But the problems caused by just one of their key ingredients could jeopardize it all.

但是，僅僅由他們的一個關鍵成分所引起的問題，就可能毀了這一切。

Luckily, nature has provided us some pretty cool solutions that, if we can take advantage of them, just might save the day.

幸運的是，大自然為我們提供了一些相當酷的解決方案。如果我們能夠妥善利用它們，或許就能拯救世界。

I'm talking about rare earth elements, or REEs, a group of 17 elements on the periodic table.

我說的是稀土元素，或稱為 REE。它們是一組週期表上的 17 種元素。

And not only do green technologies depend on them, but they're key parts of most electronics:

不僅綠能技術依賴於它們，它們還是大多數電子產品中的關鍵部分：

smart phones, computer hard drives, digital cameras, and more, plus things like medical imaging machines and lasers, aerospace components.

智慧型手機、電腦硬碟、數位相機，就連醫療成像機和雷射，還有航太零件都要用到它們。

Many of these elements are so useful because they're easy to magnetise and they hold on to that magnetic-ness even in their solid form.

其中有許多元素因為很容易磁化所以相當實用，因為它們就連在固態下都能保持磁性。

Elements like neodymium, terbium, indium, and others are essential to solar panels and wind turbines.

釹、鋱、銦等元素對太陽能電池板和風力渦輪機組至關重要。

And a recent study showed that in order to keep up with demand for these technologies, we'll need to produce 12 times as much of these REEs used in those technologies by 2050.

而最近的一項研究表明，為了滿足這些科技所帶來的稀土需求，我們到了 2050 年之前需要產出目前數量 12 倍的稀土。

And that's a problem, because when we say 'rare', we're not really talking about how common they are.

這會成為一個問題，因為我們都說是「稀」土了，代表這種金屬可不常見。

They're actually relatively abundant in the Earth's crust, but it's getting them out that's the trouble.

雖然其實它們在地殼中的含量相對來說還算豐富，但要將它們挖掘出來並不容易。

See, mining affects ecosystems by damaging vegetation and causing soil erosion.

這是因為開挖這些金屬會傷害植被並造成土壤侵蝕，進而影響到整個生態系。

And because REE deposits often form alongside chunks of radioactive material, their extraction can produce wastewater with high levels of radioactive elements, acids, and heavy metals.

而且因為稀土的礦石組成通常還帶有塊狀的放射性物質，開挖它們便會產生帶有高劑量輻射物質的廢水、酸液與重金屬。

That's bad not only for the environment, but also the health of the humans who live in it.

這不僅對環境不好，還對生活在其中的人類的健康不利。

And that's all before you process the stuff in the ground into something you can put into a battery or a solar panel.

而這還只是在把這些地底下的東西處理成可以加工為電池或太陽能板的原料之前的過程而已。

That's also an energy-intensive process that's dangerous to environmental and human health.

整個開挖的過程也需要耗費大量能量，並對環境與人體健康來說相當危險。

The countries where these deposits are found play a role in this problem too, adding political dynamics to the picture.

擁有這些礦脈的國家也是問題的一部分，讓整個議題添加了政治角力的成分。

Control over mining operations has caused conflict in some mining countries, like the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

對於採礦作業的控制權已在一些如剛果民主共和國這樣的採礦國家中造成了衝突。

And China currently holds a pretty firm monopoly on REEs, providing between 93 and 96% of the world's supply.

而中國目前對稀土金屬有著相當牢固的壟斷地位，提供了世界上 93% 至 96% 的供應量。

That means they hold all the cards, so if they wanted to, they could shut off the pipeline, and leave the rest of the world stranded.

這意味著他們掌控了主控權，所以只要他們想要的話，他們可以直接關閉整個稀土供應，讓全世界的其他地方只能坐以待斃。

So, we definitely need creative solutions to make sure our future stays as green and high tech as possible, without wreaking havoc on the environment, global politics, or people's lives in the process.

因此我們絕對需要一個有創意的解決方案，來確保我們能在過程中不對環境、全球政治，甚至人命產生嚴重危害的情況下，盡可能地維持永續和高科技的未來。

Reimagining the extraction process itself is key, and that doesn't only include better environmental regulation.

重新設想開採方式會是解決問題的關鍵，而這不緊緊包括訂定更好的環境保護法而已。

A team at Rutgers University has called in bacteria for help.

羅格斯大學的一個團隊轉而向細菌尋求幫助。

The bacteria naturally produce an acid that can be used to coax rare earths from their hiding places in the ground.

這種細菌能天然地產生出一種酸，把稀土從地下的藏身之處哄騙出來。

And this is less environmentally destructive than the harsh and polluting chemicals the industry uses today.

而且在與現今採礦業業界所使用的劇烈且具汙染性的化學藥劑相比之下，對環境的破壞性更小。

On the production side of things, researchers are asking how can we waste less REEs as we turn them from rock into an end product?

在生產方面，研究人員正思索著我們在把原礦轉變為最終產品時，要怎麼做才能減少對稀土的浪費？

Others are asking how we can reduce the amount of rare earths used in key technologies in the first place, by changing the design of the technology, or experimenting with alternative materials to power those devices.

其他人則在思考我們怎麼樣才能減少關鍵科技產品對稀土的使用量，並藉由改變科技產品的設計，或是實驗能夠提供能源給這些裝置的其他材料來達到這點。

And in addition to reducing REEs in the first place, we're also finding creative ways to reuse and recycle them.

除了減少稀土的使用量外，我們也正在尋找能夠有創意地重新使用並回收它們的方式。

The turnover for our personal devices is so high, it doesn't really make sense to throw away the precious materials inside, just because you want to upgrade to the latest smartphone.

我們更換個人裝置的頻率如此之高，就因為你想要升級到最新版的智慧型手機而直接把舊手機裡的珍貴原料丟掉實在是說不過去。

One project trapped live E. coli inside tiny hydrogel beads.

有一個研究計畫將活生生的大腸桿菌困在小小的凝膠水珠中。

The E. coli were bioengineered to absorb rare earths from electronic waste, which could then be extracted by the researchers, and the beads themselves are reusable.

該大腸桿菌在經過生物工程技術處理後，能夠直接從電子廢棄物中吸收稀土金屬，接著由研究人員來將稀土萃取出來，而凝膠水珠本身還是可以重複利用的。

Another team extracted and refined a natural protein produced, again, by bacteria.

另一個小組則萃取並提煉出了一種也是由細菌所產出的天然蛋白質。

That protein extracts rare earth elements from electronic waste, and the researchers developed a process for scooping that protein back up and getting it to let go of the waste that it 'ate'.

這種蛋白質能從電子廢棄物中提取稀土元素，而研究人員開發了一個能夠把蛋白質從廢棄物上重新舀起，並讓它們把「吃」下肚的稀土給吐出來的工序。

I actually got to make a whole video about that particular project, which we've linked down in the comments if you want to know more.

實際上，我有做過一整部影片來介紹這個計畫，我們之後會把它的連結放在評論欄中供你參考。

Innovative solutions to this problem are more necessary than they've ever been.

針對這個問題的創新解決方案比以往的任何時候都顯得更有必要。

Not only is the world's demand for devices that use rare earths always growing, but we also need them to power the technologies that promise to make our future more sustainable.

這不僅是因為世界對於使用內含稀土裝置的需求不斷成長，我們也需要稀土來運作那些能使我們的未來能更加永續發展的科技技術。

So, here's hoping we can make creating those technologies more sustainable too, and it looks like bacteria are certainly gonna be able to help us out.

因此，希望我們能將製造出這些科技技術的工法變得更加永續，而細菌似乎真的能在這方面幫上忙。

If you want to learn more about more creative ways scientists are combining microbes and batteries, you can check out this video here.

如果你想要瞭解更多有關科學家如何利用創意來結合微生物與電池的話，你可以看看這個影片。

And let us know if you have any questions about the topics we covered in this video down in the comments below.

如果你對我們在本影片中所提及的話題有任何的疑問，歡迎在下方留言。

Make sure you subscribe to Seeker for all of your future technology news, and as always, thanks so much for watching.

記得確定你訂閱了 Seeker 頻道，以便接收到之後的科技新聞。一如往常的，非常感謝各位的收看。

I'll see you next time.

下次再見。