Umntu Uwenza Ntoni Umhlaba?

KWIMINYAKA engamakhulu amathathu eyadlulayo, umntu wayephila ngokusondeleleneyo nendalo. Ubukhulu becala, wayengasongelwa ziinguqulelo ezibangelwa ngumntu kwimeko-bume yomhlaba wonke njengoko enjalo namhlanje. Inguqulelo kwezorhwebo yayingekaqalisi. Kwakungekho maziko ombane, mizi-mveliso, zinqwelo-mafutha okanye ezinye izinto ezibangela ungcoliso olusasazeke kuyo yonk’ indawo. Ingcamango yokonakalisa komntu umhlaba wonke kusenokuba kwakunzima ngaye ukuba ayithelekelele.

Ukanti, kwanasemva phayaa, isilumkiso esingokonakaliswa komhlaba wonke sasisasazwa ngokubanzi. Eso silumkiso sasifunyanwa kwincwadi yokugqibela yeBhayibhile, yaye sasixela kwangaphambili ngexesha laxa uThixo wayeya kungenelela kwimicimbi yomntu ukuze ‘onakalise abo bawonakalisayo umhlaba.’—ISityhilelo 11:17, 18.

Hayi indlela ekuthuthuzela ngayo kubo bonke abo bayixhalabeleyo indlela yokuphathwa kakubi komhlaba kwale mihla ukwazi ukuba uMdali womhlaba wethu omhle uya kuwusindisa ekonakalisweni! Usenokubuza uthi: ‘Kodwa, ngaba sele sifikelele kwimeko elolo hlobo yamanqam kangangokuba kufuneke ukuba uThixo angenelele?’ Kaloku, qwalasela ezinye zezibakala uze uzibonele ngokwakho.

Amahlathi

Amahlathi enza umhlaba ube mhle yaye kuwo kufumaneka ukutya kwezigidi eziliqela zezinto eziphilayo ezahlukahlukeneyo ekwasebenza njengekhusi lazo. Njengoko imithi ikhula ize yenze ukutya, ilolunye uncedo olubalulekileyo, olunjengokufunxa ikharbon diokside ize ikhuphe ioksijini exabisekileyo. Ngenxa yoko iNational Geographic ithi ngayo: “inikela ekuphela konyango kubushushu bomhlaba wonke obusongela ubomi phezu komhlaba njengoko sisazi.”

Kodwa umntu uyalonakalisa eli lifa lakhe lingamahlathi. Amahlathi oMntla Merika nawaseYurophu ayaphela ngenxa yongcoliso. Ibe iimfuno zamazwe orhwebo zingoonobangela bokugawulwa kwenxalenye enkulu yamahlathi akweleenjiko. Iphephandaba laseAfrika lacacisa ukuba ngowe-1989, “iikyubhiki mitha ezingama-66 ezigidi [zemithi yeleenjiko] zazilindelwe ukuba zithunyelwe—ama-48 ekhulwini aye eJapan, ama-40 ekhulwini aye eYurophu.”

Kwakhona, kwamanye amazwe, abalimi batshisa amahlathi ukuze kuvuleke amasimi. Kungekudala umhlaba wamahlathi ontushuntushu uyaphelelwa linqatha, baze abalimi kufuneke batshise amahlathi angakumbi. Kuqikelelwa ukuba kule nkulungwane kuphela, phantse ukuba isiqingatha samahlathi ehlabathi aye athi shwaka.

Iilwandlekazi

Kwakhona iilwandlekazi zomhlaba zineyona ndima ibalulekileyo ekucoceni umoya ojikeleza umhlaba, yaye izinto ezisetyenziswa ngabantu ziyazingcolisa. Izixa ezikhulu zekharbon diokside zingena kwiilwandlekazi. Ngembuyekezo, izityalo eziselwandle zifunxa ikharbon diokside zize zikhuphe ioksijini. UGqr. George Small ukucacisa ukubaluleka kwalo mjikelo wobomi ngale ndlela: “Ama-70 ekhulwini eoksijini eyongezeleleka kumoya ojikeleza umhlaba ivela kwizityalo eziselwandle.” Ukanti, zimbi izazinzulu zilumkisa ngelithi izityalo eziselwandle zisenokupheliswa ngokupheleleyo ngenxa yokuncitshiswa kweozone kumoya ojikeleza umhlaba, ekukholelwa ukuba kubangelwa ngumntu.

Kwakhona, umntu uchitha inkunkuma, ioli kwanezinto ezingenamsebenzi ezinetyhefu kulwandlekazi. Ngoxa amanye amazwe ekuvuma ukunciphisa umlinganiselo wenkunkuma ayivumela ukuba ichithwe elwandle, amanye akavumi. Elinye ilizwe laseNtshona lide likwalele ukuvumela ukuba kuchithwe inkunkuma yenyukliya elwandle. Umhloli weelwandlekazi odumileyo uJacques Cousteau ulumkisa ngelithi: “Simele sizilondoloze iilwandlekazi ukuba sifuna ukulondoza uluntu.”

Amanzi Okusela

Umntu wonakalisa kwanamanzi awaselayo! Kumazwe ahlwempuzekileyo, izigidi zabantu ziyafa nyaka ngamnye ngenxa yamanzi angcolileyo. Kumazwe afumileyo, imithombo yamanzi ingcoliswa, phakathi kwezinye izinto, zizichumiso nezibulala-zinambuzane ezikhukuliswa yimilambo zize zingene kumanzi aphantsi komhlaba. Ngowe-1986 imveliso yehlabathi yezibulala-zinambuzane yayiziitoni ezizizigidi ezi-2,3, ibe umlinganiselo wolwando ubikwa ukuba uli-12 ekhulwini ngonyaka.

Omnye unobangela wongcoliso kukulahlwa kwamachiza. IScientific American icacisa isithi: “Imigqomo yesinyithi enamachiza eya kuthi iqhushumbe yakufunyanwa ngumhlwa ifana nebhombu ecutshiweyo nesikelw’ ixesha.” Lo lindixesha wongezelela ngelokuba, olu hlobo longcoliso lwenzeka “kulo lonke ihlabathi kwiindawo ezininzi apho kuchithwa khona inkunkuma.”

Ube yintoni umphumo? Kuwo wonke umhlaba, imilambo eyakhe yampompoza amanzi acocekileyo ngoku iba yimijelo yamanzi amdaka. Kuqikelelwa ukuba abemi baseYurophu abangama-20 ezigidi basela amanzi omlambo iRhine, ukanti lo mlambo ungcoliswe kangangokuba udaka olugutyulwa entseleni yawo luyingozi kakhulu ukuba lube lungasetyenziswa ekuzaliseni iindawo zomhlaba!

Uqheliselo Lwezolimo

Okothusayo kukuba, umntu ude onakalise nomhlaba awulimayo. EUnited States kuphela, ama-20 ekhulwini omhlaba obekelwe bucala ukwenzela unkcenkcesho uye wonakaliswa, ngokutsho kweScientific American. Kutheni? Kungenxa yokuba ukunkcenkceshela ngokugqithisileyo kongeza ityuwa eninzi kakhulu emhlabeni. Amazwe amaninzi aye onakalisa umhlaba omkhulu oxabisekileyo ngale ndlela. IThe Earth Report ithi: “Ummandla omkhulu womhlaba ngoku wenziwa ungabi namveliso ngenxa yokufakwa kwawo ityuwa ngeendlela ezintsha zokunkcenkceshela ezisetyenziselwa ukuwuchumisa.” Enye ingxaki esasazekileyo kukubhuqiswa ngokugqithiseleyo kwamadlelo okusenokufak’ isandla ekunwenweni kweentlango.

Iinqwelo-mafutha Ezininzi Gqitha

Mkhulu gqitha umonakalo kumhlaba nasemanzini ethu. Kodwa kuthekani ngomoya? Nawo uyonakaliswa, ibe izinto eziwonakalisayo zininzi. Ukukhankanya nje ibenye, qwalasela inqwelo-mafutha. Nazi izilumkiso ezivela koolindixesha abathathu bezenzululwazi abanempembelelo: “Iinqwelo-mafutha zibangela ungcoliso lomoya olungakumbi kunawo nawuphi na omnye umsebenzi owenziwa ngumntu.” (New Scientist) “Ngoku sithethayo kukho iinqwelo-mafutha ezizizigidi ezingama-500 ezibhalisiweyo kulo mhlaba . . . Kusetyenziswa ioli emalunga nesinye kwisithathu semveliso yeoli yehlabathi ukuzalisa itanki zazo. . . . Inani leenqwelo-mafutha landa ngokukhawuleza ngakumbi kunelabemi.” (Scientific American) “Ipetroli kuzo zonke iinkalo zokuveliswa kwayo, ukusetyenziswa kwayo nokulahlwa kwayo ingumthombo ophambili wokuthotywa komgangatho wemeko-bume nowesifo.”—The Ecologist.

Ewe, umhlaba wethu usetyenziswa kakubi, uyonakaliswa. Iilwandle zawo, amanzi okusela, amasimi kwanomoya ziyangcoliswa ngokomlinganiselo okhwankqisayo. Ngokuqinisekileyo, oku kukodwa bekuya kubonisa ukuba lisondele ixesha lokuba uThixo angenelele aze ‘onakalise abo bawonakalisayo umhlaba.’ (ISityhilelo 11:18) Noko ke, kukho ezinye iindlela, ezide zambi ngakumbi, owonakaliswa ngazo umhlaba. Makhe sibone nje ukuba ziziphi na.

[Amagama acatshulweyo akwiphepha 4]

“Simele sizilondoloze iilwandlekazi ukuba sifuna ukulondoloza uluntu.”—Jacques Cousteau

[Inkcazelo Ngomfanekiso okwiphepha 2]

Umfanekiso ongaphandle: Richard Bierregaard, WWF