Rob Harmon: How the market can keep streams flowing

譯者: Joyce Chou 審譯者: Wenjer Leuschel

This is a river.

這是一條河

這是一條溪

This is a stream.

This is a river.

這也是一條河

全國到處都發生這種情況

This is happening all over the country.

There are tens of thousands of miles of dewatered streams in the United States.

美國的河川溪流

有數萬英里沒有水

On this map, the colored areas represent water conflicts.

在這張地圖上

著色區塊表示有用水衝突的問題

Similar problems are emerging in the East as well.

美國東部也有類似的問題

各州的原因雖然不同

The reasons vary state to state, but mostly in the details.

但差別大多在於細節

單單蒙大拿這一州

There are 4,000 miles of dewatered streams in Montana alone.

缺水的河流就有4千英里

They would ordinarily support fish and other wildlife.

原本提供魚類和野生動物生息

They're the veins of the ecosystem,

原本是生態系統血脈的

河流如今經常乾涸了

and they're often empty veins.

我想告訴各位

I want to tell you the story of just one of these streams,

其中一條河流的故事

because it's an archetype for the larger story.

因為它將是一個更大故事的雛形

This is Prickly Pear Creek.

這條溪叫仙人掌球溪

It runs through a populated area from East Helena to Lake Helena.

流經居住地區

從東海倫娜流到海倫娜湖裡

它提供野生魚類生息

It supports wild fish including cutthroat, brown and rainbow trout.

割喉鱒、褐鱒

還有虹鱒

Nearly every year for more than a hundred years ...

一百多年來

這條河幾乎每年夏天

看起來都像這樣

it looked like this in the summer.

How did we get here?

怎會變成這樣的呢？

話說19世紀末期

Well, it started back in the late 1800s

有人開始移居像蒙大拿這樣的地方

when people started settling in places like Montana.

In short, there was a lot of water and there weren't very many people.

簡單來說，當時水源豐沛

居民也不多

But as more people showed up wanting water,

但用水的人越來越多

the folks who were there first got a little concerned,

先到者開始有點擔心

and in 1865, Montana passed its first water law.

1865年蒙大拿通過第一部水資源法

基本上說，凡居住河流附近者

It basically said, everybody near the stream can share in the stream.

皆有權共享河流的水

Oddly, a lot of people showed up wanting to share the stream,

怪的是許多人都來要共享河水

and the folks who were there first

先到者感到憂慮

got concerned enough to bring out their lawyers.

便找來律師

There were precedent-setting suits in 1870 and 1872,

於是1870和1872年

發生了兩樁訴訟先例

both involving Prickly Pear Creek.

都與仙人掌球溪有關

1921年

And in 1921,

the Montana Supreme Court ruled in a case involving Prickly Pear

蒙大拿最高法院

裁定了一樁有關仙人掌球溪的案子

that the folks who were there first had the first, or "senior water rights."

凡先到該地區的居住者

有優先使用該地水源的權利

These senior water rights are key.

水源的優先使用權是關鍵

現在美國西部

The problem is that all over the West now it looks like this.

也開始出現同樣的問題

Some of these creeks have claims

這些溪流當中

for 50 to 100 times more water than is actually in the stream.

有些配出的用水權

高達實有溪水的50到100倍以上

And the senior water rights holders, if they don't use their water right,

有優先用水權的人

如果不行使他們的用水權

they risk losing their water right --

可能就會失去用水權

也同時失去其他附帶的經濟價值

along with the economic value that goes with it.

因此他們不受到節約用水的鼓勵

So they have no incentive to conserve.

So it's not just about the number of people;

這不只是用水人數的問題

the system itself creates a disincentive to conserve

而是制度不鼓勵節約用水

因為你不用水就會失去用水權

because you can lose your water right if you don't use it.

So after decades of lawsuits and 140 years, now, of experience,

因此經過幾十年訴訟

累積了140年的經驗

we still have this.

老問題還是沒有解決

這是個失敗的制度

It's a broken system.

There's a disincentive to conserve,

不能鼓勵節約用水

because if you don't use your water right, you can lose your water right.

因為不行使用水權

就會失去用水權

And I'm sure you all know, this has created significant conflicts

我相信大家都知道

between the agricultural and environmental communities.

這造成了農業和環保團體間的嚴重衝突

OK, now I'm going to change gears here.

好，我現在換個方式來說

在座的各位大概都

Most of you will be happy to know that the rest of the presentation's free ...

會高興知道以下的演講是免費的

(Laughter)

有些人還會高興知道這裡有供應啤酒

and some of you'll be happy to know that it involves beer.

(Laughter)

(笑聲)

There's another thing happening around the country,

全國到處還發生另一件事

有些公司也開始憂慮

which is that companies are starting to get concerned

他們的"水足跡"相關問題(水足跡指製作產品時消費地球水資源的程度)

about their water footprint.

They're concerned about securing an adequate supply of water,

他們關心能否保有充足的水源

they're trying to be really efficient with their water use,

他們試圖有效地利用水資源

and they're concerned about how their water use

也關心自己的用水情況

affects the image of their brand.

將如何影響到公司的形象

Well, it's a national problem,

好，這是全國性的問題

but I'm going to tell you another story from Montana ...

不過我再說個蒙大拿州的故事

and it involves beer.

這跟啤酒有關

I bet you didn't know, it takes about 5 pints of water

我猜大家可能沒想到釀造一品脫的啤酒

to make a pint of beer.

需要大約五品脫的水

If you include all the drain,

所有的廢水都算進來

it takes more than a hundred pints of water to make a pint of beer.

釀造一品脫啤酒需要用到超過一百品脫的水

當今蒙大拿州的釀酒商

Now the brewers in Montana

have already done a lot to reduce their water consumption,

已經盡了很大的努力

節約用水

but they still use millions of gallons of water.

但還是用了數百萬加侖的水

I mean, there's water in beer.

我是說啤酒裡不能沒有水

So what can they do about this remaining water footprint

那麼針對生態環境方面

可能會造成嚴重影響的

that can have serious effects on the ecosystem?

其他"水足跡"問題

他們能怎麼辦？

These ecosystems are really important

對蒙大拿的釀酒商和顧客而言

to the Montana brewers and their customers.

生態環境當然重要

After all, there's a strong correlation between water and fishing,

畢竟在水和釣魚之間

兩者很有關聯

and for some, there's a strong correlation between fishing and beer.

對某些人來說

釣魚和啤酒也很有關聯

(Laughter)

(笑聲)

So the Montana brewers and their customers are concerned

蒙大拿的釀酒商和顧客也開始關心

and they're looking for some way to address the problem.

開始找尋能解決這個問題的方法

So how can they address this remaining water footprint?

他們能如何解決剩餘的"水足跡"問題呢？

請記得仙人掌球溪

Remember Prickly Pear.

Up until now, business water stewardship

到目前為止

商業水資源管理

has been limited to measuring and reducing,

一直局限在測量和減少水資源的利用

而我們建議的下一步

and we're suggesting that the next step is to restore.

是恢復水資源

請記得仙人掌球溪

Remember Prickly Pear.

It's a broken system.

那是個失敗的制度

You've got a disincentive to conserve,

它不能鼓勵節約用水

because if you don't use your water right, you risk losing your water right.

因為不行使用水權就可能失去用水權

Well, we decided to connect these two worlds --

我們決定連接這兩個世界

一邊是關心

the world of the companies with their water footprints

"水足跡"的公司

and the world of the farmers

另一邊是擁有溪流

with their senior water rights on these creeks.

優先用水權的農民

In some states,

在某些州裡

senior water rights holders can leave their water in the stream

有優先用水權的人可以

把他們有權用的水留在溪裡

while legally protecting it from others,

同時法律保障不被他人佔用

並保留他們的用水權

and maintaining their water right.

畢竟

After all, it is their water right,

這是他們的用水權

and if they want to use that water right to help the fish grow in the stream,

如果他們要行使用水權

來幫助溪流裡的魚類

it's their right to do so.

那也是他們的權利

But they have no incentive to do so.

但是他們並沒有意願這麼做

因此我們和當地水資源託管機構合作

So, working with local water trusts, we created an incentive to do so.

創造出這麼做的獎勵辦法

We pay them to leave their water in stream.

我們付錢讓他們把水留在溪裡

就像這裡

That's what's happening here.

This individual has made the choice and is closing this water diversion,

這位居民做了決定

關閉引水道

leaving the water in the stream.

讓水留在溪裡

He doesn't lose the water right,

他沒有失去水資源

he just chooses to apply that right, or some portion of it,

他只是選擇運用這項權利

或一部分的權利

to the stream, instead of to the land.

讓水留在溪裡而不用到陸地上

Because he's the senior water-rights holder,

因為他有優先用水權

他的水受到保障，他人不得使用

he can protect the water from other users in the stream.

了解嗎?

OK?

He gets paid to leave the water in the stream.

他收錢讓水留在溪裡

這個人正在測量

This guy's measuring the water that this leaves in the stream.

他留在溪裡的水量

We then take the measured water,

然後我們把測到的水量

we divide it into thousand-gallon increments.

分成一千加侖的增幅

Each increment gets a serial number and a certificate,

每一增幅發給一組序號和證書

然後釀酒商或其他人

and then the brewers and others buy those certificates

可以買這個證書

as a way to return water to these degraded ecosystems.

作為把水還給

受損的生態環境的一種方式

The brewers pay to restore water to the stream.

釀酒商付錢

讓水資源恢復到溪流裡

It provides a simple, inexpensive and measurable way

這提供了既簡單也不貴

又能測量的方法

讓水回到受損的生態環境裡

to return water to these degraded ecosystems,

while giving farmers an economic choice

既給予農民們一個經濟上的選擇

and giving businesses concerned about their water footprints

也讓關心"水足跡"的公司行號

an easy way to deal with them.

有了方法應對問題

After 140 years of conflict and 100 years of dry streams,

經過140年的水資源衝突

和100年來的河流乾涸

a circumstance that litigation and regulation has not solved,

在訴訟與調解下

都沒能解決的問題

我們理出一個讓買賣雙方

we put together a market-based, willing buyer, willing seller solution --

你情我願的市場解決機制

這個解決方案無須訴訟

a solution that does not require litigation.

It's about giving folks concerned about their water footprints

這是讓關切

"水足跡"的人們

a real opportunity to put water where it's critically needed,

有一個真正的機會

把水放到迫切需要之處

放回受到損害的生態系統裡

into these degraded ecosystems,

while at the same time providing farmers a meaningful economic choice

於此同時也讓

農民們在經濟上

能在用水方面得到

about how their water is used.

一個有意義的選擇

These transactions create allies, not enemies.

這種交易創造出來的是盟友而非敵人

They connect people rather than dividing them.

把人連結起來而非分開來

And they provide needed economic support for rural communities.

而且為鄉村社區提供所需的經濟支持

最重要的是，這方法行得通

And most importantly, it's working.

We've returned more than four billion gallons of water to degraded ecosystems.

超過四十億加侖的水因而

返回受損的生態環境系統裡

我們連結了有用水權者

We've connected senior water-rights holders

和蒙大拿的釀酒商

with brewers in Montana,

with hotels and tea companies in Oregon,

以及奧勒岡的飯店和茶葉公司

and with high-tech companies that use a lot of water in the Southwest.

還有西南部用水需要量龐大的高科技公司

And when we make these connections,

只要我們做這樣的連結

we can and we do turn this ...

我們能做到也確實做到

把這個樣子轉變成這個樣子

into this.

(Applause)

非常謝謝各位

Thank you very much.

(Applause)

(掌聲)