Feb 12, 2007《紐時周報全文精譯》 「綠色」燃料 生態劫難 Biofuel, from oil palms like these, can result in more pollution than fossil fuels. From a 'Green' Fule, an Ecological Disaster 呂理甡譯 僅僅幾年前，荷蘭政壇和環保團體還為荷蘭迅速採用「永續能源」感到振 奮。荷蘭能達此境地，部分得力於勸誘發電廠使用生質燃料，尤其是來自東南 亞的棕櫚油。 AMSTERDAM －Just a few years ago, politicians and environmental groups in the Netherlands were thrilled by the rapid adoption of “sustainable energy,” achieved in part by coaxing electrical plants to use biofuel － in particular, palm oil from Southeast Asia. 在政府補貼激勵下，能源公司變得非常熱心，設計了只用生質燃油的發電 機。理論上，生質燃油比煤炭等化石燃料乾淨，因為它是由植物提煉。 Spurred by government subsidies, energy companies became so enthusiastic that they designed generators that ran only on the oil, which in theory would be cleaner than fossil fuels like coal because it is derived from plants. 但是去年，科學家研究印尼和馬來西亞棕櫚園的作法後，這個綠色童話開 始看來更像環保夢魘。歐洲對棕櫚油的需求，導致東南亞雨林大片大片被清除， 也造成當地過度使用化學肥料。 But last year, when scientists studied practices at palm plantations in Indonesia and Malaysia, this green fairy tale began to look more like an environmental nightmare. Demand for palm oil in Europe led to the clearing of huge tracts of Southeast Asian rainforest and the overuse of chemical fertilizer there. 科學家說，更糟的是，棕櫚園不斷擴大，使用的土地往往是以排乾泥炭濕 地及焚燒林木而來，使大量碳排放到大氣裡。 Worse still, the scientists said, space for expanding palm plantations was often created by draining and burning peatland, sending huge amounts of carbon emissions into the atmosphere. 根據荷蘭國際濕地組織和荷蘭戴伏特水力所研究人員去年12月發表的研究 報告，印尼已迅速成為全球第三大碳排放國，僅次於美國和中國大陸。科學家 認為，碳是全球暖化元凶。 Indonesia had quickly become the world’s third-leading producer of carbon emissions that scientists believe are responsible for global warming, ranked after the United States and China, according to a study released in December by researchers from Wetlands International and Delft Hydraulics, both in the Netherlands. 國際濕地組織是個保育團體，發言人艾力克斯．卡特說：「這實在令人震 驚，也完全粉碎了我們當初採用棕櫚油的一切正當理由。」 “It was shocking and totally smashed all the good reasons we initially went into palm oil,” said Alex Kaat, a spokesman for Wetlands, a conservation group. 在追求更環保能源的過程中，生質燃料一向是基石，許多科學研究卻發現 ，生產生質燃料有時可能比化石燃料產生更多有害排放物。 The production of biofuels, long a cornerstone of the quest for greener energy, may sometimes create more harmful emissions than fossil fuels, scientific studies are finding. 因此，許多國家的政界人士開始重新思考以巨資補貼生質燃料是否值得。 這些經費用來資助汽車和工廠，鼓勵他們不分青紅皂白採用公認有益環保的所 有這些燃料。2003年生效的「歐洲聯盟生質燃料規章」，要求歐盟所有會員國 2010年前達到5.75%交通工具採用生質燃料的目標。這套規章現已重新檢討。 As a result, politicians in many countries are rethinking the billions of dollars in subsidies that have indiscriminately supported the spread of all of these supposedly eco-friendly fuels for vehicles and factories. The 2003 European Union Biofuels Directive, which demands that all member states aim to have 5.75 percent of transportation run by biofuel in 2010, is now under review. 總部在哥本哈根的歐洲環境局專家彼得．簡森說：「妥善產製生質燃料， 可以減少溫室效應氣體排放。但這有很大部分要看是哪些植物及如何種植、如 何加工，最後，你可能比化石燃料少排放90%，或多排放20%。」 “If you make biofuels properly, you will reduce greenhouse emissions,” said Peder Jensen, of the European Environment Agency in Copenhagen. “But that depends very much on the types of plants and how they’re grown and processed. You can end up with a 90 percent reduction compared to fossil fuels－or a 20 percent increase.” 荷蘭是綠色能源領袖，目前正帶頭致力辨別哪些生質燃料真正有益環境。 The Netherlands, a leader in green energy, is now leading the effort to distinguish which biofuels are truly environmentally sound. 荷蘭政府、環保團體和荷蘭一些「綠色能源」企業研擬追蹤進口棕櫚油產 地的計畫，以便檢證哪些產品是以負責任的方式生產。 The government, environmental groups and some of the Netherlands’ “green energy” companies are trying to develop programs to trace the origins of imported palm oil, to certify which operations produce the oil in a responsible manner. 在美國和巴西，生質燃料多半是乙醇（美國以玉米製造、巴西以甘蔗製造） ，用來驅動本來以汽油為燃料的汽車。在歐洲，生質燃料多半是當地油菜籽和 葵花油，用來製造柴油燃料。 In the United States and Brazil most biofuel is ethanol (made from corn in the United States and sugar in Brazil), used to power vehicles made to run on gasoline. In Europe it is mostly local rapeseed and sunflower oil, used to make diesel fuel. 植物油有少數未進一步提煉就用來代替柴油的例子。但隨著許多歐洲國家 推動多用綠色能源，從熱帶進口植物油愈來愈多。 In a few instances, plant oil is used in place of diesel fuel, without further refinement. But as many European countries push for more green energy, they are increasingly importing plant oils from the tropics. 表面上看，支持採用生質燃油的環保方程式很簡單：生質燃料因為是由植 物提煉，它們在生長時吸收碳，燃燒時釋出碳，理論上等於中和了碳的排放。 On the surface, the environmental equation that supports biofuels is simple: Since they are derived from plants, biofuels absorb carbon while they are grown and release it when they are burned. In theory that neutralizes their emissions. 但在阿姆斯特丹主持「地球之友」組織反棕櫚油運動的雷恩．柯雷頓說， 生質燃料未經充分研究，有關方面就趕著推動這項產業。 But the industry was promoted long before there was adequate research, said Reanne Creyghton, who runs Friends of the Earth’s campaign against palm oil here. 英國環保團體「生質燃料觀察」支持暫停補貼，直到更多研究確定不同地 區的各種生質燃料是否都以無汙染方式生產為止。 Biofuelswatch, an environment group in Britain, supports a moratorium on subsidies until more research can determine whether various biofuels in different regions are produced in a nonpolluting manner. 一些環保團體說，棕櫚油無法以合理價格永續生產。他們表示，棕櫚油現 在價格低廉，是因種植方法不顧環境且剝削勞工。 Some environmental groups say palm oil cannot be produced sustainably at reasonable prices. They say palm oil is now cheap because of poor environmental practices and labor abuses. Biox公司幹部布林克曼說：「是的，棕櫚油業一直有害群之馬。」Biox是 一家新公司，計畫在荷蘭建三座棕櫚油發電廠，電廠將使用公司在自有林地以 其所稱負責任方式所種棕櫚提煉的油。 “Yes, there have been bad examples in the palm oil industry,” said Arjen Brinkman, a company official at Biox, a new company that plans to build three palm oil electrical plants in Holland, using oil from palms grown on its own plantations in a manner that it says is responsible. 他說：「現在，顯然要供應歐洲市場生質燃料和生質能源，必須證明你是 以永續方式生產，證明你產生較少的二氧化碳，而不是排放更多。」 “But it is now clear,” he said, “that to serve Europe’s markets for biofuel and bioenergy, you will have to prove that you produce it sustainably － that you are producing less, not more CO2.” By ELISABETH ROSENTHAL 原文參照 http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/01/30/business/biofuel.php 【2007-02-12/聯合報/B6版/UNITED DAILY NEWS】 -- 趙客縵胡纓 吳鉤霜雪明 銀鞍照白馬 颯沓如流星 十步殺一人 千里不留行 事了拂衣去 深藏身與名 閒過信陵飲 脫劍膝前橫 將炙啖朱亥 持觴勸侯贏 三盃吐然諾 五嶽倒為輕 眼花耳熱後 意氣素霓生 救趙揮金槌 邯鄲先震驚 千秋二壯士 烜赫大梁城 縱使俠骨香 不慚世上英 誰能書閤下 白首太玄經 李白 俠客行 --

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