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Shannon, hearing you talk about microplastics and how ubiquitous they are, I mean, it's almost, like, accepted that, yes, these are everywhere, but I think it's worth stepping back and just asking the question, how did we get here?
香农，听到你谈论微塑料以及它们是多么无处不在，我的意思是，几乎可以说，这些东西无处不在，但我认为值得退一步问一个问题，我们是如何沦落到这一步的？
Like, how did microplastics become so ubiquitous?
比如，微塑料是如何变得如此无处不在的？
I think the thing about plastics is there's a few factors.
我认为塑料的问题在于几个因素。
Number one, they are incredibly useful.
第一，它们非常实用。
You can just use plastic for almost anything.
你几乎可以用塑料来做任何东西。
It's extremely durable, it can be shaped in different ways, and it's really cheap.
它极其耐用，能够以不同的方式塑形，并且真的很便宜。
And so it has just pushed all of these other materials that we used to use out of the market for things like water that is bottled or for things like food containers.
因此，塑料将我们过去用于制作瓶装水或食品容器等物品的所有其他材料挤出了市场。
At the same time, the fossil-fuel industry sees plastics as a route forward.
与此同时，化石燃料行业将塑料视为未来的发展方向。
Plastics are made from petrochemicals.
塑料是由石油化工产品制成的。
They're made from fossil fuels.
它们是由化石燃料制成的。
And as we're talking about, you know, phasing out oil, phasing down natural gas, fossil-fuel companies see plastics as a route to the future for them where they can still make a lot of money.
正如我们所讨论的，你知道，逐步淘汰石油，逐步减少天然气，化石燃料公司将塑料视为他们未来的一条大赚一笔的途径。
Oh, interesting.
哦，有意思。
So this is a point of investment for them.
所以这对他们来说是一个投资点。
Yeah. I mean, what does the industry have to say about these concerns about the ubiquity of these materials and questions around the impact that they have on people's health?
是的，我的意思是，对于这些材料无处不在的担忧以及它们对人们健康的影响问题，业界有什么看法？
Yeah, so, the industry will say things like, "We don't know yet," "We don't have enough evidence," and "We need to have sort of standardized methods to examine plastics in the air, plastics in particular organs."
是的，所以，该行业会说，“我们还不知道”，“我们没有足够的证据”，以及“我们需要有某种标准化的方法来检测空气中的塑料，特别是在特定器官中的塑料。”
Some industry groups are looking into this.
一些行业团体正在调查此事。
They're doing sort of their own scientific studies, but they would say, "You know, we don't know enough.
他们在做他们自己的科学研究，但是他们会说，“你知道，我们了解的还不够多。”
We shouldn't panic.
我们不应该恐慌。
We have to just wait for the evidence to come out."
我们只需要等待证据出来。
I reached out to the American Chemistry Council, and they said that they are investing heavily in looking into the science of this area.
我联系了美国化学理事会，他们说他们正在大力投资研究这个领域的科学。
They've invested $15 million into research.
他们已经投资了1500万美元用于研究。
So they are also working on the science, working to understand this problem.
所以他们也在研究科学，致力于理解这个问题。
However, scientists who are studying this -- they will say things like, "If we wait until we have all of the evidence, think about the harm that we will have already done."
然而，研究这一领域的科学家们——他们会说这样的话，“如果我们等到有了所有的证据，想想我们已经造成的危害吧。”
And so the scientists that I've talked to say that, basically, the time to start thinking about regulating these things is now, even as we are building up the scientific evidence.
因此，与我交谈过的科学家说，基本上，即使我们现在还在收集证据，我们现在就应该开始考虑对这些东西进行监管。
Is there a push to regulate these things?
是否有推动对这些事情进行监管？
And where does that stand?
现在是什么情况？
There is a very beginning of a push.
现在开始推动了。
So, states like California are starting to look into, "Should we regulate microplastics in tap water?"
因此，加利福尼亚等州开始研究："我们是否应该对自来水中的微塑料进行监管？
They're trying to start tracking the amount of microplastics in tap water and then seeing if they can move from there to more of a regulation.
他们正试图开始追踪自来水中的微塑料含量，然后看看是否可以从在这里进行监管。
But there's no -- You know, there's no limitations on the microplastics that can be in the air.
但是，对空气中的微塑料没有任何限制。
There's no limitations in the microplastics that can be in your food.
在食物中可能存在的微塑料是没有限制的。
Like, if you're eating a burger, the burger has microplastics in it.
比如说，如果你正在吃一个汉堡，这个汉堡里面就有微塑料。
What's the resistance to there being limitations on this?
在这方面进行限制有什么阻力吗？
I think it's just a lot of, again, uncertainty, and uncertainty, historically, has been the factor that has pushed people to say, "It's not time yet.
我认为，有很多的，再次强调，不确定性，而且从历史上看，不确定性一直是促使人们说：“现在还不是时候。”的因素。
Like, if we're going to impose these expensive regulations, like, we need to know that there is actually this health problem."
比如，如果我们要实施这些昂贵的规定，我们需要知道确实存在这个健康问题。"
