In the time it took me to walk on stage around 10 seconds,
在我走上台花的10秒钟里
more than 10,000 metric tons of climate-warming gases
人类活动向大气中排放了
have been pumped into the atmosphere from human actions.
一万多公吨温室气体
To provide some context on just how much that is,
我用具体情境帮大家体会这个数目
That is the weight equivalent of 170,000 of me emitted in gas in 10 seconds.
这相当于17万个我在10秒内排放的气体的重量
Ninety-nine percent of this pollution is carbon dioxide, CO2,
99％的污染是二氧化碳
and we know we need to reduce it.
我们需要减少它
The other one percent is almost entirely methane,
剩下的1％的几乎全是甲烷
which mostly comes from producing fossil fuels,
它主要来自于化石燃料生产
managing waste and raising livestock.
废物处理和牲畜养殖
But that one percent of methane could cause more warming
但这1%的甲烷在未来10年造成的变暖
over the next 10 years than all that CO2.
比所有的二氧化碳造成的更多
This is because methane absorbs a lot more energy per unit mass
因为单位质量的甲烷能吸收更多的热量
for reasons relating to its molecular structure
这与其分子结构
and its ability to form other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.
及其在大气中形成其他温室气体的能力有关
CO2 is important because it can linger in the atmosphere
二氧化碳数量如此巨大是因为它被排出后
long after it is emitted,
还能在大气中留存很长时间
which means we must achieve net-zero emissions
这意味着我们必须实现二氧化碳的零排放
to eventually stabilize our climate.
最终才能使气候趋于稳定
This is key for protecting generations to come.
这是保护后代的关键
But with climate change already devastating so many lives today,
但如今气候变化已经摧残了如此多的生命
we can’t focus only on the distant future.
我们不能只关注遥远的未来
My work as a scientist aims to identify ways
作为一名科学家 我的工作目标是
to slow down warming as fast as possible,
尽快找到减缓气候变暖的方法
so that we can lower the risks of worsening damages in the near future.
之后才能降低风险 及时止损
This is where methane comes in.
所以我们要提到甲烷
That one percent of methane may cause more warming
接下来几年内 1％的甲烷造成的升温
than all that CO2 in the next several years,
会比所有二氧化碳造成的更加严重
but it only lasts in the atmosphere for around a decade.
但甲烷只会在大气中存在十年左右
Methane’s warming power is therefore
所以甲烷的变暖能力
not from the gradual buildup over time like CO2,
并不像二氧化碳那样日积月累而来
but almost entirely from recent emissions.
而是来自近来的排放
This means that every time we reduce methane,
这就意味着每当我们减少甲烷时
we can reduce a lot of warming right away.
就能立马减缓升温
In fact, cutting methane is the single fastest, most effective opportunity
事实上 减少甲烷是即刻减缓变暖方法中
to immediately slow down the rate of warming.
最快且最有效的方法
(Applause)
（掌声）
And this is because not only does methane act fast,
不仅是因为甲烷作用快
but because we can act fast
也是因为我们反应快
because we have the technologies available right now
因为我们现在有可行的技术
to cut methane emissions from human activities in half.
能减少人类活动排放的甲烷的一半
And even better, many of these solutions pay for themselves.
更妙的是 这些办法大多物有所值
The methane we emit comes from three main sources:
我们排放的甲烷主要有三个来源
energy production,
能源生产
waste management and agriculture.
废物处理和农业
The first category, energy production,
第一类 能源生产
is the largest and cheapest opportunity we have to cut methane today.
我们能从中最大最便宜地减少甲烷
Most methane from energy isn’t from burning fossil fuels,
大部分由能源产生的甲烷不是来自化石燃料的燃烧
it’s from producing fossil fuels.
而是来自化石燃料的生产
Because natural gas, which is mostly methane,
因为天然气内含有大量甲烷
can easily escape into the atmosphere
在提炼石油 天然气和煤炭时
when extracting oil, gas and coal, or when transporting gas through pipelines.
或者管道运输时 天然气极易逸入大气
In fact, these leaks can completely offset
事实上 这些甲烷的泄漏会完全抵消
any near-term climate benefits of using gas instead of coal.
使用天然气代替煤炭短期内对气候的效益
But we have the technologies to cut the majority of these emissions
但我们有技术来减少大部分的排放
with around half for no net cost
将近一半不用耗费成本
because the saved gas can be sold.
因为保留下来的天然气可以出售
For example, oil fields in West Texas are wasting enough gas right now
例如 西德克萨斯州的油田目前浪费的天然气
to heat more than two million homes.
足以为200多万户家庭供暖
Fixing the methane problem, though, can be as simple as
虽然解决甲烷问题可以像
tightening a valve or placing a gasket or tuning an engine.
拧紧阀门 安装垫片或调整发动机一样简单
A major reason why these easy fixes haven’t been implemented isn’t the cost.
这些方法尚未实施 不是因为成本过高
It’s because governments and industry have been data-deprived,
而是因为政府和工厂一直缺乏数据
lacking information on where and how much is emitted.
不清楚排放地点和排放量
But our ability to detect these leaks has rapidly advanced in recent years.
但近年来 我们检测泄漏的能力迅速提升
Everything from handheld instruments to sensors on aircrafts and drones.
从手持仪器到飞机和无人机上的传感器
And now there’s a growing universe of satellites
现在 越来越多的卫星
designed to locate and measure methane from space.
被设计用来从太空中定位和测量甲烷
That list includes MethaneSAT,
其中包括甲烷卫星(MethaneSAT)
which is expected to be launch-ready next year
预计将于明年发射
and will be able to detect and quantify methane emissions
它将以前所未有的精度
across the globe with unprecedented precision.
探测和量化全球甲烷排放
If we can find it, we can fix it.
发现问题 便能解决问题
This part is not rocket science.
这并非难事
It’s more like plumbing.
这跟修水管一样简单
I can’t tell you enough how hopeful that makes me for the future.
这使我对未来充满了无限的展望
We can also reduce a lot of emissions
我们还可以从第二类 废物管理中
from the second category, waste management,
减少甲烷的大量排放
where methane is produced as bacteria
当细菌分解垃圾场的垃圾
decompose garbage in landfills and sludge in wastewater.
和废水淤泥时 会产生甲烷
Some of the largest landfills receive enough trash per day
最大的一些垃圾填埋场每天接收的垃圾
to fill more than 10 Olympic-sized swimming pools
足以填满10个奥运会大小的游泳池
before it is compacted.
在它们被压缩之前
But we can suck up the methane from landfills by using tubes with vacuums
但我们能用真空管 从垃圾填埋场吸收甲烷
and then use it to generate electricity,
然后用它来发电
because methane is an energy-packed fuel.
因为甲烷是一种能源燃料
We can also reduce emissions by sending some trash, like food waste,
我们还可以将一些垃圾 比如食物垃圾
away from landfills and instead to composting centers
从垃圾填埋场转移到能够防止甲烷释放的
that are designed to prevent the release of methane.
堆肥中心来减少排放
The third category, agriculture,
第三类 农业
emits the most and remains the hardest to address.
排放量最大 也是最难解决的
But there are exciting new technologies on the horizon.
但令人兴奋的新技术即将问世
The number one source is livestock.
甲烷最主要的来源是牲畜
Some farm animals, like the billion-plus cattle worldwide,
一些农场动物 比如世界上十几亿头牛
belch methane that was produced when digesting plants like grass.
在消化所食草本时会产生甲烷
Reducing these emissions is possible with higher-quality feed.
高质量的饲料可以减少这些排放
And the scientists are developing and testing new technologies,
科学家们正在研发新技术
like feed supplements,
比如饲料添补剂
that can suppress methane production in a cow’s gut by at least 30 percent
可以抑制奶牛肠道中至少30%的甲烷
with no negative effects on productivity or quality.
且不会对牛奶的生产率或质量产生负面影响
Livestock manure can also produce methane when concentrated,
家畜粪便浓缩后也能产生甲烷
but we can cover manure lagoons
但我们可以覆盖粪肥泻湖
and then pump manure into digesters that can capture the methane,
然后将粪便泵入能够捕获甲烷的消化器
which can then be used for heat and electricity.
这些消化器可以用来供热和发电
Another methane source is rice production.
另一个甲烷来源是水稻生产
This one crop is a staple for half the world’s population,
这种作物是世界上一半人口的主食
but the plants grow in flooded fields
但这种植物生长在灌水田上
that create ideal conditions for microbes to form methane.
为微生物形成甲烷创造了理想的条件
We can slash emissions from methane
我们可以通过改善处理所需水源
by improving how we manage the required water,
来减少甲烷的排放
which can be as simple as maintaining a shallow level of water in the rice fields.
这跟保持稻田的浅水位一样简单
Implementing all of these solutions will take work.
实施所有这些解决方案都需要努力
But people have already started to act.
但人们已经开始行动了
Many governments, oil and gas CEOs,
许多政府 石油和天然气公司的首席执行官
landfill operators and farmers are advancing measures to reduce methane.
垃圾填埋场经营者和农民都在推进减少甲烷的措施
But we need more,
但还不够
because there is a lot of warming that we can prevent
因为我们可以阻止大量变暖
if we quickly deploy the full set of affordable and available strategies.
如果我们迅速部署一整套价格合理且可行的策略
We need standalone methane targets
我们需要将独立的甲烷目标
as part of every company’s business model,
作为每个公司商业模式的一部分
and every country’s nationally determined contribution
随着《巴黎协定》的加强
as the Paris Agreement is strengthened.
每个国家都需要做出自己的贡献
Because if we succeed in a rapid, full-scale effort to cut methane,
因为如果我们能快速 全面地成功减少甲烷
we have a chance to actually experience the benefits fast, in our lifetimes.
我们能在有生之年迅速体验到其带来的好处
For example,
例如
my colleagues and I found that we could slow down the rate of warming
我和同事发现 在本世纪中叶之前
by as much as 30 percent before mid-century.
我们可以将变暖的速度降低30%
This would help communities and ecosystems adapt
这将有助于群落和生态系统
to a changing climate
适应不断变化的气候
and hit the brakes on worsening extreme events,
并遏制不断恶化的极端事件
like wildfires in the Americas and Australia,
如美洲和澳大利亚的野火
and flooding in Europe and Asia.
以及欧洲和亚洲的洪水
It would also help clean up our air, saving lives and crops,
它还将有助于清洁我们的空气 拯救生命和庄稼
because methane contributes to ozone pollution.
因为甲烷会造成臭氧污染
And because some of the people most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change
因为那些最容易受到气候变化影响的人
are on the front lines of methane emissions.
正处于甲烷排放的前线
These solutions can also help reduce the inequity of climate change,
这些方法还能减少气候变化所带来的不公
for example, by job creation.
例如创造就业机会
If we fast-forward to later decades,
如果我们快进到几十年后
acting now to cut methane can also help protect Arctic sea ice.
现在采取行动减少甲烷也可以帮助保护北极海冰
This is because when methane reductions are combined
因为当减少甲烷与减少二氧化碳的
with strong actions to cut CO2,
强有力行动相结合时
it becomes unlikely that temperatures would rise to levels
气温就不太可能上升到
that would trigger a total loss in Arctic summer sea ice.
导致北极夏季海冰全部消失的水平
This is important not just for polar communities and ecosystems,
这不仅对极地群落和生态系统很重要
but actually for the entire world.
实际上对整个世界都很重要
I’ve now been talking for almost 10 minutes,
我演讲的这十分钟里
which means that more than 700,000 metric tons of climate-warming gases
有超过70万吨的温室气体
have been pumped into the atmosphere.
被排放到大气中
Now that equals the weight of 12 million of me.
有一千两百个我那么重
Of all this pollution,
在所有这些污染中
it is the methane that could warm the Earth the most
甲烷可能是未来10年
over the next 10 years.
使地球变暖最多的污染物
But we know how to cut these emissions in half right now
但现在我们知道如何从能源 废物和农业方面
from energy, waste and agriculture.
把这些排放减少一半
This is the methane moment.
这是甲烷时刻
Because cutting methane is the single fastest, most effective opportunity
因为减少甲烷是短期内减少气候变化风险
to reduce climate change risks in the near term.
最快 最有效的机会
And cutting CO2, which will otherwise build up over time,
减少日渐累积的二氧化碳
is the key to reducing risks in the long term.
是长期减缓气候变化风险的关键
We need to do both
双管齐下
to plot a safer course for ourselves and our children
为我们自己和我们的孩子以及子孙后代
and for generations to come.
规划一条更安全的道路
Thank you so much.
非常感谢
(Applause)
（掌声）