(单词翻译:单击)
The other day my family mailed me a bike helmet from Amazon.
前几天，我的家人用亚马逊给我邮寄了一个自行车头盔。
We used 2-day shipping and when the package arrived, it was essentially a cardboard box nesting doll.
我们选的是两日送达。当包裹送达时，它基本上是一个“套娃式”包装。
I had to cut my way through three different boxes in order to get to the helmet, which is especially ridiculous when you consider that a helmet is specifically designed to withstand damage.
我不得不拆开三个不同的盒子才能拿到头盔。想到头盔是专门用来抵御损伤的，你就会觉得这样特别可笑。
With the holiday season fast approaching, which in the U.S. means a rush of last-minute Amazon Prime orders just like mine.
随着假期的来临，在美国，像我一样的亚马逊会员订单会在最后一刻大批涌来。
I feel it's important to look at the exact effect this new world of online shopping and instant shipping has on climate change.
我认为研究一下这个网上购物和即时运输的新世界对气候变化的确切影响是很重要的。
The carbon footprint of online shopping greatly depends on the actions of consumers.
网上购物产生的碳足迹在很大程度上取决于消费者的行为。
As a 2013 MIT study shows, shoppers can be divided into a number of different categories that span from a traditional retail shopper to what the study calls a cybernaut shopper who exclusively shops online.
麻省理工学院2013年的一项研究显示，购物者可以分为多个不同的类别，比如传统的零售购物者以及只在网上购物的网购者。
The study shows that online shopping with slower shipping options has a smaller footprint than driving to a retail store to search, purchase and return a product.
这项研究表明，与开车去零售店搜寻、购买和退还商品相比，选择速度较慢的送货方式的网上购物产生的碳足迹更少。
The highest-impact shopper is actually a mix of both one that goes to the store to compare prices and then buys online with expedited shipping.
影响最大的购物者实际上是两者的结合，他们先去商店比较价格，然后在网上购买并选择快速送货到家。
The majority of the reason why traditional shoppers have such a large footprint is that they're using a car to reach these brick-and-mortar shops.
传统购物者之所以会产生如此多的碳足迹，主要是因为他们开车去实体店。
So if they take public transportation, bike or even walk, their footprint plummets.
因此，如果他们乘坐公共交通工具，骑自行车，甚至步行，他们的碳足迹就会直线下降。
As for people who shop online when they choose shipping options like 2-day mailing, they are more than doubling their transportation-related emissions.
对于那些在网上购物的人来说，当他们选择诸如两天送达之类的运输方式时，他们与交通相关的排放量会增加一倍多。
Especially within the last couple of years, as companies like Amazon have started to send vans out to deliver packages that are only half full in order to fulfill customer expectations.
尤其是最近几年，为了满足消费者的期望，亚马逊等公司已经开始派只装满一半车厢的货车去配送货物。
This ultimately means more emissions because trucks and vans have to make multiple trips between hubs and homes, as opposed to slower shipping options which fill up trucks with cargo and make a single trip to fill orders.
这样做最终会产生更多的排放物，因为卡车和货车必须在中转站和家之间往返多次，而若你选择速度更慢的运输方式，他们就会把卡车装满货物，然后单程就可以完成订单。
Packaging also has a significant role to play when it comes to environmental impact.
包装在环境影响方面也发挥着重要作用。
Often, when you select the 2-day shipping option, the products that you want aren't bundled together in the same box because they are usually coming from two different facilities across the country.
通常情况下，当你选择2天送达时，你想要的商品并不是被打包在同一个盒子里的，因为它们通常是从全国的两个不同的地方发货的。
As a result, you receive a new cardboard box for every product you purchase.
因此，你每购买一件商品，就会收到一个新的纸箱。
And the carbon emissions of products are on average 35% more, when shipped separately than when shipped together.
而且，商品单独运输时的碳排放量比一起运输时平均多35%。
In addition, many products are packaged inefficiently.
此外，许多商品被过度包装。
A study conducted by Peerless Research Group found that on average boxes contain 20% of wasted space which shipping facilities then fill with papers, styrofoam or bubble wrap, ultimately creating more waste, which finds its way into waterways or landfills.
由Peerless Research Group进行的一项研究发现，平均来说，包装盒20%的空间是没被利用的，然后运输公司会用纸、泡沫塑料或气泡袋来填充，最终会产生更多的垃圾，而这些垃圾会进入水道或垃圾填满场。
But there are many options on both the retail and consumer side that could help lower emissions.
但零售商和消费者可以选择有助于减少排放量的方式。
For companies, cutting down emissions means nudging shoppers towards slower shipping options or making in-store purchases when appropriate.
公司可以通过鼓励购物者选择速度较慢的运输方式或在合适的时候在店内购买来减少排放量。
It can also mean bundling items together in one package or even reducing the amount of packaging for a product by rightsizing its box.
公司也可以把商品打包在一个包裹里，甚至可以通过适当调整包装盒的大小来减少商品的包装量。
But as individuals, we also have choices to make.
但就个人来说，我们也可以做出选择。
For one if it's possible, find a way to get to your local retail store without using a car, you'll not only drastically lower your footprint but shopping local also gives you the opportunity to connect with other people face to face, which helps build community resilience in the long run.
找到一种不用开车就能到达当地零售店的途径，你不仅可以大大减少碳足迹，而且在当地购物还可以让你有机会与其他人面对面交流，从长远来看，这有助于建立社区恢复力。
If you don't have that luxury, consider using slower shipping options, which allows the online retailer to optimize shipping routes, because they don't have to rush to get the item onto your doorstep.
如果你不奢求那样，可以考虑使用速度较慢的送货方式，这样在线零售商就可以优化送货路线，因为他们不必急于将物品送到你的家门口。
This essentially means fewer miles traveled for trucks and planes because they can fill up with packages and only leave when they are full.
这本质上是卡车和飞机行驶的里程减少了，因为它们可以装满包裹，只有在装满后才离开。
Online shopping isn't something to be demonized.
网上购物不应该被妖魔化。
It's an important resource for folks who may not be able to shop in person for a variety of reasons.
对于那些由于各种原因不能亲自购物的人来说，这是一个重要的资源。
However, it's important to think critically about our individual relationships with online shopping.
然而，批判性地思考我们个人与网上购物的关系是很重要的。
I know I say this a lot, but think before you shop that online shopping spree not only has negative consequences for your wallet but it also has lasting effects on the natural world we've come to rely on.
我知道我经常说这句话，但在你购物之前，请想一想，疯狂购物不仅会使你的钱包变瘪，还会对我们赖以生存的自然界产生持久的影响。
