How to grow fresh air | Kamal Meattle

譯者: Ray Tsaihong 審譯者: Bill Hsiung

Some 17 years ago, I became allergic to Delhi's air.

大約十七年前，我開始對德里的空氣過敏。

My doctors told me that my lung capacity

醫生說我的肺活量

had gone down to 70 percent,

降到只剩 70%，日子久了會致命。

and it was killing me.

降到只剩 70%，日子久了會致命。

With the help of IIT,

經由印度理工學院、印度塔塔能源研究所的協助，

TERI, and learnings from NASA,

以及美國國家航空暨太空總署所發表的研究成果，

we discovered that there are three

我們發現有三種

basic green plants,

基本的綠色植物，

common green plants, with which

很常見的綠色植物，

we can grow all the fresh air

能生產我們所需的新鮮空氣，

we need indoors to keep us healthy.

讓我們在室內保持健康。

We've also found that you can

我們還發現，

reduce the fresh air requirements

你可以減少室外新鮮空氣流入室內的需求，

into the building, while maintaining

，而仍保持

industry indoor air-quality standards.

合乎業界標準的室內空氣品質。

The three plants are Areca palm,

這三種植物是黃椰子、

Mother-in-Law's Tongue and money plant.

虎尾蘭和黃金葛。

The botanical names are in front of you.

投影片上標了植物學名。

Areca palm is a plant which

黃椰子可以

removes CO2 and converts it into oxygen.

把二氧化碳轉換成氧氣。

We need four shoulder-high plants per person,

每個人需要四株肩膀高的黃椰子，

and in terms of plant care,

植物照料上，

we need to wipe the leaves

在德里，我們需要每天把葉子擦拭乾淨，

every day in Delhi, and perhaps

在德里，我們需要每天把葉子擦拭乾淨，

once a week in cleaner-air cities.

如果在乾淨一點的城市，也許每週擦拭就夠了。

We had to grow them in vermi manure,

這些植物用無菌的蚯蚓糞，

which is sterile, or hydroponics,

，或水耕的方式養殖，

and take them outdoors every three to four months.

並且每三到四個月拿到外面曬太陽。

The second plant is Mother-in-law's Tongue,

第二種植物是虎尾蘭，

which is again a very common plant,

也是常見的植物，

and we call it a bedroom plant,

我們說它是適合在臥室栽種的植物，

because it converts CO2 into oxygen at night.

因為它能在晚上把二氧化碳轉換成氧氣。

And we need six to eight waist-high plants per person.

我們每人需要六到八株高度及腰的虎尾蘭。

The third plant is money plant,

第三種是黃金葛，

and this is again a very common plant;

一樣是很常見的植物，

preferably grows in hydroponics.

特別適合水耕。

And this particular plant removes formaldehydes

這類植物能移除甲醛，和其他揮發性化學藥劑。

and other volatile chemicals.

這類植物能移除甲醛，和其他揮發性化學藥劑。

With these three plants,

有了這三種植物，

you can grow all the fresh air you need.

你能產生所需要的全部新鮮空氣。

In fact, you could be in a bottle

甚至，你可以把自己關在一個大瓶子裡

with a cap on top, and you would not die at all,

把頂端蓋子蓋緊，也不會窒息，

and you would not need any fresh air.

也不需要任何外來的新鮮空氣。

We have tried these plants at our

我們在德里的辦公大樓裡栽種這些植物，

own building in Delhi, which is a

我們在德里的辦公大樓裡栽種這些植物，

50,000-square-feet, 20-year-old building.

那是五萬平方英尺的二十年老建築。

And it has close to 1,200 such plants for 300 occupants.

為了裡面 300 人，我們種了 1200 株植物。

Our studies have found that there is

我們研究發現

a 42 percent probability of one's blood oxygen

在這棟大樓裡待十個鐘頭的人，血氧含量提升一個百分點的機率是 42%。

going up by one percent if one stays indoors

在這棟大樓裡待十個鐘頭的人，血氧含量提升一個百分點的機率是 42%。

in this building for 10 hours.

在這棟大樓裡待十個鐘頭的人，血氧含量提升一個百分點的機率是 42%。

The government of India has discovered

印度政府發現並發表研究結果，說明

or published a study to show

印度政府發現並發表研究結果，說明

that this is the healthiest building in New Delhi.

這是新德里市區最健康的建築。

And the study showed that,

而研究顯示，跟其他建築相比，

compared to other buildings,

而研究顯示，跟其他建築相比，

there is a reduced incidence of

大樓裡的用戶

eye irritation by 52 percent,

眼睛不適的情形減少了 52%，

respiratory systems by 34 percent,

呼吸系統問題減少 34%，

headaches by 24 percent,

頭痛減少 24%，

lung impairment by 12 percent and asthma by nine percent.

肺功能障礙減少 12%，而氣喘減少 9%。

And this study has been published on September 8, 2008,

這項研究於 2008 年 9 月 8 號發表，

and it's available on the government of India website.

可以到印度政府網站下載。

Our experience points to an

根據我們的經驗

amazing increase in human productivity

利用這些植物，能使工作效率獲得超過 20% 的驚人提升。

by over 20 percent by using these plants.

利用這些植物，能使工作效率獲得超過 20% 的驚人提升。

And also a reduction in energy requirements in buildings

更因為不需要從室外注入那麼多新鮮空氣，大樓能源需求也減少 15%。

by an outstanding 15 percent, because you need less fresh air.

更因為不需要從室外注入那麼多新鮮空氣，大樓能源需求也減少 15%。

We are now replicating this in a

我們即將在 175 萬平方英尺的大樓裡重複這個實驗，

1.75-million-square-feet building,

我們即將在 175 萬平方英尺的大樓裡重複這個實驗，

which will have 60,000 indoor plants.

裡面會有六萬株室內植物。

Why is this important?

這為什麼值得提出來?

It is also important for the environment,

其實這對環境影響很重要，

because the world's energy

因為世界的能源需求，預計在未來十年將有 30% 的成長。

requirements are expected to grow

因為世界的能源需求，預計在未來十年將有 30% 的成長。

by 30 percent in the next decade.

因為世界的能源需求，預計在未來十年將有 30% 的成長。

40 percent of the world's energy is taken

目前全世界 40% 的能源需求用在房屋建築上面，

up by buildings currently,

目前全世界 40% 的能源需求用在房屋建築上面，

and 60 percent of the world's population

而全球 60% 的人口，

will be living in buildings in cities

在未來十五年內，將集中居住在超過一百萬人的大城市裡。

with a population of over one million in the next 15 years.

在未來十五年內，將集中居住在超過一百萬人的大城市裡。

And there is a growing preference for living

同時，又有越來越多人，希望在有空調的場所居住跟工作。

and working in air-conditioned places.

同時，又有越來越多人，希望在有空調的場所居住跟工作。

"Be the change you want to see in the world,"

甘地曾說過：你要這世界怎麼改變，你就自己先變成那個樣子。

said Mahatma Gandhi.

甘地曾說過：你要這世界怎麼改變，你就自己先變成那個樣子。

And thank you for listening.

謝謝你們的聆聽

(Applause)

( 掌聲 )