Ngaba Oku Kubonisa Ukuba Sisengozini?

IThe New Zealand Herald ithi: “UVeu Lesa, oneminyaka engama-73 ubudala ohlala eTuvalu, akafuni de axelelwe zizazinzulu ukuba amanzi olwandle ayenyuka. Unxweme awayelubona esakhula luyaphela. Izityalo ezazifudula zisondla intsapho yakowabo zibulawa ngamanzi anetyuwa. NgoAprili [wowama-2007], kwafuneka afuduke emzini wakhe owakhukuliswa ngamaza olwandle aza awushiya uzele ngamatye nenkunkuma.”

IHERALD ithi abantu baseTuvalu, abakwiziqithi ezimalunga neemitha ezine ukuphakama, izinto ezibangelwa bubushushu bomhlaba obugqithiseleyo (global warming) abazifundi nje kwiingxelo zezazinzulu, kodwa “bazibona ngokoqobo.”a Sele bebaninzi abantu abafudukileyo kwezi ziqithi, yaye abaninzi basendleleni.

URobert ohlala eBrisbane, eOstreliya, unkcenkceshela ngeentsuku ezithile esebenzisa ibhakethi kungekhona ithumbu lamanzi kuba akuvumelekanga ukwenza oko kwindawo ahlala kuyo. Yaye ukuze imoto yakhe ihlanjwe ngokucokisekileyo kufuneka ayise kwiindawo zokuhlamba iimoto apho kuhlanjwa ngoomatshini abawalondolozayo amanzi, kungenjalo uye ahlambe iinxalenye ezithile kuphela—izipili, iifestile neepleyiti ezinenombolo yemoto. Ngoba? Kungenxa yokuba kwindawo ahlala kuyo kubalele ngendlela engazange ibonwe kule nkulungwane. Kwezinye iindawo imbalela ibangela iingxaki ezimbi nangakumbi. Ngaba ezi ngxaki zaseOstreliya naseTuvalu zibangelwa bubushushu bomhlaba obugqithiseleyo?

Oko Kuqikelelwa Ngabanye

Abantu abaninzi bakholelwa ukuba ubushushu bomhlaba obugqithiseleyo bubangelwa zizinto ezenziwa ngabantu, ezinokubangel’ intlekele yodwa kwimozulu nasemhlabeni. Ngokomzekelo, ukunyibilika komkhenkce nokwanda kwamanzi olwandle njengoko la manzi esiya esiba shushu kunokubangela ukuba ulwandle luphuphume ngokukhawuleza. Iziqithi ezikwimimandla esezantsi njengeTuvalu zinokugqunyelelwa ngamanzi kuquka inxalenye enkulu yeNetherlands neFlorida. Kusenokufuneka ukuba izigidi zabantu zifuduke kwiindawo ezifana neShanghai neCalcutta, nenxalenye yeBangladesh.

Ukunyuka kwamaqondo obushushu kunokubangela iziphango ezibi, iimpuphuma nembalela. KwiiHimalaya, ukunyibilika komkhenkce—kwimimandla engenisa amanzi kwimilambo esixhenxe—kunokubangela ukuba abemi bomhlaba abangama-40 ekhulwini bangabi namanzi aneleyo. Kukho neentlobo ezithile zezilwanyana ezisengozini, kuquka amabhere amhlophe, wona ubukhulu becala azingela emkhenkceni. Eneneni, ingxelo ibonisa ukuba amabhere amaninzi ayanqina yaye amanye abhuqwa yindlala.

Ukunyuka kwamaqondo obushushu kunokubangela ukuba iingcongconi, amakhalane nezinye izinto ezithwala izifo, kuquka ifungi zisasaze izifo kwiindawo ezininzi. IBulletin of the Atomic Scientists ithi: “Iingozi ezibangelwa kukutshintsha kwemozulu zifana nje nezo zibangelwa zizixhobo zenyukliya. Imiphumo isenokungabonakali ngokukhawuleza . . . kodwa emva kwamashumi amathathu okanye amane eminyaka, ukutshintsha kwemozulu kunokonakalisa izinto abantu abaxhomekeke kuzo ukuze baphile.” Okona kubi nakakhulu kukuba, izazinzulu zithi izinto ezibangelwa bubushushu bomhlaba obugqithiseleyo zenzeka ngokukhawuleza kunokuba bezilindele.

Ngaba sifanele sizikholelwe ezi zinto zithethwa ngaba bantu? Ngaba ngokwenene umhlaba usengozini? Abantu abakuthandabuzayo oku, bathi ezi zinto zithethwa ngaba bantu azinasihlahla. Abanye badidekile. Ngoko yiyiphi eyona nyaniso? Ngaba ikamva lehlabathi nelethu lisengozini?

[Umbhalo osemazantsi]