Eben Bayer: Are mushrooms the new plastic?

譯者: Geoff Chen 審譯者: Adrienne Lin

So, I'd like to spend a few minutes with you folks today

我想和各位度過幾分鐘

imagining what our planet might look like in a thousand years.

想像我們一千年後的地球

But before I do that,

但，在這之前

I need to talk to you about synthetic materials like plastics,

我要說說有關合成材料的事

which require huge amounts of energy to create

創造合成材料需要消耗極大的能量

and, because of their disposal issues,

由於處置它們的問題

are slowly poisoning our planet.

我們的地球正漸漸遭受毒害

I also want to tell you and share with you

我也想告訴你們並和你們分享:

how my team and I

我和我的團隊

have been using mushrooms over the last three years.

在過去三年來，已使用蘑菇

Not like that. (Laughter)

不是利用它們的迷幻成份（笑聲）

We're using mushrooms to create an entirely new class of materials,

我們用蘑菇創造出一種全新的材料

which perform a lot like plastics during their use,

它用起來和塑膠相當

but are made from crop waste

但卻是由農作物廢料所製成的

and are totally compostable at the end of their lives.

而且在丟棄時可以完全分解

(Cheering)

（歡呼聲）

But first,

但首先

I need to talk to you about what I consider one of the most egregious offenders

我必須告訴各位，在一次性塑料類別中

in the disposable plastics category.

我所認為最糟糕的東西是什麽。

This is a material you all know is Styrofoam,

這是你們都知道的材料: 發泡膠

but I like to think of it as toxic white stuff.

我認為它比較像一種有毒的白色物質

In a single cubic foot of this material --

每單位立方英尺的這種材料 --

about what would come around your computer or large television --

會出現在你的電腦或大電視的這一材料 --

you have the same energy content

能源的內容，大約相當於

of about a liter and a half of petrol.

1.5公升的石油

Yet, after just a few weeks of use,

然而，在幾個星期的使用後

you'll throw this material in the trash.

你會把這東西丟進垃圾桶

And this isn't just found in packaging.

它不只出現於包裝

20 billion dollars of this material is produced every year,

每年有價值 200 億美元的材料被製造出來

in everything from building materials to surfboards

從建築材料到衝浪板

to coffee cups to table tops.

從咖啡杯到桌子，包含了所有東西

And that's not the only place it's found.

這還不是你唯一能找到的地方

The EPA estimates, in the United States,

美國環境保護局估計，

by volume, this material occupies 25 percent of our landfills.

在美國，塑膠材料佔了 25% 的土地面積

Even worse is when it finds its way into our natural environment --

更糟的是，它們也出現於我們的自然環境中 -

on the side of the road or next to a river.

在路旁或在河邊

If it's not picked up by a human, like me and you,

它如果不被人撿起，比如你我

it'll stay there for thousands and thousands of years.

它就會在那裡待上千千萬萬年

Perhaps even worse

甚至，更糟的是

is when it finds its way into our oceans, like in the great plastic gyre,

它出現於我們的海洋中，比如太平洋環流區的龐大塑膠漩渦

where these materials are being mechanically broken

在那，這些材料破碎成

into smaller and smaller bits,

一片一片小塊

but they're not really going away.

但它們不是真正消失

They're not biologically compatible.

它們無法生物分解

They're basically fouling up

它們基本上加速了

Earth's respiratory and circulatory systems.

地球的呼吸循環系統

And because these materials are so prolific,

另外，由於這些材料太大量了

because they're found in so many places,

由於它們覆蓋了太廣泛的地方

there's one other place you'll find this material, styrene,

你可以在一個地方發現這材料，苯乙烯

which is made from benzene, a known carcinogen.

由石油醚所構成，一種致癌物質

You'll find it inside of you.

你會發現它也會出現於你體內

So, for all these reasons,

基於這些原因

I think we need better materials,

我想我們需要更好的材料

and there are three key principles we can use to guide these materials.

我們可以依據三種原則使用這些材料

The first is feedstocks.

首先是原料

Today, we use a single feedstock, petroleum,

現今我們使用單一原料: 石油

to heat our homes, power our cars

以石油作為屋內暖氣來源、車用燃料、

and make most of the materials you see around you.

並且使用絕大多數的材料做成你周遭的物品

We recognize this is a finite resource,

我們認識到這是一種有限的資源

and it's simply crazy to do this, to put a liter and a half of petrol in the trash

而且每一次當你拿到一個包裝，

every time you get a package.

就是把1.5公升的汽油丟到垃圾桶裡，這實在是一件很瘋的事

Second of all, we should really strive to use far less energy

第二，我們實在應該盡可能地大量減少使用能源

in creating these materials.

在製造這些材料上

I say far less, because 10 percent isn't going to cut it.

我說大量減少，因為 10% 是沒什麼作用的

We should be talking about half, a quarter,

我們應該討論是否降低一半、四分之一、

one-tenth the energy content.

至十分之一的能源含量

And lastly, and I think perhaps most importantly,

最後，我想這可能是最重要的

we should be creating materials

我們應該創造一種材料

that fit into what I call nature's recycling system.

一種可以融入自然回收系統的材料

This recycling system has been in place for the last billion years.

這個自然回收系統已存在了幾十億年

I fit into it, you fit into it,

我適應，你也適應

and a hundred years tops, my body can return to the Earth with no preprocessing.

一百年來，我的身體無須任何前置作業即可回歸地球

Yet that packaging I got in the mail yesterday

然而，我昨天拿到的郵件包裹

is going to last for thousands of years.

卻會存留上千年

This is crazy.

這太瘋狂了

But nature provides us with a really good model here.

但自然在這裡提供我們一個相當棒的模型

When a tree's done using its leaves --

當一棵樹用完它的葉子後 --

its solar collectors, these amazing molecular photon capturing devices --

它的太陽能集熱器，這些了不起的分子光子捕捉裝置 --

at the end of a season,

在季節終了的時候

it doesn't pack them up, take them to the leaf reprocessing center

並不是把它們包起來，丟到樹葉處理中心去

and have them melted down to form new leaves.

讓它們溶化解體，形成新葉

It just drops them, the shortest distance possible,

而就只是使樹葉落地，以最短的距離

to the forest floor,

掉落森林地面

where they're actually upcycled into next year's topsoil.

在那，它們實際上循環再造了下一年的表土

And this gets us back to the mushrooms.

這帶我們回到了蘑菇

Because in nature,

因為在大自然中

mushrooms are the recycling system.

蘑菇就是回收系統

And what we've discovered

我們所發現的是

is, by using a part of the mushroom you've probably never seen --

藉由一部份你可能從未見過的蘑菇 --

analogous to its root structure; it's called mycelium --

類似它的根結構。它被稱作菌絲體 --

we can actually grow materials

事實上，我們可以和許多相同傳統屬性的合成纖維

with many of the same properties of conventional synthetics.

一起長出材料來

Now, mycelium is an amazing material,

菌絲是一種異乎尋常的材料

because it's a self-assembling material.

因為它是一種可以自行組合的材料

It actually takes things we would consider waste --

事實上，我們可以考慮一些廢棄材料

things like seed husks or woody biomass --

比如種子外皮或木質生物質

and can transform them into a chitinous polymer,

把轉化成它們成幾丁質聚合物

which you can form into almost any shape.

你可以把它們轉化為任何形態

In our process,

在我們的過程中

we basically use it as a glue.

基本上，我們把它當成膠水

And by using mycelium as a glue,

利用菌絲體作為粘著劑

you can mold things just like you do in the plastic industry,

你可以塑造出你想要的東西，就像在塑膠產業裡

and you can create materials with many different properties,

你可以做出許多不同屬性的材料

materials that are insulating, fire-resistant,

絕緣的、耐火的、

moisture-resistant, vapor-resistant --

耐潮濕、耐水氣的、

materials that can absorb impacts, that can absorb acoustical impacts.

可以吸收聲響的材料

But these materials are grown from agricultural byproducts,

但是這些材料是從農作物生長出來的副產品

not petroleum.

不是石油

And because they're made of natural materials,

此外，由於它們是由自然物質所構成

they are 100 percent compostable

它們可以 100% 分解於

in you own backyard.

你家後院

So I'd like to share with you the four basic steps

我想和你們分享四個

required to make these materials.

製作這些材料的基礎步驟

The first is selecting a feedstock,

首先是選擇原料

preferably something that's regional, that's in your area, right --

最好是地方性的材料，在你周遭附近的材料 --

local manufacturing.

本地製造

The next is actually taking this feedstock and putting in a tool,

接著是把這些材料置於工具中

physically filling an enclosure, a mold,

完全地塞進一個

in whatever shape you want to get.

你想要的形狀的模具裡

Then you actually grow the mycelium through these particles,

接著，你使菌絲體成長，通過這些顆粒

and that's where the magic happens,

在這兒，魔法開始發生了

because the organism is doing the work in this process,

因為在這個過程中，是有機物質在運作著

not the equipment.

而不是設備

The final step is, of course, the product,

最後一個步驟，當然是產品

whether it's a packaging material, a table top, or building block.

無論它是包裝材料、書桌、或建築磚頭

Our vision is local manufacturing,

我們的眼光是本地製造

like the local food movement, for production.

就如同本地食材運動，而這是製造業方面的

So we've created formulations for all around the world

我們為全世界開發了

using regional byproducts.

使用在地農作副產品的方程式

If you're in China, you might use a rice husk

如果你在中國，你可能會使用稻殼

or a cottonseed hull.

或棉籽殼

If you're in Northern Europe or North America,

如果你在北歐或北美

you can use things like buckwheat husks or oat hulls.

你可用蕎麥皮或燕麥殼這些東西

We then process these husks with some basic equipment.

然後，我們以一些基本設備理處理這些稻殼

And I want to share with you a quick video from our facility

我想與你們快速分享一段關於我們設備的影片

that gives you a sense of how this looks at scale.

可以瞭解一下它的規模

So what you're seeing here is actually cotton hulls from Texas, in this case.

所以你們在這裡看到的，事實上是來自德州的棉殼

It's a waste product.

它是廢棄產品

And what they're doing in our equipment

他們在機具裡做的

is going through a continuous system,

是一個持續的系統

which cleans, cooks, cools

可以潔淨、調理、冷卻、

and pasteurizes these materials,

加熱殺菌這些原料

while also continuously inoculating them with our mycelium.

同時他們還不斷與我們的菌絲接種

This gives us a continuous stream of material

這給我們一個連續的材料源

that we can put into almost any shape,

使我們得以做出任何形狀

though today we're making corner blocks.

雖然今天我們正做著角塊

And it's when this lid goes on the part,

當這部份的蓋子掀開後

that the magic really starts.

魔法便開始了

Because the manufacturing process is our organism.

因為製造過程是我們的有機生物

It'll actually begin to digest these wastes

它事實上開始消化這些廢棄物

and, over the next five days,

而且，在接下來的五天

assemble them into biocomposites.

會把它們組織成生物複合材料

Our entire facility

我們的全部設備

is comprised of thousands and thousands and thousands of these tools

都是由這些上千的工具所組成

sitting indoors in the dark, quietly self-assembling materials --

待在黑暗之中，靜靜地自行組合材料

and everything from building materials

所有來自建材的東西

to, in this case,

在這個案例中

a packaging corner block.

是一個一包裝角塊

So I've said a number of times that we grow materials.

所以我已說了許多次，我們種出材料

And it's kind of hard to picture how that happens.

要描述這是如何發生的多少有點難度

So my team has taken five days-worth of growth,

於是我的團隊收取五天的成長

a typical growth cycle for us,

一個典型的成長循環

and condensed it into a 15-second time lapse.

把它濃縮為十五秒的間隔攝影

And I want you to really watch closely

我們想要更清楚地觀看

these little white dots on the screen,

這些在螢幕前的細小點點

because, over the five-day period,

因為，五天的時間裡

what they do is extend out and through this material,

他們所做的是延長這種材料，

using the energy that's contained in these seed husks

並且使用那些蘊藏在種子殼中的能源

to build this chitinous polymer matrix.

建造出這種幾丁質的聚合物

This matrix self-assembles,

這個混合物會自行組合

growing through and around the particles,

在粒子的周圍生長

making millions and millions of tiny fibers.

製造出好幾百萬的微小纖維

And what parts of the seed husk we don't digest,

而關於那些我們無法消化的種子殼，

actually become part of the final, physical composite.

實際上成了最終物理複合材料的一部份

So in front of your eyes, this part just self-assembled.

因此現在各位眼前的，是自行組合的一部份

It actually takes a little longer. It takes five days.

事實上會花上更長的時間，它需要五天

But it's much faster than conventional farming.

但是卻比傳統的耕種來得迅速許多

The last step, of course, is application.

最後一個步驟，當然是應用的部份了

In this case, we've grown a corner block.

在這個案例中，我們種植一個角塊

A major Fortune 500 furniture maker

財經雜誌全球500大企業中一間家具製造商

uses these corner blocks to protect their tables in shipment.

用這些角塊保護在裝運過程中的桌子

They used to use a plastic packaging buffer,

他們以前習慣使用塑膠包裝

but we were able to give them the exact same physical performance

但我們可以用我們長出來的材料

with our grown material.

給予他們相同的物理性能

Best of all, when it gets to the customer,

最重要的是，當它送達的客戶手裡時

it's not trash.

它不是垃圾

They can actually put this in their natural ecosystem without any processing,

事實上，他們可以把這放到自然生態系統裡，無須任何處置

and it's going to improve the local soil.

而且還可以增進當地的土壤效益

So, why mycelium?

那麼，為什麼是菌絲體呢?

The first reason is local open feedstocks.

第一個原因，它是本地的開放原料

You want to be able to do this anywhere in the world

你要可以在全世界各地製造

and not worry about peak rice hull or peak cottonseed hulls,

而不必擔心稻殼或棉籽的高價

because you have multiple choices.

因為你有多樣的選擇

The next is self-assembly,

接著是自行組合

because the organism is actually doing most of the work in this process.

因為實際上，有機物在這一過程中做了絕大部份的工作

You don't need a lot of equipment to set up a production facility.

你不需要裝設許多機具作為生產設備

So you can have lots of small facilities

所以你可以擁有很多小設施

spread all across the world.

散播到世界各地

Biological yield is really important.

生物產量是非常重要的

And because 100 percent of what we put in the tool become the final product,

而且，我們100%的投入都成為成為最終產品

even the parts that aren't digested

即使那些未被消化的部分

become part of the structure,

也成為結構的一部份

we're getting incredible yield rates.

我們得到驚人的收益率

Natural polymers, well ... I think that's what's most important,

天然聚合物，我認為這是最重要的

because these polymers have been tried and tested

因為這些聚合物

in our ecosystem for the last billion years,

已在我們的生態系統中經歷了億萬年的考驗

in everything from mushrooms to crustaceans.

無論是從蘑菇到甲殼類動物等任何東西

They're not going to clog up Earth's ecosystems. They work great.

它們不會堵塞地球的生態系統，它們一直做得很好

And while, today,

而今天

we can practically guarantee that yesterday's packaging

我們實際上可以保證，昨天的包裝

is going to be here in 10,000 years,

會留在這裡一萬年

what I want to guarantee

我想要保證的是

is that in 10,000 years,

在接下來的一萬年

our descendants, our children's children,

我們的子孫

will be living happily and in harmony

將會幸福和樂地

with a healthy Earth.

住在健康的地球

And I think that can be some really good news.

而我想那應該是個真正的好消息

Thank you.

謝謝

(Applause)

（掌聲）