當我們開始籌備“2015世界計量日”活動,并考慮以“計量與光”作為今年的主題時,我想到這個主題與以往世界計量日的主題密切相關:
我們的日常生活離不開光(2013年主題:計量與生活);
工作場所和街道照明為我們的健康和安全保駕護航(分別為2006年主題:計量與節約能源和2012年主題:計量與安全);
隨著世界各國和區域經濟的快速發展,需要更多的光,也需要更多的電,這將對全球能源供給構成挑戰(2014年主題:計量應對能源挑戰)。
我們生活在一個充滿光明的世界里。每天,看太陽升起,陽光為生命提供能量;每天,我們撥動開關,讓燈光照亮世界。
然而,《華盛頓郵報》最近刊登的文章中提出了一個嚴峻的問題:“全球電氣化增長率跟不上人口增長率”。一份來自于國際能源署和世界銀行報告中也提到:“據數據分析,到2030年世界上仍將有12%的人口用不上電。
這需要通過增加經費或者一種新的途徑來解決。為了解決這個問題,聯合國也在努力,在應對氣候變化的同時,提出避免全球氣溫上升超過2℃。要完成這兩個目標,世界各國必須提高能源利用率并鼓勵生產和使用清潔能源。這將需要:
◆通過大量的測量知曉并提高電器的能效;
◆提高清潔能源的產量和使用量;
◆額外制定一些節能領域的國際標準;
眾所周知,光具有波粒二象性:既可表現為波也可表現為粒子,或者同時具備兩者特性。作為計量工作者,我們既可以測量光,也可以利用光來進行測量,這同樣顯而易見。
光在真空中的速度,通常表示為c。在許多物理學領域中,c是一個非常重要的物理常數,其數值精確定義為299792458米/秒。國際單位制“米”的定義就來源于光速。此外,距離、速度、溫度、食物和環境中的化學成分及污染物、常見的法檢分析,都可以用不同形式的光來進行測量。
源于上述這些最初的想法,我將繼續思考我們每天都能享受到的光的現象和奇跡。法制計量組織很高興與聯合國教科文組織一起,加入到“世界光學年”的活動中,在“世界計量日”來臨之際,祝愿大家擁有一個快樂、光明的未來,這是無以計量的!
2015年世界計量日英文原版:
As we begin our preparations for World Metrology Day, 2015 and as we consider this year’s theme, Measurements and Light, I think about how this current theme is very closely related to those of previous World Metrology Days:
light is important in everyday life (the theme for 2013);
workplace and street lighting benefit both our health and our safety (the themes for 2006 and 2012 respectively); and
with the increasing economic growth in many areas of our planet, the demand for more light and therefore more electricity certainly creates a global energy challenge (the theme for 2014).
We live in a highly visual world. Each day we see the sun rising, providing the essential requirements for life itself. Each day a large percentage of the worldis able to simply flip a switch and turn on an electric light.
However, a recent article in the Washington Post identified a significant challenge: “The rate of growth in global electrification is slower than the rate of growth of the population”. A report from the IEA and the World Bank states: “With regard to universal access, business as usual would leave 12 percent … of the world’s population in 2030 without electricity…".
Without a significant increase in spending or a new direction to solve the problem, this will not change. To compound this issue the UN is also trying to address climate change at the same time – and prevent global temperatures from rising by more than 2 °C. To satisfy both goals, nations around the world would need to improve their energy efficiency and bolster the amount of clean energy they produce and use. This will require more measurements to understand and improve the efficiency of electrical appliances,
an increase in the amount of clean energy produced and consumed, and additional international standards that apply directly to this area.
Light can behave either as a wave or a particle, or sometimes as both. This is quite remarkable. Also, as metrologists, we think of light as something that is measured, but we also use it to make measurements, again quite remarkable.
The speed of light in vacuum, commonly denoted c, is a universal physical constant which is important in many areas of physics. Its defined value is exactly 299 792 458 m/s, as the SI metre is defined from this constant. Distance, speed, temperature, the composition and contaminants in our food and environment,common measurements to legal metrology, can all be measured using various forms of light.
It is with these initial thoughts that I continue to consider with great wonder the phenomenon which we enjoy every day as light. The legal metrology community is pleased to join with UNESCO in marking the International Year of Light and I wish you immeasurable happiness and a very bright future.
感謝蘇州市計量測試研究所提供翻譯支持