As the world warms up,
在地球日益暖化的今天
the sun may yet prove an unlikely source of cooling.
太陽也許能提供意想不到的冷卻效果
The greenhouse effect could be stopped
我們可以藉由利用太陽的熱力
by harnessing its heat.
而阻止溫室效應
The American Indians of the Southwest deserts
住在美國西南部沙漠里的原住民
have understood the importance of living sustainably
早在數百年前
with their environment for 100s of years.
就已了解永續生活的重要性
We have these natural disasters like the big old fires,
近年來的天災,如野火
the volcano's erupting,
火山噴發
the big old earth quakes,the tsunami.
地震和海嘯等
That's the earth telling us that
都是地球在告訴我們
it's getting pretty tired.
它太累了
It's warning us that we need to slow down.
警告我們要放慢腳步
On the Mesas of Arizona,
位于亞利桑那州的方山
far beyond the reach of the electricity grid
在供電網路范圍之外的
lies Old Oraibi.
老歐拉比村
The oldest occupied settlement in North America.
這是美國年代最久遠的居住聚落
For 1000 years the Hopi Indians have lived here in harmony
奉行著天人合一的霍皮族原住民
with their environment.
在這里住了一千多年
But that doesn't mean that they have to live
這并不表示他們無法享受
without the conveniences of modern life.
現代生活帶來的便利
They have just realized that they are already
他們不久前發現
getting all the power they need.
自己已經擁有了所需的一切能源
Under the clear skies of the desert a family
在一碧如洗的沙漠天空下
can be supplied with electricity
幾片太陽能板
from a couple of solar panels.
就能滿足一個家庭的能源需求
Being that we pray to the sun every day,
我們每天向太陽禮拜
it's got our heart felt desires,he receives it every day,
我們希望太陽神日日聽到我們的祈禱
we thought the best source of energy should come from the sun.
我們認為太陽是最好的能量來源
A few miles across the desert the idea is finally catching on
數哩之外的美國大眾
with the rest of American civilization.
終于接受了這個理念
But, naturally,it's on a much bigger scale.
但是規模自然大得多
These are Stirling Dishes
這些是太陽能界龍頭老大
the Daddy of solar power systems.
斯特林公司出品的太陽能碟
And they may be about to solve the energy crisis
這套系統說不定可以解決
facing the cities of the American west.
美國西部城市面臨的能源危機
People want to run their air conditioners,
人們白天要開燈
their computers,their lights during the day
開冷氣和用電腦
and we run out of energy.
所以能源不夠用
We have a solar furnace 90 million miles away
九千萬哩外的巨大太陽能爐
that provides life for all of Earth.
讓地球生物生生不息
In the past we have been unable to harness that potential
過去因為受限于太陽能系統的效率和成本等
because the efficiency,the cost etc.
我們無法利用它的能源
Of the systems didn't make it viable
但如今日新月異的科技
what's changed is technology.
讓我們得以建造
The technology now allows us to build large scale,
規模龐大、效率驚人
highly efficient,cost effective systems.
又節省成本的能源系統
Each dish tracks the movement of the sun across the sky,
每個太陽能碟都能追蹤到太陽在空中的位置
focusing the heat onto a single point.
把熱能集中在單一點上
Where it is converted to electricity.
并將之轉換為電力
They are twice as efficient as any other solar power system.
它們的效率是其他太陽能系統的兩倍