Ioli—Ngaba Iyintsikelelo Nesiqalekiso?
AMAZWE ahambele phambili kwezoshishino axhomekeke kwioli nakwizinto ezenziwe ngayo ukusa kuwuphi umkhamo? Kwincwadi yakhe ethi The Prize, uDaniel Yergin uthi ioli—neegesi—ibaluleke gqitha kula mazwe, yaye ngoku “Abantu Baxhomekeke Kwi-hydrocarbon.” Cinga nje ngeoli esetyenziswa kwizinto zokufudumeza, ekwenziwa ngayo i-grease, amafutha, ii-asphalts nezinye izinto—neoli esetyenziswa kwiinqwelo-moya, kwiinqwelo-mafutha nakwizikhephe, ekwenziwa ngayo izinto zokuncamathisela, iipeyinti, iimpahla ze-polyester, iiteki, izinto zokudlala, iidayi, ii-aspirin, iziqholo zomzimba, izinto zokuthambisa, amacwecwe omculo, iikhompyutha, oomabonwakude neminxeba. Mihla le, abantu abaninzi basebenzisa izinto ezenziwe ngeoli ezingaphezu kwama-4 000. Kodwa kuthekani ngomonakalo ewubangelayo kwizinto eziphilayo, njengoko bekusoloko kunjalo ukususela oko yabakho?
Ukumkani ‘Ongalawuli Ngobulungisa’
Ekupheleni kowe-1940, xa kwakubonakala ngathi kuza kuqhambuka imfazwe phakathi kweRomania neHungary, uAdolf Hitler, umNazi owayenguzwilakhe wakhawuleza walamla. Ngaba wayeqhutywa bubulungisa? UHitler wayefuna ukuba imithombo yeoli yaseRomania ingaweli ezandleni zeSoviet Union. Kwakhona, yioli eyabangela ukuba i-Iraqi ihlasele iKuwait ngowe-1990 nento eyabangela ukuba kungenelele amanye amazwe. Zikho nezinye iziganeko ezifana nezi. Kaninzi-ninzi, ukufuna ukulawula ishishini leoli kuye kwabangela iingxwabangxwaba neenkxwaleko ezininzi.
Ioli ayibalulekanga kubomi bezi mini nje kuphela, kodwa ikwanefuthe elikhulu kwezobupolitika nakubomi babantu abaphambili abaninzi. Njengoko iOrganization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (i-OPEC) isandul’ ukutsho, ioli asinto nje iqhelekileyo kodwa “inempembelelo enkulu kwezobupolitika nakwezomkhosi.” Ioli iye yasetyenziswa ngamazwe athile ukuze alawule amanye kwezobupolitika ngokuwabekela imiqathango. Ukongezelela, abanqolobi bathanda ukuhlasela imithombo yeoli, amaziko ayo neenqanawa ezinkulu zokuyithutha—yaye oku kudla ngokonakalisa imeko-bume ngendlel’ engathethekiyo.
Ishishini leoli liye latyholwa ngokuba negalelo ekonakaliseni imeko-bume ngecarbon dioxide yaye kusenokwenzeka ukuba ngulo monakalo kanye obangela ukutshintsha kwemozulu ehlabathini lonke. Ingxelo yePEMEX (iMexican Petroleums), enye yeenkampani zeoli ezinkulu ehlabathini lonke, ibonisa ukuba ukungcoliswa kwemeko-bume kwenzeka kumanqanaba awahlukahlukeneyo okuphekwa kweoli. Ngoku—phantse kwiminyaka emithandathu emva kokudluliselwa koXwebhu Lwesivumelwano eKyoto, apho kwakuhlanganisene khona abameli bamazwe ali-161 ngelokuzama ukufuna isicombululo sengxaki yokuqatsela kobushushu—ayikho mdaka kangako ipetroli, kodwa abantu abaninzi basavakalelwa kukuba mncinane kakhulu umahluko. Kwelinye icala, i-OPEC ithi amazwe amaninzi aye “anobutyebi aza aphumelela ngenxa yeoli.” Kodwa ngaba bekusoloko kunjalo?
Abanye basenokuthi ioli sisiqalekiso baze balathe kumonakalo obangelwa kukombiwa kweoli nokufakwa kwemibhobho yokuhambisa ioli. Ukanti bambi banokwalatha kwinani labantu abaninzi abangenamisebenzi eSaudi Arabia, elona lizwe linemithombo yeoli emininzi. UAlí Rodríguez Araque, umongameli we-OPEC uthi: “Oorhulumente bamazwe ahambele phambili kwezoshishino bayabaxhaphaza abavelisi beoli, abantu abasebenza kumaziko ayo nabantu abayithengayo.”
I-CorpWatch, umbutho ochasene nokonakaliswa kwemeko-bume ziinkampani uthi: “Ioli nguKumkani nanamhlanje. Kodwa ayilawuli ngobulungisa.”
Liyintoni ikamva leoli?