It's probably some terrifying thought.

大概是些可怕的想法?

I can't blame anyone for being nervous.

這也不能怪你

It's a technology that we've been using for decades that can really reduce global

我們使用了數十年的核能，有助減緩全球暖化

warming,

我們使用了數十年的核能，有助減緩全球暖化

but it's not exactly something environmentalists are that excited about.

但環保人士畢竟對核能沒那麼有興趣

The first thing many people think of is nuclear war and mushroom clouds.

多數人想到核能會先想到核戰和蕈狀雲

You add into that major events like Three Mile Island and Chernobyl and now most recently

再加上三浬島、車諾比以及福島核災

Fukushima,

再加上三浬島、車諾比以及福島核災

and those have had incredibly profound consequences on people's immediate feelings and images

這些事件密切的影響了人們對核能的觀感

and associations with this technology.

這些事件密切的影響了人們對核能的觀感

This isn't something where the public has the view wrong.

這並不是大眾有什麼錯

It is a technology with a reputation that's been earned.

而是源自這項科技本身的壞名聲

I mean, if a nuclear power plant was being built in my town, I'd be pretty nervous

我想說的是，如果我家附近要蓋核電廠，我會滿緊張的

about it.

我想說的是，如果我家附近要蓋核電廠，我會滿緊張的

However, as a conservationist, that makes me feel really conflicted because these power

但是作為一個環保人是我感到矛盾，因為核電廠不會排放二氧化碳

plants don't emit CO2,

但是作為一個環保人是我感到矛盾，因為核電廠不會排放二氧化碳

and that's the main pollutant that's causing climate change.

而二氧化碳是全球暖化的元凶

When you look at the technology and you ask yourself:

當我們自問:

How are we going to solve this problem of climate change?

如何解決氣候變遷的問題?

To not have nuclear energy be on the table makes the job much harder.

如果不使用核能，這問題會困難許多

Now for the most part these plants work really well.

多數的核電廠都運作得很好

They supply about 20 percent of the electricity on the US power grid.

核電廠供應了美國20%的電力

But almost all of them in the US were built over 35 years ago.

但幾乎都是超過35年以前興建的

In fact, they look like something out of a vintage movie set.

它們看起來簡直是復古的電影道具

And historically they've had two big problems:

它們有兩大問題:

They produce radioactive nuclear waste and they can be vulnerable to a disaster like

1.它們會製造核廢料 2.它們難以承受災害，如核心熔毀

a nuclear meltdown.

1.它們會製造核廢料 2.它們難以承受災害，如核心熔毀

Nuclear meltdowns happen because water that's used to cool the radioactive fuel rods can't

核心熔毀的肇因是核心冷卻水的不足

be pumped in.

核心熔毀的肇因是核心冷卻水的不足

Usually due to something like a backup power failure.

通常是因為備用電力失效而發生

This fuel heats up rapidly, and since these reactors operate at high pressure, there can

核燃料加溫很快，加上反應爐的高壓，就可能造成爆炸

be explosions from all of this excess heat.

核燃料加溫很快，加上反應爐的高壓，就可能造成爆炸

You can think of it like a balloon popping and releasing the air inside — but in this

就像是爆炸的氣球，只是裡面的空氣有放射性

case, radioactive air.

就像是爆炸的氣球，只是裡面的空氣有放射性

Leslie Dewan is trying to fix this.

Leslie Dewan正在試著解決這個問題

She runs a startup company called Transatomic Power.

她經營一間新創公司:Transatomic Power

They're trying to build new power plants without this problem.

它們嘗試新建沒有老問題的電廠

Our reactors operate at atmospheric pressure and you don't need that typical containment

我們的反應爐在大氣壓力下運作，不需要老式的隔絕圓頂

dome.

我們的反應爐在大氣壓力下運作，不需要老式的隔絕圓頂

You don't need the big stacks.

不需要那些大圓柱

You have a lot more flexibility in the architecture of the plant.

電廠的建築設計有很大的彈性

And that low pressure also means there's no way to have that nuclear balloon pop scenario.

低運作壓力也意味著它不可能像氣球那樣爆炸

But it isn't just about stopping disasters.

但核能問題不只是擔心核災而已

The fuel itself is toxic and has to be stored underground for thousands of years.

也擔心廢燃料棒長年不減的放射性

And unfortunately we don't use it very efficiently.

不幸的是我們使用核燃料的效率太低

The solid fuel can only stay in the reactor for a limited amount of time before it starts

固態的燃料棒在反應爐中不能待太久，

to break itself down and you have to physically remove it.

當它開始碎裂就得要把它拿出來

You can only extract about 4 percent of the energy that you could conceivably get out

這樣其實只能使用鈾燃料棒中4%的能量

of the uranium, and the rest is left behind as waste.

剩下的通通都浪費掉了

This is like opening up a bottle of water, taking a sip, and then tossing it out.

這就像是打開一瓶水，喝一口，然後就丟掉

But that's actually how older reactors use nuclear fuel.

那就是舊式反應爐的問題

The next-generation reactors are using fuel much more efficiently.

新一代的反應爐效率大大提升

Transatomic's reactor design will use the fuel in a liquid form so that it can stay

Transatomic的反應爐將使用液態燃料，

in the reactor for a longer period of time.

如此一來可以使用更長的時間

A lot of the advanced nuclear reactors can consume much more of the energy from the uranium.

許多新型的核反應爐都有較高的效率

You can get much, much higher fuel utilization.

可以更有效率的使用鈾燃料

Which means that you're leaving significantly less waste behind.

因此也會產生少很多的核廢料

And this is a trend in the field.

那便是未來的趨勢

There's a huge interest to phase out conventional fuel rods for different forms of fuel, for

有許多原因讓大家對替換舊式燃料充滿興趣

a variety of reasons.

有許多原因讓大家對替換舊式燃料充滿興趣

In the last 20 or 30 years, we've developed different types of fuel, which cannot melt.

過去20、30年來，我們研發了多種不會熔毀的核燃料

And which in fact—

也就是說.....

What do you mean by that?

什麼意思??

Physically cannot melt.

就是不可能熔毀

That's Per Peterson, he's a nuclear engineer at the University of California Berkeley who's

這是加州柏克萊大學的核子工程師Per Peterson

working on a next-generation reactor design that uses an entirely different form of fuel.

它正在設計使用全新燃料的反應爐

Many older plants still use conventional fuel rods.

許多舊電廠還在使用傳統燃料棒

This new design, known as a fuel pebble, encases uranium in a golf-ball sized sphere.

這種新的設計:燃料球 是裝在高爾夫球狀外殼中的鈾

It's made of a very strong ceramic material that can withstand much higher temperatures,

它是以非常耐高溫的強化陶瓷製成

so it cannot melt and is safer to use.

不可能熔毀，因此安全

Now this one was built to demonstrate that you can fabricate it.

這一顆是製造來示範的

So it does not have uranium in it, but every other way it is identical to the real thing.

裡面沒有鈾，其他都跟實物一樣

Same weight and everything like that?

一樣的重量等等的?

And they're designed to be very safe.

它設計的非常安全

You can drop this thing from 10 meters onto a steel plate and it won't break.

從10公尺高丟下它也不會摔破

Or if I wanted to I could drop it right now.

我也可以現在就丟看看

So essentially, that fuel pebble is designed to be its own self-contained system.

燃料球的設計讓它自己就是自己的遮蔽系統

If a power failure does happen, the pebbles just empty into a holding tank where they

假設電廠電力失效，燃料球可以移到一個槽中自動降溫

cool down on their own.

假設電廠電力失效，燃料球可以移到一個槽中自動降溫

No need for backup generators or water to keep it cool to prevent a meltdown.

不需要備用電源或冷卻水來防止熔毀

Okay, so why hasn't this happened yet?

那麼這種燃料為什麼還沒被使用?

I mean we have better materials, we have reactors with new designs and fuels that makes less

我們已經有比較好的材料、新的反應爐設計、低廢料的新燃料了

waste.

我們已經有比較好的材料、新的反應爐設計、低廢料的新燃料了

It actually sounds like we have the answers to our problems.

問題的解答好像已經完成了，

So what's the catch?

那還有什麼問題?

You know the old phrase, you never get a second chance to make a first impression?

有句老話: 第一印象無法重來

People's first impression of nuclear energy and nuclear power was mushroom clouds.

人們對核能的第一印象就是蕈狀雲

And if it's got the word "nuclear" associated with it, it's just going to be very difficult

只要名稱裡有"核"，就很難說服大眾: 「這次的不一樣了，很安全了」

to convince people, no, no, we mean it this time.

只要名稱裡有"核"，就很難說服大眾: 「這次的不一樣了，很安全了」

This one's safe.

只要名稱裡有"核"，就很難說服大眾: 「這次的不一樣了，很安全了」

It puts nuclear energy in a very challenging place.

這使得核能備受挑戰

Right now even solar and wind are cheaper than nuclear power.

現在太陽能、風力比核能還便宜了

So there isn't a lot of economic incentive to build these power plants.

蓋新式的核電廠變得沒有經濟誘因

And if no one wants to build them, then companies that make the parts go out of business or

沒人想蓋，那製造公司就會倒閉或外移

go somewhere else where new plants are being built, like China.

比如移到會蓋新電廠的中國去

Those that are under construction now, the economics have been really grim.

還在建造的公司面臨嚴峻的經濟挑戰

The number of plants that have been started and the price overruns have been massive.

新運轉的電廠面臨財務危機

One of the problems is just simply transporting the components.

就連運送零件都是大問題

Instead of getting parts locally like we did in the 1960s and '70s, the parts today are

不像60、70年代有本土零件，現在都靠進口

shipped from overseas.

不像60、70年代有本土零件，現在都靠進口

And these aren't just basic nuts and bolts — these are huge complicated components.

這些不是普通的零件，而是複雜的組件

If a section of a reactor vessel breaks during transport, it needs to be fixed or a new one

如果反應爐的一部分在運送途中受損，就需要維修、

needs to be built and reshipped, taking more time and money to complete.

重作和重新配速，這會花掉許多時間與金錢

I think that it's going to be very interesting to see how startup companies tackle those

新創公司如何面對這些問題將會很有趣

problems.

新創公司如何面對這些問題將會很有趣

And this is a very different space from where the traditional technology evolved.

這與傳統技術演變的方式很不同

Now rapid innovation has happened in other industries.

許多其他領域有急速的發展

Look at SpaceX for example.

比如太空科技的SpaceX

They went from a concept rocket to delivering supplies to the International Space Station

他們從概念發展到為國際太空站運送物資只花了幾年的時間

in a matter of years.

他們從概念發展到為國際太空站運送物資只花了幾年的時間

The technologies that are being researched now that look very promising range from small

新的技術研究很有前景，

modular reactors where the whole nuclear power plant comes on the back of a flatbed truck,

比如可以放在卡車上的小型反應爐

gets parked, plugged in, and when the fuel is used up simply gets taken away as a unit

只要停妥、接上線路就可以使用。 燃料用完時直接整組移動去做處置

to be reprocessed.

只要停妥、接上線路就可以使用。 燃料用完時直接整組移動去做處置

These small modular reactors could have specific uses.

這種小型反應爐可以有特定的用途

Like powering a data center that's using electricity around the clock.

比如為資料中心供應全天候的電力

We have startups building cheaper, smaller reactors that don't melt down.

有公司在興建小型的、更便宜的、不會熔毀的反應爐

We have engineers making fuel that doesn't produce much waste.

有工程師在製作低廢料的燃料

While the public image of nuclear energy is rooted in the past, the nuclear energy of

當大眾對核能的觀感還停留在過去

today is a whole different ballgame.

新的核能已經全然不同

People like me view nuclear as being a necessary piece of carbon-free energy production.

我們認為核能是零碳能源的關鍵一環

There's less of that fear of nuclear, and more of, sort of a need to use everything

我們對核能的恐懼少了，更多的是對它的需求

in our toolbox to combat climate change.

它是對付氣候變遷的重要工具

There are other energy sources that we may be overlooking.

還有其他能源是我們太低估的

For example, scientists are actually turning to poop to power cars.

比如有科學家研究用糞便驅動汽車

Head over to climate.universityofcalifornia.edu for more.

在climate.universityofcalifornia.edu可以得到更多資訊