給你們一個 關於我們如何收集資料,
03:04
to monitor a changing ocean.
48
184573
2253
監測海洋變化的例子。
03:07
Firstly we collect a lot of our samples in the middle of winter.
49
187009
3055
首先我們會在冬季中期取樣。
03:10
So as you can imagine, in the North Atlantic
50
190089
2139
你們知道北大西洋,
03:12
we get hit with some seriously stormy conditions --
51
192253
2605
常常被暴風雨襲擊……
03:14
so not for any of you who get a little motion sickness,
52
194969
2633
這工作不適合會暈船的人,
03:17
but we are collecting some very valuable data.
53
197627
2428
但我們必須收集一些有價值的數據。
03:20
So we lower this instrument over the side of the ship,
54
200412
2879
所以我們把偵測儀器 放到船身一側下方,
03:23
and there are sensors that are mounted on the bottom
55
203316
2436
另外船底也有偵測儀器,
03:25
that can tell us information about the surrounding water,
56
205777
2673
可以告訴我們周遭海裡的資訊,
03:28
such as temperature or dissolved oxygen.
57
208475
2420
例如溫度和溶氧量。
03:31
And then we can collect our seawater samples in these large bottles.
58
211270
3815
這樣就可以用 巨大的瓶子收集海水樣本。
03:35
So we start at the bottom, which can be over four kilometers deep
59
215252
3252
首先由 4 公里深的海水層開始,
03:38
just off our continental shelf,
60
218529
1857
作業地點在大陸棚外面一點,
03:40
and we take samples at regular intervals right up to the surface.
61
220632
3666
每隔一段深度收集一個樣本, 一路往上直到海水表面。
03:44
We take the seawater back on the deck,
62
224695
2261
收集到的海水被帶回甲板上,
03:47
and then we can either analyze them on the ship
63
227091
2379
然後直接在船上分析,
03:49
or back in the laboratory for the different chemicals parameters.
64
229495
3135
或是帶回實驗室, 研究相關的化學參數。
03:52
But why should we care?
65
232987
1286
但為什麼我們要關心這些?
03:54
How is ocean acidification going to affect all of us?
66
234471
4444
海洋酸化如何影響我們的未來?
04:00
Well, here are the worrying facts.
67
240574
2912
以下是令人擔心的事實。
04:04
There has already been an increase in ocean acidity of 26 percent
68
244597
5802
海洋酸化已經增加了26%,
04:10
since pre-industrial times, which is directly due to human activities.
69
250424
4007
相對於革命工業開始前,
可見這是由人類活動導致的。
04:15
Unless we can start slowing down our carbon dioxide emissions,
70
255471
4087
除非我們能把二氧化碳 排放的速度減緩下來,
04:19
we're expecting an increase in ocean acidity of 170 percent
71
259851
5937
否則到本世紀末的時候,
我們預期海洋的酸度 會增加 170%。
04:26
by the end of this century.
72
266208
2349
04:29
I mean this is within our children's lifetime.
73
269533
2333
我的意思是到了我們下一代,
04:33
This rate of acidification is 10 times faster
74
273325
5618
此種酸化的速度,
比五千五百萬年前, 海水酸化速度還快十倍。
04:38
than any acidification in our oceans for over 55 million years.
75
278968
6421
04:45
So our marine life have never, ever experienced
76
285880
4371
這是海洋生物從未有過的經驗,
04:50
such a fast rate of change before.
77
290276
2769
那種急遽的變化。
04:53
So we literally could not know how they're going to cope.
78
293371
3899
快速到我們無從知道, 牠們要如何去適應。
04:58
Now there was a natural acidification event millions of years ago,
79
298855
4586
數百萬年前, 曾發生過一件天然酸化事件,
05:03
which was much slower than what we're seeing today.
80
303466
2873
比今日看到的速度緩慢了很多。
05:06
And this coincided with a mass extinction of many marine species.
81
306600
4841
這事件恰好是 很多海洋物種大滅絕的時間。
05:12
So is that what we're headed for?
82
312711
1587
所以這是我們正在邁入的現象嗎?
05:15
Well, maybe.
83
315090
1150
或許是的。
05:16
Studies are showing some species are actually doing quite well
84
316851
3492
研究顯示有些物種適應得很好,
05:20
but many are showing a negative response.
85
320368
2990
但有些則顯出負面的反應。
05:24
One of the big concerns is as ocean acidity increases,
86
324906
4047
海洋酸化的大問題之一是;
05:29
the concentration of carbonate ions in seawater decrease.
87
329247
4254
海水中碳酸鹽離子的減少。
05:34
Now these ions are basically the building blocks
88
334310
2911
這些離子基本上像是一種建築材料,
05:37
for many marine species to make their shells,
89
337246
2801
是很多海洋生物製造外殼的物質,
05:40
for example crabs or mussels, oysters.
90
340579
4555
如螃蟹、孔雀蛤、牡蠣等。
05:45
Another example are corals.
91
345594
1960
另一例是珊瑚。
05:47
They also need these carbonate ions in seawater
92
347752
3181
牠們也需要這些碳酸鹽離子,
05:50
to make their coral structure in order to build coral reefs.
93
350958
3905
來組成珊瑚的結構和製造珊瑚礁。
05:56
As ocean acidity increases
94
356187
2190
當海洋酸性升高時,
05:58
and the concentration of carbonate ions decrease,
95
358599
3230
碳酸鹽離子的濃度降低了,
06:02
these species first find it more difficult to make their shells.
96
362282
4460
這些生物會更難製造外殼。
06:07
And at even even lower levels, they can actually begin to dissolve.
97
367051
3809
當酸性降低至更低的時後, 它們甚至會溶解掉。
06:12
This here is a pteropod, it's called a sea butterfly.
98
372035
3063
這是被喻為「海蝶」的 翼足類軟體動物。
06:15
And it's an important food source in the ocean for many species,
99
375336
3174
牠是很多海洋生物的重要食物來源,
06:18
from krill to salmon right up to whales.
100
378772
3523
從磷蝦、鮭魚到鯨魚都靠它生存。
06:23
The shell of the pteropod was placed into seawater
101
383208
3514
將翼足軟體動物的外殼,
放進我們預估本世紀末的 酸性海水樣本中,
06:26
at a pH that we're expecting by the end of this century.
102
386747
3420
06:31
After only 45 days at this very realistic pH,
103
391024
5492
在此種 pH 值非常酸的 海水裡只需 45 天,
06:36
you can see the shell has almost completely dissolved.
104
396860
4142
就可以看到貝殼幾乎完全被溶解。
06:41
So ocean acidification could affect right up through the food chain --
105
401375
4134
所以海洋酸化可以影響食物鏈,
06:45
and right onto our dinner plates.
106
405644
2111
一路影響到你和我的餐盤。
06:48
I mean who here likes shellfish? Or salmon?
107
408294
3642
我是說誰願意像貝類?鮭魚?
06:52
Or many other fish species
108
412502
1628
或很多其他魚種,
06:54
whose food source in the ocean could be affected?
109
414155
2843
牠們海洋中的食物來源受到影響?
06:57
These are cold-water corals.
110
417946
1847
這些是冷水珊瑚礁。
06:59
And did you know we actually have cold-water corals in Irish waters,
111
419932
3533
你知道愛爾蘭的外海, 也有冷水珊瑚礁嗎?
07:03
just off our continental shelf?
112
423490
1847
就在大陸棚外面一點的地方。
07:05
And they support rich biodiversity, including some very important fisheries.
113
425843
4119
它們支撐豐富多樣生態的存活, 包括非常重要的漁業。
07:10
It's projected that by the end of this century,
114
430676
3087
預估到了本世紀末,
07:14
70 percent of all known cold-water corals in the entire ocean
115
434046
5964
全球 70% 已知的所有冷水珊瑚礁,
在整個海洋裡, 將會通通被海水溶解掉。
07:20
will be surrounded by seawater that is dissolving their coral structure.
116
440397
4694
07:28
The last example I have are these healthy tropical corals.
117
448670
3658
我最近發現的例子 是這些熱帶海洋珊瑚,
07:32
They were placed in seawater at a pH we're expecting by the year 2100.
118
452892
4748
把牠放入預估的 2100 年 酸性海水樣本中時,
07:39
After six months, the coral has almost completely dissolved.
119
459304
5514
經過六個月後,牠們幾乎完全溶解。
07:45
Now coral reefs support
120
465990
2365
現在全球珊瑚礁支撐了
07:48
25 percent of all marine life in the entire ocean.
121
468426
6527
整個海洋 25% 的生態。
07:55
All marine life.
122
475690
1150
所有的海洋生物。
07:57
So you can see: ocean acidification is a global threat.
123
477888
4325
所以可想而知, 海洋酸化是全球性的威脅。
08:02
I have an eight-month-old baby boy.
124
482858
2122
我有個八個月大的嬰兒。
08:05
Unless we start now to slow this down,
125
485800
3857
除非我們現在開始減緩酸化速度,
08:09
I dread to think what our oceans will look like when he's a grown man.
126
489823
4365
我不敢想像未來他長大後, 海洋會變成怎樣。
08:15
We will see acidification.
127
495520
1968
我們將會繼續看到海水的酸化。
08:17
We have already put too much carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
128
497650
4240
因為釋放到空氣中的 二氧化碳已經太多了。
08:22
But we can slow this down.
129
502850
2682
但我們可以放慢酸化速度。
08:25
We can prevent the worst-case scenario.
130
505916
4376
可以預防此種最壞的結局。
08:30
The only way of doing that
131
510570
2184
要作到此點,唯一之道,
08:32
is by reducing our carbon dioxide emissions.
132
512833
3304
就是減少二氧化碳的排放量。
08:36
This is important for both you and I, for industry, for governments.
133
516830
4406
這對你我、工業界, 和政府都是非常重要的。
08:41
We need to work together, slow down global warming
134
521420
3771
我們必須同心協力減緩全球暖化,
08:45
slow down ocean acidification
135
525320
2381
減緩海洋酸化,
08:47
and help to maintain a healthy ocean and a healthy planet
136
527900
4733
一起努力維持海洋和地球的健康,
08:52
for our generation and for generations to come.
137
532659
3291
為了這一代和未來的世代。
08:57
(Applause)
138
537144
4503
(掌聲)
關於本網站

本網站將向您介紹對學習英語有用的 YouTube 視頻。 您將看到來自世界各地的一流教師教授的英語課程。 雙擊每個視頻頁面上顯示的英文字幕,從那裡播放視頻。 字幕與視頻播放同步滾動。 如果您有任何意見或要求,請使用此聯繫表與我們聯繫。

https://forms.gle/WvT1wiN1qDtmnspy7