紐時賞析／化災難為新創點子 把二氧化碳變成「空氣香水」

As Catastrophes Loom, A Whiff of Innovation.

化災難為新創點子 把二氧化碳變成「空氣香水」

Carbon emissions — the villainous byproduct of so many industries — are the

greenhouse gas most responsible for climate change. The emissions play a key

role in our extreme weather patterns and in many of the general environmental

catastrophes that are becoming more and more frequent.

碳排放—這麼多產業的邪惡副產品—是最該為氣候變遷負責的溫室氣體。在我們的極端天氣模式和許多日益頻繁發生的重大環境災難中，碳排放扮演關鍵角色。

While capping carbon dioxide from being freely dumped into the atmosphere is

turning into a very long deliberation among our world leaders, capturing and

repurposing it is another option. And that alternative has proved promising

by Air Co., a 4-year-old startup that uses carbon dioxide in all of the

products it creates. Its latest creation is a perfume — Air Eau de Parfum

— and the first fragrance made largely from air.

限制二氧化碳無限量排放到大氣中，正讓世界領袖陷入長考，捕捉並重新利用碳是另一選項。成立四年、把二氧化碳用在自家公司所有製品上的新創事業「空氣公司」證明，這種選項有前景。空氣公司的最新產品是香水「空氣香水」，這是第一款主要用空氣製成的香水。

Perfume involves an alcohol base, which when combined with a bit of water and

a measured ratio of fragrance oil becomes the juice that you spray onto your

pulse points so that you radiate whatever aroma you desire. Ethyl alcohol

(or ethanol) is most widely used because it’s inexpensive, smells neutral

and evaporates quickly, so it serves as an efficient delivery vehicle for

the fragrance oil.

香水包含酒精基底，酒精與少許水和仔細調配比例的香精混合，就會成為你噴灑在能輕易感受脈搏處、讓你散發想要的香氣的液體。最廣為運用的酒精是乙醇，因為價錢不貴，氣味不引人注意，揮發又快，成了香精的有效載具。

What Air Co. is able to do is transform carbon dioxide into a very pure form

of ethanol. And with the addition of water and fragrance oil, you get perfume

made primarily from air.

空氣公司能辦到的是，將二氧化碳轉變為非常純粹形式的乙醇。再加上水和香精之後，就成了主要用空氣製成的香水。

“We believe that products are one of the best ways to educate people about a

much bigger story‚ and that story is climate change,” Gregory Constantine, a

founder and the chief executive of the company, wrote via email. “When

you’re able to create tangible products, it’s easier for people to

understand the power of technology and what we can do with our carbon

conversion technology.”

空氣公司創辦人兼執行長康斯坦丁透過電郵寫道：「我們相信，產品是告訴人們大得多的故事最好方式之一，這個故事就是氣候變遷。當你能創造具體產品時，人們比較容易了解科技的力量和我們能用碳轉化科技來做什麼。」

That technology was developed by Stafford Sheehan, a founder and the chief

technology officer of Air Co. After meeting in 2017, Sheehan and Constantine

teamed up to repurpose the most abundant greenhouse gas (carbon dioxide)

into products that are not harmful to the planet.

這種技術由空氣公司另一創辦人兼技術長希恩研發。希恩與康斯坦丁2017年會面後攜手合作，為數量最多的溫室氣體（二氧化碳）找到新用途，轉變成不傷害地球的產品。

Air Eau de Parfum is the company’s third consumer product. It began with

spirits — a vodka in 2019 — and then a sanitizer spray in 2020, the year

of sanitizing hands.

空氣香水是這家公司第三個消費者商品。先是從烈酒開始—2019年推出伏特加—繼而在手部消毒盛行的2020年推出抗菌噴霧。

The scent itself was formulated and blended by Joya Studio, a design studio

in New York that specializes in custom perfumes.

香氛本身由何亞工作室調配混合，這是紐約一間設計工作室，專營客製化香水。

文／Sable Yong 譯／李京倫