How you can help save the bees, one hive at a time | Noah Wilson-Rich

譯者: Lilian Chiu 審譯者: Anny Chung

Pollinator decline is a grand challenge in the modern world.

在現代世界中，傳粉物種的 減少是個很大的挑戰。

Of the 200,000 species of pollinators,

在二十萬種傳粉者當中，

honeybees are the most well-understood,

蜜蜂是大家最了解的，

partly because of our long history with them dating back 8,000 years ago

有一部分是因為我們與蜜蜂的歷史 可以追溯到八千年前，

to our cave drawings in what is now modern-day Spain.

位於現在西班牙地區的洞穴壁畫。

And yet we know that this indicator species is dying off.

但是這種指標性的物種正漸絕跡。

Last year alone, we lost 40 percent of all beehives in the United States.

光是去年，在美國， 我們就失去了所有蜂巢的 40%。

That number is even higher in areas with harsh winters,

在嚴冬地區，比如麻州， 那個比例還更高，

like here in Massachusetts,

where we lost 47 percent of beehives

我們單單一年 就失去了 47% 的蜂窩。

in one year alone.

Can you imagine if we lost half of our people last year?

你們能否想像如果去年我們 失去了一半人類的情況？

And if those were the food-producing people?

且失去的還是會生產食物的人呢？

It's untenable.

真的會走不下去。

And I predict that in 10 years,

我預測，在十年內，

we will lose our bees.

我們就會失去蜜蜂。

If not for the work of beekeepers replacing these dead beehives,

如果不是靠養蜂人努力 更換死去的蜂巢，

we would be without foods that we rely upon:

我們就會失去 我們賴以為生的食物：

fruits, vegetables,

水果、蔬菜、

crunchy almonds and nuts,

鬆脆的杏仁和堅果、

tart apples,

爽口的蘋果、

sour lemons.

酸檸檬。

Even the food that our cattle rely upon to eat, hay and alfalfa -- gone,

就連我們的牛賴以為生的食物，

乾草和苜蓿，都沒了，

causing global hunger,

造成全球饑荒、

economic collapse,

經濟崩盤，

a total moral crisis across earth.

全世界都將陷入道德危機。

Now, I first started keeping bees here in Cape Cod

我最早開始在鱈魚角養蜂 ，

right after I finished my doctorate in honeybee immunology.

是在我拿到蜜蜂免疫學 博士學位之後。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

(Applause)

（掌聲）

Imagine getting such a degree in a good economy --

想像一下，在經濟狀況 很好的時期拿到那種學位，

and it was 2009:

然而那是 2009 年：

the Great Recession.

經濟大衰退那年。

And I was onto something.

但我有所打算。

I knew that I could find out how to improve bee health.

我知道我能研究出 如何改善蜜蜂的健康。

And so the community on Cape Cod here in Provincetown

在普羅威斯頓鱈魚角的社區

都為公眾科學做好準備了，

was ripe for citizen science,

people looking for ways to get involved and to help.

大家都在想辦法參一腳、提供協助。

And so we met with people in coffee shops.

所以，我們在咖啡店和大家會面。

A wonderful woman named Natalie got eight beehives at her home in Truro,

娜塔莉慷慨提供 她在特魯羅家中的八個蜂箱，

and she introduced us to her friend Valerie,

並介紹我們認識她的朋友瓦萊麗，

who let us set up 60 beehives at an abandoned tennis court on her property.

讓我們於她的廢棄網球場 設立 60 個蜂箱。

And so we started testing vaccines for bees.

我們便開始測試蜜蜂用的疫苗。

We were starting to look at probiotics.

我們開始研究益生菌。

We called it "bee yogurt" --

我們稱它為「蜜蜂優格」，

ways to make bees healthier.

這能讓蜜蜂更健康。

And our citizen science project started to take off.

我們的公眾科學計畫開始起飛。

Meanwhile, back in my apartment here,

這段期間，在我的公寓這裡，

I was a bit nervous about my landlord.

我有點擔心我的房東。

I figured I should tell him what we were doing.

我覺得我應該要告訴他 我們在做什麼。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

I was terrified; I really thought I was going to get an eviction notice,

我很害怕；我真的以為 我會收到驅逐通告，

which really was the last thing we needed, right?

這是我們最不需要的，對吧？

I must have caught him on a good day, though,

不過，我大概碰到 他心情很好的日子，

because when I told him what we were doing

因為當我告訴他我們在做什麼，

and how we started our nonprofit urban beekeeping laboratory,

及我們如何成立非營利的 都市養蜂實驗室時，

he said, "That's great! Let's get a beehive in the back alley."

他說：「那真棒！ 我們在後巷弄個蜂箱吧。」

I was shocked.

我很吃驚。

I was completely surprised.

我完全沒料到。

I mean, instead of getting an eviction notice,

我不但沒收到驅逐通告， 還多拿到了一個資料點。

we got another data point.

And in the back alley of this image,

在這張圖上的後巷，

what you see here, this hidden beehive --

各位現在所看見的， 這個隱藏式蜂箱——

that beehive produced more honey that first year

這個蜂箱在第一年所產的蜂蜜量

than we have ever experienced in any beehive we had managed.

超越我們曾經管理過的 任何一個蜂箱。

It shifted our research perspective forever.

它永遠轉變了我們的研究角度。

It changed our research question away from "How do we save the dead and dying bees?"

它讓我們的研究問題從

「我們要如何拯救 已死和瀕死的蜜蜂？」

to "Where are bees doing best?"

轉變為「蜜蜂在哪裡活得最好？」

And we started to be able to put maps together,

我們開始能夠把地圖拼湊起來，

looking at all of these citizen science beehives

研究所有這些公眾科學蜂箱，

from people who had beehives at home decks,

這些都是大家放在家中露天平臺、

gardens, business rooftops.

花園、商店屋頂上的蜂箱。

We started to engage the public,

我們開始接觸大眾，

and the more people who got these little data points,

越多人有這些小小的資料點，

我們的地圖就會更精確。

the more accurate our maps became.

And so when you're sitting here thinking, "How can I get involved?"

所以，當你們坐在這裡 想著「我要如何參與？」

you might think about a story of my friend Fred,

你們可以想想我的朋友 佛萊德的故事，

who's a commercial real estate developer.

他經營商業不動產開發。

He was thinking the same thing.

他也在想同樣的事情。

He was at a meeting,

他在一場會議上，

thinking about what he could do for tenant relations

想著他能夠做些什麼，

來大規模的改善 房客關係及永續性。

and sustainability at scale.

And while he was having a tea break,

當他喝下午茶的時候，

he put honey into his tea and noticed on the honey jar

他把蜂蜜加到茶裡面時， 注意到在蜂蜜罐上

a message about corporate sustainability from the host company of that meeting.

主辦單位印上一段 有關於企業永續性的訊息。

And it sparked an idea.

這段訊息讓他靈機一動。

He came back to his office.

他回到他的辦公室。

An email, a phone call later, and -- boom! --

在寫了一封電子郵件， 打了一通電話之後 。砰！

we went national together.

我們就邁向全國了。

We put dozens of beehives on the rooftops of their skyscrapers

我們在他們的摩天樓屋頂上 放了數十個蜂箱，

across nine cities nationwide.

遍及全國九個城市。

Nine years later --

九年後──

(Applause)

（掌聲）

Nine years later, we have raised over a million dollars for bee research.

九年後，我們為蜜蜂研究 募得了一百萬美元。

We have a thousand beehives as little data points across the country,

我們有一千個蜂箱遍布全國， 都是我們的資料點，

18 states and counting,

遍布十八個州，且持續增加，

where we have created paying jobs for local beekeepers, 65 of them,

我們為當地的養蜂人創造了 共 65 個有薪的工作機會，

to manage beehives in their own communities,

他們的工作是管理 自己社區內的蜂箱，

to connect with people, everyday people,

與人連結，日常老百姓，

who are now data points together making a difference.

這些人現在也成為資料點， 一起創造不同。

So in order to explain what's actually been saving bees,

所以，要解釋什麼拯救了 蜜蜂、牠們在哪裡活得最好，

where they're thriving,

I need to first tell you what's been killing them.

我就得先告訴各位， 是什麼讓牠們死亡。

The top three killers of bees

殺害蜜蜂的前三名殺手

are agricultural chemicals such as pesticides, herbicides, fungicides;

是農業用化學物質， 如殺蟲劑、除草劑、殺菌劑；

diseases of bees, of which there are many;

蜜蜂的疾病， 牠們有許多種疾病；

and habitat loss.

以及失去棲息地。

So what we did is we looked on our maps

所以，我們做的就是 去看我們的地圖，

and we identified areas where bees were thriving.

找出蜜蜂在哪些區域活得比較好。

This was mostly in cities, we found.

我們發現，大部分是在城市。

Data are now showing that urban beehives produce more honey

現在的資料顯示，都市蜂箱 所產生出來的蜂蜜量高於

than rural beehives and suburban beehives.

鄉村蜂箱以及近郊蜂箱。

Urban beehives have a longer life span than rural and suburban beehives,

比起鄉村蜂箱以及近郊蜂箱， 都市蜂箱的壽命比較長，

and bees in the city are more biodiverse;

城市中的蜜蜂 生物多樣性也較高；

there are more bee species in urban areas.

在都市地區的蜜蜂物種比較多。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

Right?

對嗎？

Why is this?

為什麼會這樣？

That was our question.

我們想了解這個問題。

So we started with these three killers of bees,

所以我們從這三種 蜜蜂殺手開始著手，

and we flipped it:

我們反過來看：

Which of these is different in the cities?

蜜峰殺手在城市中有什麼不同？

So the first one, pesticides.

第一種，殺蟲劑。

We partnered up with the Harvard School of Public Health.

我們和哈佛公共衛生學院合作。

We shared our data with them.

我們跟他們分享資料。

We collected samples from our citizen science beehives

我們的樣本收集自放在民眾家中 和商店屋頂上的公眾科學蜂箱。

at people's homes and business rooftops.

We looked at pesticide levels.

我們研究了殺蟲劑的量。

We thought there would be less pesticides in areas where bees are doing better.

我們以為，在蜜蜂活得 比較好的區域殺蟲劑會少一些。

結果不是如此。

That's not the case.

So what we found here in our study is -- the orange bars are Boston,

我們的研究發現—— 橘色的長條是波士頓——

and we thought those bars would be the lowest,

我們以為那些長條會是最低的，

there would be the lowest levels of pesticides.

殺蟲劑的量是最低的。

And, in fact, there are the most pesticides in cities.

事實上，在城市中， 那些區域的殺蟲劑最多。

So the pesticide hypothesis for what's saving bees --

所以，殺蟲劑和蜜蜂 生存有關的假設，

less pesticides in cities --

即城市中比較少殺蟲劑， 這點不成立。

is not it.

And this is very typical of my life as a scientist.

在我的科學家人生中 這是很常見的狀況。

Anytime I've had a hypothesis,

每當我有一個假設時，

not only is it not supported, but the opposite is true.

不僅沒有證據支持它， 且和假設相反的情況才是真的。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

Which is still an interesting finding, right?

這仍然是個有趣的發現，對吧？

We moved on.

我們繼續下一項，疾病假設。

The disease hypothesis.

We looked at diseases all over our beehives.

我們探究了我們所有蜂箱的疾病。

And what we found in a similar study to this one with North Carolina State is:

我們在一篇於北卡羅萊納州的 類似研究中發現：

there's no difference between disease in bees

蜜蜂的疾病狀況，在都市、近郊， 以及鄉村地區都沒有差異。

in urban, suburban and rural areas.

疾病無所不在； 蜜蜂都會生病死亡。

Diseases are everywhere; bees are sick and dying.

In fact, there were more diseases of bees in cities.

事實上，在城市中 還有更多種蜜蜂疾病。

This was from Raleigh, North Carolina.

以上資料來自 北卡羅萊納州的羅里。

So again, my hypothesis was not supported. The opposite was true.

所以，又一次，沒有證據支持 我的假設。相反的狀況才是真的。

We're moving on.

我們繼續下一項。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

The habitat hypothesis.

棲息地假設。

This said that areas where bees are thriving have a better habitat --

這個假設是說，蜜蜂數量繁多的 地區，有比較好的棲息地，

more flowers, right?

即花朵比較多，對吧？

But we didn't know how to test this.

但我們不知該如何檢測這個假設。

So I had a really interesting meeting.

所以，我開了一場 很有意思的會議。

An idea sparked with my friend and colleague Anne Madden,

這個想法鼓舞了我的朋友兼同事 安麥登，也是 TED 的講者。

fellow TED speaker.

We thought about genomics, kind of like AncestryDNA or 23andMe.

我們考慮了基因組學，有點像 AncestryDNA 或 23andMe。

Have you done these?

你們做過這些基因檢測嗎？

You spit in a tube and you find out, "I'm German!"

對試管吐口水之後發現 「我是德國人」！

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

Well, we developed this for honey.

我們為蜂蜜開發出了這類檢測。

So we have a sample of honey and we look at all the plant DNA,

我們取得蜂蜜樣本， 去比對所有的植物 DNA，

and we find out, "I'm sumac!"

我們就會發現「我是漆樹」！

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

And that's what we found here in Provincetown.

那就是我們在 普羅威斯頓這裡的發現。

So for the first time ever, I'm able to report to you

這是史上第一次， 我能向各位報告，

what type of honey is from right here in our own community.

在我們自己的社區中， 蜂蜜是自哪來的。

HoneyDNA, a genomics test.

HoneyDNA 是一種基因組學檢測。

Spring honey in Provincetown is from privet.

普羅威斯頓的 春季蜂蜜來自水蠟樹。

What's privet? Hedges.

什麼是水蠟樹？樹籬。

What's the message?

結論是什麼？

Don't trim your hedges to save the bees.

不要修剪你的樹籬， 就能拯救蜜蜂。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

I know we're getting crunchy and it's controversial,

我知道我們越來越環境主義了， 且這會有爭議性。

so before you throw your tomatoes,

所以，在你們拿蕃茄丟我之前，

we'll move to the summer honey, which is water lily honey.

我們來看夏日蜂蜜， 也就是睡蓮蜂蜜。

If you have honey from Provincetown right here in the summer,

如果夏天時你喝到來自 普羅威斯頓的蜂蜜，

you're eating water lily juice;

那你就是在喝睡蓮汁；

in the fall, sumac honey.

在秋季是漆樹蜂蜜。

We're learning about our food for the first time ever.

這是我們史上第一次 去了解我們的食物。

And now we're able to report, if you need to do any city planning:

現在，我們可以向各位報告， 如果你們需要做任何都市規劃：

What are good things to plant?

種植什麼會比較好？

What do we know the bees are going to that's good for your garden?

有什麼植物會吸引蜜蜂去， 且對你的花園有好處？

For the first time ever for any community, we now know this answer.

我們終於知道 對任何社區而言答案是什麼。

What's more interesting for us is deeper in the data.

更深入資料後，還能找到 對我們來說更有趣的資訊。

So, if you're from the Caribbean and you want to explore your heritage,

如果你來自加勒比海， 想要探究你的文化資產，

Bahamian honey is from the laurel family,

巴哈馬蜂蜜是來自月桂樹家族，

cinnamon and avocado flavors.

肉桂和酪梨口味。

But what's more interesting is 85 different plant species

但，更有趣的是， 85 種不同的植物

in one teaspoon of honey.

能同時存在於一匙蜂蜜中。

That's the measure we want, the big data.

那就是我們想要的 測量量，大數據。

Indian honey: that is oak.

印度蜂蜜：橡樹。

Every sample we've tested from India is oak,

我們檢測過的所有 印度樣本都有橡樹，

and that's 172 different flavors in one taste of Indian honey.

嚐一口印度蜂蜜， 就有 172 種不同的口味。

Provincetown honey goes from 116 plants in the spring

普羅威斯頓蜂蜜則是 從春季的 116 種植物，

to over 200 plants in the summer.

到夏季超過 200 種植物。

These are the numbers that we need to test the habitat hypothesis.

若要檢定棲息地假設， 我們就需要這樣的數據。

In another citizen science approach,

使用另一種公眾科學方法，

you find out about your food and we get some interesting data.

你能更了解你的食物， 我們則得到一些有趣的資料。

We're finding out now that in rural areas,

我們發現，在鄉村地區，

there are 150 plants on average in a sample of honey.

在一個蜂蜜樣本中， 平均就有 150 種植物。

That's a measure for rural.

那是鄉村的數據。

Suburban areas, what might you think?

至於近郊地區，你們認為呢？

Do they have less or more plants in suburban areas with lawns

在有草皮的近郊地區， 植物種類會比較多或比較少？

that look nice for people but they're terrible for pollinators?

那些人們覺得看起來很棒， 其實對傳粉昆蟲很不好的草皮？

Suburbs have very low plant diversity,

近郊的植物多樣性非常低，

so if you have a beautiful lawn,

所以，若你有一塊很漂亮的草坪，

good for you, but you can do more.

很好，但你還可以做更多。

You can have a patch of your lawn that's a wildflower meadow

你可以把草坪的其中 一小塊留給野花，

to diversify your habitat,

讓你的棲息地更多樣化， 來改善傳粉昆蟲的健康。

to improve pollinator health.

Anybody can do this.

大家都能做得到。

Urban areas have the most habitat, best habitat,

都市地區有最多棲息地， 最好的棲息地，

as you can see here: over 200 different plants.

如畫面上所示： 200 種以上的植物。

We have, for the first time ever, support for the habitat hypothesis.

這是史上第一次，我們找到了 支持棲息地假設的證據。

We also now know how we can work with cities.

現在我們也知道 該要如何和城市合作。

The City of Boston has eight times better habitat

波士頓市的棲息地 比它的鄰近近郊要好八倍。

than its nearby suburbs.

And so when we work with governments, we can scale this.

若我們能和政府合作， 就能把這規模擴大。

You might think on my tombstone, it'll say,

你們可能在想，我的墓碑上會寫：

"Here lies Noah. Plant a flower." Right?

「諾亞長眠於此。 請種一朵花。」對吧？

I mean -- it's exhausting after all of this.

我是說，做所有這些事， 真的是讓人筋疲力竭。

But when we scale together,

但若我們能一起把規模做大，

when we go to governments and city planners --

若我們能去找政府 和城市規劃者——

like in Boston, the honey is mostly linden trees,

以波士頓為例， 蜂蜜大部分是菩提樹，

and we say, "If a dead tree needs to be replaced, consider linden."

我們可以說：「若有樹木死亡 需要更換，請考慮換菩提樹。」

When we take this information to governments, we can do amazing things.

當我們把這些資訊提供給政府， 我們就能做很了不起的事。

This is a rooftop from Fred's company.

這是佛萊德的公司的屋頂。

We can plant those things on top of rooftops worldwide

我們可以在全世界的 屋頂上種植那些植物，

to start restoring habitat and securing food systems.

開始恢復棲息地，保護食物系統。

We've worked with the World Bank

我們已經在和世界銀行

and the presidential delegation from the country of Haiti.

以及海地的總統委任代表合作。

We've worked with wonderful graduate students at Yale University and Ethiopia.

我們已和耶魯大學及衣索比亞 很棒的研究生合作。

In these countries, we can add value to their honey

在這些國家，我們能辨識出 它們的蜂蜜是什麼，並為它加值，

by identifying what it is,

but informing the people of what to plant

還能告知大眾該種植什麼，

to restore their habitat and secure their food systems.

以恢復他們的棲息地， 保護他們的食物系統。

But what I think is even more important is when we think about natural disasters.

但我認為，更重要的 是去思考自然災害。

For the first time,

有史以來第一次，我們知道

we now know how we can have a baseline measure of any habitat

我們可以在任何棲息地被摧毀前，

before it might be destroyed.

就先對它做基線測量。

Think about your hometown.

想想你的家鄉。

What risks does the environment pose to it?

那裡的環境要面臨什麼風險？

This is how we're going to save Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria.

這就是在颶風瑪莉亞過後， 我們拯救波多黎各的方式。

We now have a baseline measure of honey,

現在，我們有蜂蜜的基線測量值，

honey DNA from before and after the storm.

在暴風發生前 和發生後的蜂蜜 DNA。

We started in Humacao.

我們從烏馬考開始著手。

This is right where Hurricane Maria made landfall.

這正是颶風瑪莉亞的登陸地。

And we know what plants to replace and in what quantity and where

我們知道要種什麼植物、 數量要多少、種在何處，

by triangulating honey DNA samples.

用蜂蜜 DNA 樣本 來做三角定位就能辦到。

You might even think about right here,

各位也可以想想這裡，

the beautiful land that connected us, that primed us,

連結我們、讓我們 進行公眾科學準備的

all the citizen science to begin with,

美麗土地，

the erosion, the winter storms

水土流失、冬季暴風，

that are getting more violent every year.

每年越來越劇烈。

What are we going to do about this,

我們要怎麼處理我們珍貴的 土地所面臨的危機？

our precious land?

Well, looking at honey DNA,

透過研究蜂蜜 DNA，

we can see what plants are good for pollinators that have deep roots,

我們可以找出哪些深根的植物 對於傳粉昆蟲是有益的，

that can secure the land,

它們能保護土質，

and together, everybody can participate.

且大家可以一同參與。

And the solution fits in a teaspoon.

解決方案就在一匙的蜂蜜中。

If your hometown might get swept away or destroyed by a natural disaster,

如果你的家鄉 被天然災害侵襲或摧毀，

we now have a blueprint suspended in time

現在，我們就能即時掛起藍圖，

for how to restore that on Earth,

規劃如何在地球上重建那個地區，

or perhaps even in a greenhouse on Mars.

或也許甚至移至火星上的溫室裡。

I know it sounds crazy, but think about this:

我知道這聽起來很瘋狂， 但，試想看看：

a new Provincetown,

一個新的普羅威斯頓，

a new hometown,

一個新的家鄉，

a place that might be familiar that's also good for pollinators

一個熟悉的地方， 對傳粉昆蟲有益，

for a stable food system,

對穩定的食物系統有益， 這是值得想想的未來。

when we're thinking about the future.

Now, together, we know what's saving bees --

把所有資訊整合之後， 我們知道是什麼拯救了蜜蜂——

by planting diverse habitat.

種植多樣化的棲息地。

Now, together, we know how bees are going to save us --

把所有資訊整合之後， 我們知道蜜蜂要如何拯救我們——

by being barometers for environmental health,

牠們可以扮演環境健康的氣壓計，

by being blueprints, sources of information,

扮演藍圖、資訊來源，

little data factories suspended in time.

即時的小小資料工廠。

Thank you.

謝謝。

(Applause)

（掌聲）