‘要想改变世界,就先改变自己。’ -甘地

“You must be the change you wish to see in the world.”- Mahatma Gandhi 

 

 

TEDx Taipei 2011年 ‘旅程的力量’系列演讲邀请到了海洋环境保育工作者廖敏慧。她从小就喜爱海洋,更曾长期投入东海岸赏鲸团解说志工。因受到中途岛信天翁大量死亡的震撼,而开启了她全心投入海洋保育的旅程。敏慧分享自己参与国际海洋保育团体的经验,希望让更多人认识与重视我们美丽的海洋。

 

TEDx Taipei invited marine conservation activist Ming-Hui Liao to speak at the “The Power of Journey” lecture series in 2011. Over the course of her career, Liao grew to love the wonders of the sea, and had volunteered for Taiwan’s East Coast whale watching group. Liao was shocked to learn about the mass die-off of a local albatross population on Midway Island and this spurred her lifelong journey of marine conservation. By sharing her experiences participating in international conservation efforts, she hoped to raise awareness of the dire problems facing marine ecosystems.

 

中途岛,开启探索的契机

 

敏慧十几年前在国家地理杂志看到夏威夷中途岛信天翁死亡的照片,一张张照片揭露了信天翁大量死亡的谜团,也成了敏惠探索海洋的动机。透过镜头,我们看到了人类制造的塑胶垃圾,正威胁海洋生态与人类健康。照片纪录我们所无法想像的自然景象,原本的世外桃源,竟遍布了令人惊心怵目的成千上万只信天翁尸体。人类所制造的塑胶垃圾,产生两倍于德州大小的北太平洋垃圾涡流。藉由克里斯的摄影,我们看到信天翁幼鸟肚子里竟然满是塑胶。因为垃圾涡流随着海洋漂到中途岛,信天翁吃下了塑胶而死亡。在遥远的中途岛,无数信天翁因人类的消费行为而无法生存。

 

A decade ago, Ming-Hui Liao saw photos in National Geographic Magazine that motivated her to go into marine conservation. A look at Chris Jordan’s photographic essay on Midway Island, one of the most remote islands on earth, reveals the dangers posed by The Great Pacific Garbage Patch. Jordan’s photos show tens of thousands of baby albatrosses lying dead on the ground due to accidental intake of floating plastic refuse. The Great Pacific Garbage Patch, also called the Pacific Trash Vortex, is a mass of marine litter in the Pacific Ocean. Through Jordan’s lens, we see how plastic garbage poses an immense threat to marine ecosystems and human health. We also see the impact humans have on the planet. The world’s most beautiful natural sanctuaries, home to rare and dwindling species, are now at risk of dying due to human irresponsibility. 

 

 

 

中途岛上的悲剧让人心痛。海洋垃圾问题就像地球暖化一样,即使太平洋的漂流垃圾有几千万吨,因为平常无法用肉眼看到,我们很难去体会海洋正发生什么变化。无论我们面对这些照片的反应是悲伤、羞愧、或愤怒,克里斯希望藉由呈现真实的影像,让我们有机会了解这个时代所发生的事,并唤醒世人对塑胶垃圾的重视与反省自身消费行为。

 

The environmental tragedy on Midway Island is heartbreaking. Marine litter is a dangerous problem many people choose to ignore. Despite the fact that there are thousands of tons of drifting garbage in the Pacific Ocean, marine litter cannot be captured in satellite photography and is often ignored in the news. This makes it difficult for people to understand what is happening in the ocean. Chris Jordan’s photographic works allow people to see the immensity of this “invisible tragedy.” Jordan hopes by “showing real images, people can better grapple with the reality of the time we live in, however hard that is.” He hopes the impact of his photographs will be an awakening call.

 

 

 

‘我们是否有勇气面对当前时代的事实,并且让自己深刻感受以改变我们的未来?’摄影师克里斯乔登。

"Do we have the courage to face the horrors of our time? " “And in the eye of the storm —the apex of the Gyre—perhaps our collaborative efforts can create a container for healing that might have some small effect on the collective choice that is to come.” - Photographer and artist Chris Jordan.

 

克里斯与团队坚守着不增加或移除任何信天翁肚子中的塑胶,呈现最真实的情况。他说,‘我们不需要感到绝望,但我们有新的选择。’

Jordan and his team adhere to principles of not tampering with their photographic subjects – they do not add or remove plastic to better convey their point. "Our goal is to look beyond the grief and the tragedy. We do not need to despair, but we have a new choice," says Jordan.

 

 

从自己出发,成为海洋勇者

 

成大药学研究所毕业,敏慧曾经在东部的医院担任药师两年。但坚持着对海洋的热爱,她放弃了原本稳定的工作,进入台大海洋所,希望更深入了解并亲近海洋。因为想要‘心无旁骛,全心全意地把自己丢到这片蓝色的世界’,即使必须面对家人及朋友的担忧或质疑,她仍勇敢追求自己所爱,用尽力气去谱出属于自己人生的歌。

 

Inspired by Jordan’s work, Ming-Hui Liao changed career paths in order to better advocate for marine and environmental issues. A graduate of the National Cheng Kung University Institute of Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Liao worked as pharmacist at a hospital in the eastern part of the Taiwan for two years. But her love and concern for the ocean brought her to pursue higher education in marine studies at the National Taiwan University. Despite doubts and concerns from family and friends, Liao followed her heart to pursue her passion. 

 

对敏慧来说,那些信天翁的照片就像是打开了一扇门,让她看到了更广的世界,启发了她关怀海洋的动机。‘突然之间,人生好像有某个开关受到感发而启动了,这也因此开启了接下来一路上和海洋有关的接触和旅程。’一直喜爱海洋的她,不但投入海洋的研究,更实地去北太平洋勘察海洋垃圾涡流。敏慧获得Keep Walking 圆梦计画赞助,于2011年7月,在无帆船航行的经验下搭上帆船,从夏威夷至温哥华,22天将近三千公里的航行,成为台湾第一位前进北太平洋探索‘垃圾涡流区’的先行者。因为海洋垃圾平常看不到,但不是看不见就不存在。于是她航向太平洋,寻找人类的塑胶足迹,观察与纪录海洋垃圾涡流的影响。敏慧认为‘在这看似意外的骇人故事背后,其实是我们人类有意无意间对大自然造成的迫害’。她希望将经验与知识带回台湾,让大众更清楚地了解海洋现况,增加对海洋保育的重视 。

 

For Ming-Hui, Chris Jordan’s grim photos inspired her to devote herself to marine conservation. "All of a sudden, life seemed to switch in another direction,” said Ming-Hui. She not only committed herself to the field of marine sciences, she also joined an international team to survey The Pacific Garbage Patch. Sponsored by Keep Walking Dream, a non-profit foundation, Ming-Hui and her teammates sailed from Hawaii to Vancouver. Ming-Hui became the first Taiwanese to explore the Pacific Trash Vortex - mapping the plastic footprint of human consumption and recording the impact of human litter on marine ecosystems. Her greatest hope was to bring back her experiences and knowledge to Taiwan - to enable the public to develop a deeper understanding of the ocean’s current situation and to increase awareness of marine conservation. 

 

 

 

为了地球与生命而改变

 

来自七个国家的十二位环保人士,其中只有三人有帆船经验,而敏慧也没有帆船的经验,却仍然克服了海上身体的不适,进行一场探索之旅。她说‘到了看不到边际的大洋上,就更确定保护海洋的心意与信念。’即使路途艰辛,经历晕船,未知,与害怕,‘当身体慢慢适应海上生活,一切变得没有那么困难。因为爱,一切都会慢慢克服适应。’

 

Ming-Hui’s team included twelve environmental activists from seven different countries. Even though she had no prior sailing experience, she overcame her physical discomfort at sea because of her determination to protect the ocean.  “Despite the hardships, sea sickness, and my own fears, the journey became less difficult because of my love for marine conservation,” Ming-Hui said.

 

她希望自己旅程中的见闻能让更多人认识人类和海的关联,进而重新审视日常生活中习以为常的行为和思维。敏慧希望更多人透过自己,更了解、更愿意去关心这片海洋。虽然一路也面临许多挑战与质疑,但接触海洋影响了敏慧对生命的态度和生活的价值观。‘我希望藉自己的力量让更多人能够意识到这个世界不只是人类“拥有”的,而是和所有生物一样,彼此共享一个地球,因此当人类在消费之前、消耗地球资源的时候,能够进一步的思考到自身行为对于地球上其他生物的影响。’

 

Ming-Hui Liao hopes her story and experiences in the North Pacific Ocean will make it easier for people to recognize the human impact on marine ecosystems and to inspire changes to human behavior and consumption. Although she faced many challenges and questions on her journey, her contact with the ocean had a lasting impact on her attitude toward life and the world. "I hope many more people realize that this world is not “owned” by humans, but by all living things that share the Earth.”

 

‘你喜欢海洋吗?’如果答案是肯定的,那么接下来我们要问自己的是‘我们能够海洋做什么?’即使我们同样拥有文明生活的便利,却可以一起减少垃圾量-拒绝过度包装的产品,拒绝使用一次性塑胶产品,确实实践资源回收,减少对地球生态的冲击。敏慧鼓励大家从日常生活开始,小小的力量可以累积成巨大的改变,每个人都可以为海洋做些什么,希望我们的下一代还能够继续拥抱海洋的美好。让我们一起改变,为了地球,为了生命。

 

Do you share Ming-Hui’s concern for the ocean? Does the ocean play a significant role in your way of life?  If the answer is yes, you have to think deeply about what you can do for the ocean. By working together to reduce our use of plastic products and packaging, and increasing our utilization of recycling, we can reduce our environmental footprint. Ming-Hui Liao believes everyone should act as the cumulative effect of individual efforts can make a big difference. It is easy to help protect the ocean and precious marine ecosystems around the world. Let us change the way we live so we can protect the future of all species on this planet.

 

 

 

中途岛 中文预告 (Midway, The Heart of Pacific)

 


 

 

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文字:womany 编辑部 / 蓝巧纹 ChiaoWen Lan

影片:TEDx Taipei

资料来源:MMOT/Times 焦点人物Chris Jordan Official Site

更多 TEDx Taipei 相关内容请见:http://tedxtaipei.com/