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Hey There! Welcome To Life Noggin!
大家好！欢迎来到脑洞大开的生命奇想！
With temperatures rising, forests being destroyed and oceans polluted, we need a clean energy source that won't cause more damage to our fragile planet.
随着气温上升，森林被破坏，海洋被污染，我们需要一种不会对我们脆弱的星球造成更多破坏的清洁能源。
As you probably know, there is a lot of debate on which energy source is the best.
正如你可能知道的，关于哪种能源是最好的有很多争论。
The perfect energy source would need to be efficient, safe, cheap, and clean, and there needs to be lots of it.
最理想的能源必须是高效、安全、廉价和清洁的，而且需要储量丰富。
So, using those criteria, let's take a look at some of the commonly used energy sources to see how they all stack up.
所以，用这些标准，我们来看看一些常用的能源，看看它们是如何走到今天的。
The most recent data available from the US Energy Administration reports that of all the energy used around the globe in 2017, 33% came from petroleum, 27% from coal, 23% from natural gas. 13% from renewables and 4% from nuclear fission.
美国能源局(US Energy Administration)最新数据显示，2017年全球能源消耗中，石油占33%，煤炭占27%，天然气占23%。13%来自可再生能源，4%来自核裂变。
Non-renewables like natural gas and coal release crazy amounts of greenhouse gases and pollutants, so in terms of cleanliness, they're out.
天然气和煤炭等不可再生能源会释放大量的温室气体和污染物，所以就清洁而言，它们已经过时了。
Nuclear produces radioactive material, which we definitely don't want.
核产生放射性物质，这是我们绝对不想要的。
After looking at renewables, hydroelectric and wind power are the cleanest sources of energy, producing very little to no emissions or impact on the environment.
继可再生能源之后，水力发电和风力发电是最清洁的能源来源，几乎不会产生排放，也不会对环境造成影响。
We also want an energy source that won't break the bank.
我们还想要一种不会倾家荡产的能源。
Wind is in the lead here too, costing just $45 per megawatt-hour, with natural gas coming in at $87, coal $102, and nuclear $172.
风能也处于领先地位，每兆瓦时成本仅为45美元，天然气为87美元，煤炭102美元，核能172美元。
While rooftop solar panels aren't very cost-effective, energy from large-scale, utility panels now only costs about $60 per megawatt-hour. So, not bad!
虽然屋顶太阳能板的成本效益不高，但大型公用事业板的能源现在只需要每兆瓦时60美元左右。所以，不错！
The sun is pretty much screaming at us with energy, so we have to figure something out.
太阳充满能量地向我们尖叫，所以我们得想个办法。
Energy source efficiency is commonly measured using something called heat rate, which factors in the amount of fuel needed to generate power.
能源效率通常是用一种叫做热效率的东西来衡量的，热效率是把产生电能所需要的燃料量考虑在内的。
Since non-renewables like coal, petroleum, nuclear and natural gas all use finite resources, this efficiency is pretty important.
由于煤炭、石油、核能和天然气等不可再生能源都使用有限的资源，这种效率非常重要。
Of those, natural gas is, by far, the least efficient, with petroleum, nuclear and coal all being pretty equal.
到目前为止，天然气的效率最低，石油、核能和煤炭的效率都相当。
When it comes to renewables, there unfortunately isn't one measurement that allows us to compare their efficiencies since their power comes from different sources.
谈到可再生能源，不幸的是没有一种测量方法可以让我们比较它们的效率，因为它们的能源来自不同的来源。
But what about safety? Each energy source has its own hazards. Non-renewable plants have big risks like oil rig explosions or mine collapses, but renewables have their own dangers too.
但是安全呢？每种能源都有其自身的危害。不可再生能源发电厂存在着石油钻井平台爆炸或矿山坍塌等重大风险，但可再生能源也有自身的危险。
Solar workers are exposed to carcinogens. Biofuels like ethanol and biodiesel are highly reactive and combustible. Geothermal workers inhale deadly particles.
太阳能工人暴露在致癌物质中。像乙醇和生物柴油这样的生物燃料具有高度反应性和可燃性。地热工人吸入致命颗粒。
And while wind turbines are subject to collapsing and natural events like lightning strikes and fires, it appears that wind is the safest.
虽然风力涡轮机容易坍塌，自然灾害如雷击和火灾，但风力似乎是最安全的。
Then, there's the importance of availability. Natural gas, petroleum and coal will run out. And there isn't always wind, sun or rain.
其次，还有可用性的重要性。天然气、石油和煤炭将耗尽。没有风，没有阳光，也没有雨。
But, nuclear power industries are currently exploring whether extracting uranium from seawater could result in a virtually limitless supply of nuclear energy.
但是，核能工业目前正在探索，从海水中提取铀是否会带来几乎无限的核能供应。
There's also some promising tech on the horizon for the availability and longevity of renewables too. Lithium-ion batteries.
在可再生能源的可用性和寿命方面，也有一些前景光明的技术即将出现。锂离子电池。
They've got a long lifespan, can hold crazy amounts of energy, and their cost is dropping.
它们的寿命很长，可以储存大量的能量，而且成本也在下降。
So pairing these with renewable energy generators across the world could make clean energy even more tempting. It seems to me that wind energy is our best option.
因此，将这些技术与世界各地的可再生能源发电机相结合，可能会让清洁能源更具吸引力。在我看来，风能是我们最好的选择。
We'll just need to learn to live with those ugly wind turbines, which is a small price to pay, for ya know, humans living longer.
我们只需要学会忍受那些丑陋的风力涡轮机，这是一个很小的代价，因为你知道，人类寿命更长。
Would you be on board for a wind-powered world? Do you think solar is the way to go?
你会选择风力发电的世界吗？你认为太阳能是最好的选择吗？
Let us know in the comment section below, or tell us, what should we talk about next?
在下面的评论区告诉我们，或者告诉我们，接下来我们应该讨论什么？
Let's say we do have to get off this planet, how could we create our very own? Check out this video!
假设我们必须离开这个星球，我们怎么能创造出属于我们自己的星球呢？看看这个视频！
We'd want it to be in the habitable zone. Meaning the planet should have an orbit the right distance from its star, to insure optimal temperatures and most importantly, liquid water.
我们希望它在可居住区域。这意味着这颗行星应该有一个与其恒星距离合适的轨道，以确保最佳温度，最重要的是，液态水。
As always, my name is Blocko! This has been Life Noggin! Don't forget to keep on thinking!
我是宝高。这里是脑洞大开的生命奇想。思考不要停！
