The Untapped Energy Source That Could Power the Planet | Jamie C. Beard | TED

譯者: Lilian Chiu 審譯者: Helen Chang

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〔倒數〕

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〔請至 countdown.ted.com， 為氣候變遷採取行動。〕

The core of the Earth is 6,000 degrees Celsius.

地核的溫度是攝氏六千度。

It's the same temperature as the surface of the Sun,

和太陽表面的溫度相同，

but it's not 94 million miles away,

但不像太陽距離地球有

like the extra terrestrial sun is.

九千四百萬哩。

It is right here beneath our feet.

地核就在我們的腳下。

Really, literally right there.

真的就在那裡。

But we don't think about this, right?

但我們不會想到，對吧？

I mean, when you go outside,

你光著腳到外面去走路， 腳也不會燙傷。

you walk barefoot, you don't burn your feet.

The Earth's crust is an incredible insulator,

地殼的隔熱效果很棒，能讓這個

and it keeps this massive,

巨大、用之不竭的 地底熱能來源不被注意到。

inexhaustible heat source beneath us invisible.

But if you've ever visited Iceland or an active volcano,

但，如果你曾經造訪過冰島

或活火山，有間歇泉、 蒸氣噴發口、熔岩。

you've got geysers and steam vents and lava.

These are surface manifestations of the incredible amount of heat

這些就是我們腳下

大量熱能在地表的呈現形式。

that lies beneath us.

Anywhere and everywhere in the world.

在世界上的任何地方，所有地方。

And we don't have to drill very far to reach temperatures

我們不用鑽太深，達到的溫度

that far exceed what we would need to power the world thousands of times over

所能產生的電力就夠所有文明使用，

而且還超過需求量數千倍。

for all of civilization.

Pretty cool, right?

很酷吧？

So we got to get to it.

所以，我們得運用它。

How do we do that?

我們要怎麼做？

Let's tap it. Let's tap it fast.

咱們來開採它，盡快開採它。 我是氣候活動家。

I'm a climate activist.

I am very worried about climate change.

我非常擔心氣候變遷。 它讓我晚上睡不著覺。

It keeps me up at night.

So we need to make this happen, right?

我們得實現它，對吧？

So how?

那要怎麼做？

So I'm here with good news about that and also a proposition.

今天我帶來這裡的

是相關的好消息及一個提案， 咱們先從好消息開始。

Let's do the good news first.

現在有些創新團隊在實地

There are teams of innovators right now in the field

that are working on figuring out how to most efficiently

努力想辦法用最有效率和效益的方式

and effectively tap this enormous heat source beneath us.

開採我們腳下這個巨大的熱能來源。

And they are running sprints,

他們在全力衝刺，

and I'm not talking about the type of geothermal that you find in Iceland.

我在談的並不是在冰島 能找到的那種地熱。

That's easy to get to.

那種地熱很容易取得， 因為很淺，很接近地面，

It's shallow, it's close to the surface,

世界上的這類地方 已經在用地熱能了。

and in those places in the world, we already have geothermal energy.

I'm talking about making geothermal energy accessible

我在談的是：要讓全世界任何地方、

anywhere and everywhere in the world that energy is needed.

所有地方，只要有需要 都能取得地熱能。

But in order to do that,

但，要做到這一點，

we've got to figure out how to mimic the conditions

我們得要想辦法模仿

冰島這種地方的條件，

that occur in places like Iceland, right,

that make geothermal easy to tap and extract and harvest.

有了這些條件，就很容易 開採、提煉、取得地熱。

And those conditions are hot rocks,

這些條件就是：

高溫的岩石、

pore space in the rocks

岩石中要有孔隙空間，

and water filling those pores.

還要有水填滿那些孔隙。

Those conditions seem simple,

那些條件看似簡單， 但世界上沒有幾個地方

but they actually occur naturally in very, very few places in the world, right?

天生就具有這些條件。

And that's why we don't have geothermal energy everywhere.

因此我們才無法處處皆有地熱能。

We have it in just a few places.

只有少數幾個地方才有。

But the past couple of decades,

但，

過去幾十年中有了

there have been really disruptive and breakthrough technological innovations

非常具顛覆性及突破性的科技創新，

that enable us to engineer the subsurface

讓我們可以在地下動手腳，來模仿

to mimic Mother Nature's geothermal.

大地之母的地熱。

So technological innovations

所以，科技的創新，

like high-pressure and temperature-drilling technologies

比如高壓高溫鑽掘技術，

that were developed for offshore oil and gas exploration.

原本是用在近海探戡石油和天然氣。

Technologies like directional drilling,

像導向鑽掘這種技術，

where no longer we can just drill straight down,

當我們無法直直向下 鑽掘時，我們可以改換成

but instead we can actually turn and steer drill bits

轉動並控制鑽頭，

to reach very precise and specific locations

非常精確地到達

in the subsurface, miles underground.

地下數哩的確切位置。

And we can also fracture rock now,

現在我們還可以壓裂岩石了，

which means that we can create pore space

意即，我們可以在原本 沒有孔隙空間的地方

where pore space does not exist naturally.

製造出孔隙空間來。

So if you take these innovations that I just listed

所以，如果把我剛才列出的 這些創新通通結合起來，

and you put them all together,

you end up enabling an entirely new breed of scalable geothermal concepts.

就能創造出全新型

可規模化的地熱概念，

Geothermal concepts can be done anywhere in the world.

在世界上任何地方 都能運用的地熱概念。

So, for instance now,

所以，舉例來說，

we have engineered geothermal systems or EGS.

我們已經設計出了 地熱系統（EGS）。

In this concept, several wells are drilled,

這個概念就是鑽掘許多個井，

at the bottom of the well the rock is fractured.

並把井底的岩石擊裂，

It creates a reservoir under the surface.

在表面底下創造出一個儲藏槽。

Think of it as a pot where you boil your water underground, right?

可以把它想成是個壺， 讓你可以在地底下煮水。

You send a fluid down,

把一種液體送下去，

it percolates through the fractures.

液體滲到裂縫中。 回來時變得非常熱，

It comes back up really hot,

and we use it for all sorts of interesting and important things

便能把它用在許多 有趣且重要的用途上，

比如直接供熱給建築物， 或者讓透過渦輪來發電。

like heating buildings directly.

Or we can run it through a turbine to produce electricity.

Now, EGS can take a lot of forms.

EGS 有很多不同的形式。

This is an area of intense innovation right now.

它是目前創新非常密集的領域。

You can engineer these systems in a variety of ways,

可以用各種方式來設計這類系統， 但其基本概念都一樣。

but the basic concepts stay the same.

Then we have closed-loop systems.

接著，還有閉路系統。

Closed loops are pretty new.

閉路是很新的東西， 這個領域也很熱衷創新。

It's another really hot area of innovation.

Same concept, basic is EGS,

同樣的概念，以 EGS 為基礎。

you have one or more wells drilled,

要鑽掘一座或多座井， 在地底下創造出儲藏槽，

you create a reservoir underground,

but in closed loops,

但在閉路系統中，

instead of fracturing to create that reservoir underground,

不用壓裂的方式來創造 地底下的儲藏槽，

it's entirely drilled, like a radiator in the rock.

完全用鑽掘，

就像岩石中的暖氣爐。

And they take many forms too, just like EGS, check it out.

它們的形式也很多， 和 EGS 類似，看看吧。

You can see in closed-loop systems how useful it is to be able to turn

可以看到，在閉路系統中，

若能轉動、控制鑽頭就會很有幫助。

and steer that drill bit right?

Totally enabling in terms of getting these concepts to work.

若能辦到，就能讓這些概念成真。

Another really cool aspect of closed-loop systems,

閉路系統還有一個很酷的面向，

another fierce area of innovation right now,

目前另一個熱烈創新的領域，

is what we're putting in these systems as the working fluid to harvest the heat.

就是研究要在這些系統中 放入什麼樣的液體

來取得熱能。

Most of the time it's water.

通常是用水。

But what if we could optimize a fluid to perform better than water?

但若我們能把一種液體最佳化，

讓它的表現比水更好呢？

So it heats up faster than water at lower temperatures than water.

相較於水，它能在較低的溫度 以較快的速度加熱。

And the really cool thing about closed loops

閉路系統很酷的一點就是

is the going candidate, right,

候選的材料，

現在大家最想用來

one everybody loves right now

to put in these systems to most efficiently harvest heat

放到系統中來有效取得熱能的物質，

is actually a substance that's the center of our climate angst right now.

正是我們擔心的氣候問題 最核心的物質。

It's around us in excess in abundance.

就在我們周遭且已經過量。

It's CO2.

就是二氧化碳。

Super cool.

超酷的。

So then there's hybrids, not the cars, geothermal hybrids.

接著還有混合，不是指汽車，

是地熱混合系統。

You take the best of both worlds, right?

把兩個領域最好的東西結合。

You get the increased surface area

更大的表面面積和熱能

and heat that you get from fracturing rock.

可以從壓裂岩石來達成。

You combine that with a closed-loop well design

把它和閉路井設計結合，

so you can use that optimized fluid.

就可以使用最佳化的液體。

The goal of hybrid systems is to extract the most heat,

混合系統的目標是要 萃煉出最大量的熱能，

minimize drilling costs.

並把鑽掘成本壓到最低。

So that's what's happening right now.

這就是目前的現況。大量的創新。

A lot of innovation.

It's really, really cool.

非常非常酷。

But these concepts,

但這些概念，

none of them are without their technology challenges.

每個都有其技術困難。

But y’all, these are not moonshots.

但，各位，這不是要登月。

They are not moonshots.

這些不是登月計畫。

We are talking about making very incremental changes

我們在談的是一步一步 循序漸進做改變，

to existing technologies, methods and techniques

改變既有的科技、方法、技術，

with an eye on more hotter and deeper geothermal development.

著眼在

開發更多、更高溫、更深層的地熱。

And these also aren't just ideas.

這些不只是點子。

There are teams right now in the field demonstrating these concepts.

現在已經有團隊 在實地實做這些概念。

Teams like Sage Geosystems, a team that I mentor.

包括我指導的團隊 Sage Geosystems。

This is a well that they are demonstrating this summer

這是他們今年夏天做出來的井，

in -- get this -- Texas.

地點在——注意了——德州。

Not in Iceland, not on the side of a volcano,

不是在冰島，

不是火山旁，不是環太平洋火山帶。

not in the ring of fire.

This is a Texas pasture

這是德州的牧地，

where you would never suspect the enormous geothermal resources

你絕對不會想到這裡

有大量的地熱源藏在底下。

that lie below.

And this well is an existing abandoned oil and gas well

這座井

是既有但已廢棄的石油天然氣井，

that they have repurposed for this geothermal demonstration.

他們將這座井改為地熱展示用。

If all goes well with this demonstration,

如果這次展示一切順利，

by 2022, that is next year,

到了 2022 年，也就是明年，

they will have a geothermal power plant in Texas.

德州就會有一座地熱電廠。

There are dozens of examples like this, right now in the field.

還有數十個像這樣的實做例子。

These are all start-ups.

這些都是新創公司。

They're out there proving geothermal concepts,

它們在實地證明地熱的概念，

new technologies, new drilling,

新科技，新的鑽掘技術，

the concepts that I showed you in the slides.

我剛才用投影片給各位看的概念。

我們正處在地熱的復興期。

We are in the midst of a geothermal renaissance.

In the past 18 months,

在過去十八個月間，

more geothermal start-ups have launched than in the past 10 years combined.

地熱新創公司的數目 就超越了過去十年加總。

If even one of these start-ups is successful

就算只有一個新創公司成功

at proving a scalable geothermal concept,

證明一個可以擴大規模的地熱概念，

we are literally off to the races in developing this massive,

我們就是真的進入比賽， 可以在世界上任何地方

reliable 24/7 clean energy source anywhere in the world.

開發這種巨大、可靠、 日夜不息的能量來源。

And by off to the races, I mean that, right?

我說進入比賽，是說真的。

Like, we got to go.

我們得動起來了。時間不等人， 我們得把規模做大。

The clock is ticking, we need scale.

It's going to be cute if it works,

若計畫行得通，很好， 但我們得擴大到全球規模。

but we've got to have global scale.

So how do we do that?

要怎麼做？

It brings me to my proposition.

這就要帶出我的提議了。

So it turns out that there is an industry that is perfectly positioned

結果發現，

有一個產業，定位非常理想，

to take us from the few geothermal power plants we have today

可以把我們從僅有 幾座地熱電廠的現況

to the hundreds of thousands that we need to meet demand.

帶到我們滿足需求 所需要的數十萬座電廠。

The industry that everyone loves to hate,

每個人都想要去恨這個產業，

who cares about the environment and climate,

在乎環境和氣候的每個人，

is that industry.

就是那個產業。

To scale geothermal, what do we need to do?

要把地熱的規模做大， 我們得做什麼？

We need to efficiently, effectively and safely drill below the surface

我們得要用有效率、 有效益，且安全的方式

在表面底下一而再再而三地鑽掘。

over and over and over and over again.

And who does that now?

現在有誰會做這種事？

The oil and gas industry does that now.

石油及天然氣產業。

The oil and gas industry

石油及天然氣產業

is a global specialized workforce of millions,

是個全球性的專業勞動力，

有數百萬成員，

backed by almost 200 years of breakthrough technological innovation,

背後還有近兩百年的

突破性科技創新基礎，

all aimed at exploring for, drilling for

目標都是探戡、

鑽掘、製造

and producing energy from deep underground.

來自地底的能源。

You flip the switch and you have green drilling.

把開關打開，就有綠色鑽掘了。

And oil and gas keeps its current business model,

石油和天然氣產業仍然保有 其目前的商業模式，

the business model that keeps them firmly rooted in hydrocarbons now.

讓它們現在能穩固深根 在碳氫化合物的商業模式。

They're doing what they know how to do,

它們在做的是它們熟知的事，

which is exploring for, drilling for

也就是探戡、

鑽掘、生產地底的能源資產。

and producing a subsurface energy asset.

But what we're talking about here is a pivot

但，我們這裡在談的是轉移，

from hydrocarbons to heat.

從碳氫化合物轉移到熱能。

A global workforce of millions, highly skilled and trained

這全球勞動力有著數百萬成員，

具有高度技能且受過訓練，

doesn't need to be retrained.

不需要重新受訓練。

They can keep doing what they already know how to do.

他們可以繼續做他們熟知的事。

But this time around for clean energy.

但這次是為了乾淨能源而做。

If we're able to pull this off and team up to do it,

如果我們能成功，合作來進行，

we are talking about the ability to meet world energy demand.

那麼我們可以做到 滿足世界的能源需求。

We are talking about the ability over the next few decades

我們便能在接下來的幾十年間

to put more geothermal energy on the grid

讓更多地熱能源加入電網，

than we currently have in dirty energy.

且還多於我們目前的骯髒能源。

Geothermal energy at oil and gas scale.

石油及天然氣規模的地熱能源。

So I bet I know what some of you are thinking

我敢說我知道在座有些人 正在想什麼，因為我曾……

because I was that person to like, I used to think it.

我以前也會這樣想。

And so I will tell you how I got from there to here.

讓我告訴各位，我是如何 從那裡到這裡的。

I used to feel

我以前覺得

that we just needed to let the oil and gas industry go away.

我們得讓石油及天然氣產業消失。

So I'm a climate activist and a lifelong environmentalist,

我是氣候活動家， 也當了一輩子的環境人士，

the kind that would have chained myself to a tree if I needed to,

必要時會把我自己 綁在樹上，我是那款的。

of that flavor.

I grew up and got a job, became an energy lawyer

我長大後找了份工作，成了 能源律師，然後是能源企業家，

and then an energy entrepreneur,

and entrepreneurship took me out into the field for product deployments,

企業家身分讓我進入了 產品部署領域，

and I ended up living on drill rigs.

最後我住在鑽塔上。

And I had a complete epiphany,

而我完全頓悟了，

it was a total mind shift,

思維整個大轉變，

bias out the door.

把偏見丟掉。

Because I got to know many individuals in the oil and gas workforce.

因為我得以認識了

許多在石油及天然氣勞動力中的人。

And y'all that grit.

那很要膽量。

I mean, it is incredible grit.

那是很大的膽量。

Those people are there for it.

那些人是真的去做的人。

But I also got to know the amazing technological innovations

但我也了解了

那個產業中很了不起的科技創新。

of that industry.

And what I've come to believe is those are assets.

我漸漸開始相信，那些是資產。

The workforce, the technologies,

那些勞動力，那些科技，

they are assets that we can leverage now to solve climate change.

都是我們現在能運用 來解決氣候變遷的資產。

所以，我做的工作就是招募

So what I do for my job

is I recruit oil and gas veterans to the cause of geothermal.

石油和天然氣產業的老鳥 來為地熱的理想努力。

If we want to turn the ship,

如果我們想要讓船轉向，

we recruit the sailors.

我們就招募水手。

And it's working.

這方法有用。

So there's good news.

所以，有好消息。

Do you remember that slide I showed you with all the start-ups,

還記得我剛才有放一張投影片 列出在實做的地熱新創公司？

the geothermal start-ups that are in the field?

A good many of those teams are actually oil and gas veterans.

那些團隊當中有很多都是 石油和天然氣產業的老鳥。

Sage Geosystems with their Texas well.

Sage Geosystems 及他們在德州的井。

That is an all-oil-and-gas team

這整個團隊都來自 石油和天然氣產業，

with almost 300 years of collective experience

大家的經驗加起來接近三百年，

at entities like Shell, BP, Halliburton and Weatherford.

包括在 Shell、BP、Halliburton、 Weatherford 等實體的經驗。

Y'all, that is really interesting, right?

那很有趣，對吧？

I mean, that world take notice

這個世界引起注意，

because what this is is oil and gas brains actively reinventing themselves,

因為這其實是

石油和天然氣產業的智囊 主動在重新發明他們自己，

using everything they know

用上了他們所知的一切，

that they learned in their entire oil and gas experience

在石油和天然氣產業的 經歷中學到的一切，

to solve climate change.

來解決氣候變遷。

But it's also interesting

另一個有趣的原因，

because this new flourish of entrepreneur, you know,

是因為企業家的新熱潮，

oil and gas veteran turned geothermal entrepreneur

石油及天然氣老鳥 轉型成地熱企業家的熱潮，

is helping the oil and gas industry engage actively with this problem set.

在協助石油及天然氣產業

主動參與這些問題。

They speak the language of oil and gas.

他們說的是石油及天然氣的語言， 了解石油及天然氣的商業模式。

They understand the business models of oil and gas.

They are out building partnerships and relationships

他們能和石油及天然氣實體

with oil and gas entities

建立合作和關係，

that are based on decades of trust and experience

因為他們彼此之間有數十年的 信任和經驗當作基礎。

they have with one another.

In the past six months,

在過去六個月中，

geothermal start-ups have closed more than 100 million dollars in funding deals

地熱新創公司達成了

超過一億美金的資助協議，

with oil and gas entities as funding partners.

資助的合作夥伴就是 石油和天然氣實體。

We are at the beginning of a huge and exciting shift here.

巨大、讓人興奮的轉變 即將發生，現在只是開端。

If it's the best and brightest minds in oil and gas

如果是石油和天然氣產業中 最優秀最聰明的人才

who are off launching geothermal companies,

跳出來開設地熱公司，

then y'all, this very well may be

那麼，各位，這很可能

the future of the oil and gas industry itself.

根本就是石油及天然氣 產業本身的未來。

But here's my worry.

但我擔心的如下：

So say oil and gas grabs the reins here, takes us to global scale fast,

假設石油及天然氣產業來主導， 很快把規模擴大到全球，

exponential growth.

指數成長。

We put terawatts of geothermal energy on the grid.

我們將數兆兆瓦的 地熱能源納入到電網中。

Are we going to fight about this?

我們會為此爭吵嗎？

The thing that I love about geothermal

我很愛地熱的一點，

is that it gives us all a way around ourselves, right?

就是它能讓大家皆大歡喜，

A way around extreme polarization.

可以避開極端的兩極化。

環保人士和鑽井者、

Environmentalists and drillers,

dogs and cats, right and left,

狗和貓、右派和左派、

we all get what we want.

大家各取所需。

Clean energy where we need it,

滿足乾淨能源的需求，

climate change solved,

解決氣候變遷問題，

energy poverty solved

解決能源窮困問題，

and drillers keep drilling.

鑽井者還能繼續鑽井。

If we build the right collaborations here

如果我們能建立對的合作方式，

and unite behind a shared vision,

在共同的遠景之下團結起來，

we solve energy in the next 30 years.

就能解決接下來三十年的能源問題。

We change the conversation

我們就能改變談話，

from worrying about whether we're going to meet 2050 climate goals

從擔心是否能達成 2050 氣候目標，

to how they look kind of lazy.

變成目標似乎有點緩慢。

We can do this.

我們能做到的。

We've just got to drill the limit.

我們只需要鑽越極限。

Thank you.

謝謝。

(Applause)

（掌聲）