Ukubuka Okwezwe
Ukuthumba Abantu ELatin America
Ukuthumba abantu sekuyibhizinisi lezindodla zamaRandi eLatin America, ngokwephephandaba lase-Argentina i-Ámbito Financiero. Phakathi no-1995 kwabikwa amacala angaba ngu-6000 lapho. Ukuhlola kwamuva nje kwembule ukuthi iColombia yayinenani eliphakeme kunawo wonke, njengoba kwathunjwa abantu abangu-1060 phakathi no-1995, ilandelwe iMexico, iBrazil nePeru, ngalinye elabika amakhulu alamacala phakathi nenkathi efanayo. Minyaka yonke, abathumbi baseColombia bakhokhelwa imali yezihlengo engaba amaRandi ayizigidi ezingu-1300. EBrazil imali eyakhokhelwa abathumbi yaphindeka kathathu phakathi no-1995, yafinyelela ingqikithi yamaRandi angaba izigidi ezingu-4350. Izisulu kungase kube abantu abacebile nabadumile noma kungase kube izivakashi ezivamile ezibuka amazwe noma amakhosikazi asemikhayeni ehola imali encane. Kwezinye izimo abathumbi bayasamukela isihlengo esingamancozuncozu. Ngenxa yokwesaba ukuphinde zithunjwe, izisulu ngezinye izikhathi ziyaqhubeka zikhokha ngamancozuncozu ngisho nangemva kokuba umthunjwa esekhululiwe.
Ukuba Nethemba Lokuhle Kungaba Nempilo
Ukuhlola kwamuva nje okwenziwe eFinland kuqinisekise inkolelo yokuthi ukulindela imiphumela emibi kungandisa ingozi yokugula ngokwengqondo nangokomzimba, kuyilapho ukuba nethemba lokuhle kungathuthukisa impilo enhle. Amadoda angaba ngu-2500 aneminyaka ephakathi kwengu-42 nengu-60 ahlolwa enkathini esukela eminyakeni emine kuya kweyishumi. Ngokukamagazini i-Science News, ososayensi babika ukuthi amadoda “aphelelwe ithemba kakhulu afa . . . ngezinga eliphindwe izikhathi ezimbili kuya kwezintathu kunalawo ahlala enethemba; iqembu lokuqala lalivame ukuba nomdlavuza nesifo senhliziyo.”
Izingane Ezikhuluphele
Ngokwephephandaba i-Weekend Australian, uDkt. Philip Harvey, isazi sezokudla sempilo yomphakathi, muva nje umemezele ukuthi “izingane zase-Australia ziyakhuluphala futhi zikhuluphala ngokushesha.” Ukukhathazeka kwakhe kusekelwe ekuhloleni kwamuva nje okubonisa ukuthi isilinganiso sezingane ezikhuluphele e-Australia siye saphindeka kabili kuleminyaka eyishumi edlule. Izingane ezingaba amaphesenti ayishumi ezineminyaka ephakathi kwengu-9 nengu-15 ubudala zidinga ukwelashwa ngenxa yenkinga yokukhuluphala ezinayo. UDkt. Harvey ukholelwa ukuthi inani lezingane ezikhuluphele lingaphindeka kabili futhi eminyakeni eyishumi ezayo. Leli phephandaba liphawula ukuthi njengoba kunjalo ngabantu abadala, imbangela eyinhloko yokwanda kwezingane ezikhuluphele ukungawuvivinyi umzimba, kanti nokudla okunamafutha amaningi kunengxenye.
Umoya Omubi
I-World Wildlife Fund (WWF) iphethe ngokuthi iRome ingcoliswa i-benzene, isingcolisi okucatshangwa ukuthi sibangela umdlavuza esikhishwa izimoto. Abacwaningi be-WWF banikeza amavolontiya asemasha angu-400 aneminyaka ephakathi kwengu-8 nengu-18 ubudala izithungathi ze-benzene. Lokhu kuhlola kwabonisa ukuthi eRome “umoya oyi-cubic meter elilodwa unesilinganiso sama-microgram e-benzene angu-23,3,” inani elingaphezulu kakhulu kwesilinganiso esingokomthetho sama-microgram angu-15 kulelo nalelo cubic meter. Iphephandaba lase-Italy i-Repubblica libika ukuthi ngokusekelwe kulokhu kuhlola, ososayensi bachaza ukuthi ukuhogela umoya ongcolile eRome usuku olulodwa vó kulingana nokubhema osikilidi abangu-13.
Ukuqubuka Kwesifo Solwelwesi Lobuchopho ENtshonalanga Afrika
Kuye kwagula abantu abangaphezu kuka-100 000 futhi kwafa abangaphezu kuka-10 000 ekuqubukeni okubi kakhulu kwezifo ezithathelwanayo eNtshonalanga Afrika eminyakeni yamuva, kubika i-International Herald Tribune. Isifo solwelwesi lobuchopho esithwalwa amagciwane siye sagadla kakhulu endaweni eyomile, enothuli eningizimu yeSahara Desert, lapho kuvame khona izifo zemigudu yokuphefumula. Lesi sifo sibangela ukuvuvukala kolwelwesi lobuchopho nomfunkulu. Sisakazwa umoya—ukukhwehlela noma ukuthimula kungasidlulisa. Lesi sifo singavinjelwa ngemithi yokugoma futhi singelashwa ngemithi elwa namagciwane, ikakhulukazi lapho sisaqala. “Umqedazwe ka-1996 wesifo solwelwesi lobuchopho mubi kunayo yonke eyake yagadla eningizimu yeSahara e-Afrika,” kusho umkhulumeli we-Doctors Without Borders. Wanezela: “Inani labafayo liyaqhubeka lenyuka.”
Amabhomu Agqitshwayo Awenqatshelwe
Ngemva kwezingxoxo zeminyaka emibili eGeneva, eSwitzerland, abameleli bamazwe ngamazwe ababebonisana abakwazanga ukuvumelana ngokunqatshelwa kwamabhomu agqitshwayo embulungeni yonke. Nakuba banquma ukwenqabela izinhlobo ezithile zalamabhomu futhi balinganisele ezinye, ukwenqatshelwa ngokuphelele kwawo wonke amabhomu empi agqitshwayo ngeke kuphinde kucatshangelwe kuze kube ingqungquthela elandelayo yokuhlaziya isimo, ehlelelwe unyaka ka-2001. Nokho, ngokokulinganisela okuthile, phakathi naleyo minyaka emihlanu, amabhomu agqitshwayo cishe ayobulala abanye abantu abangu-50 000 futhi agoge abangu-80 000—iningi labo elingabuthiwe. Ingosi yomhleli kuyi-Washington Post yakhononda ngalesi sinqumo, ithi: “Amazwe anamabhomu agqitshwayo amaningi azithanda kakhulu lezi zikhali, nakuba zibangela ukufa ngesihluku nokuqhubekayo kwabantu abangabuthiwe abafa lapho isiphelile impi lamabhomu ayegqitshwe ngesikhathi sayo.” Ngokokulinganisela kweZizwe Ezihlangene, okwamanje kunamabhomu agqitshwayo ayizigidi eziyikhulu agqitshwe emazweni angu-68.
Ukukhula Ngokushesha Kwamadolobha
Abantu abaningi ngokwandayo bathuthela emadolobheni, kubika incwadi yeZizwe Ezihlangene i-State of World Population 1996. Phakathi neminyaka eyishumi ezayo, abantu abahlala emadolobheni emhlabeni bayoba izigidi ezingu-3300, cishe ingxenye yenani labantu basemhlabeni elilinganiselwa ezigidini ezingu-6590. Ngonyaka ka-1950, amadolobha ayenabantu abangaphezu kwesigidi ayengu-83. Namuhla angaphezu kuka-280, inani okulindeleke ukuba liphindeke cishe kabili ngonyaka ka-2015. Ngo-1950, iNew York City kuphela eyayinezakhamuzi ezingaphezu kwezigidi eziyishumi; namuhla, kunamadolobha anjalo angu-14, kanti iTokyo iphuma phambili ngabantu abangaphezu kwezigidi ezingu-26,5.
‘Imvelo Yazi Kangcono’
“Imvelo ikwazi kangcono ukuhlanza uwoyela ochithekile,” kubika umagazini i-New Scientist. Abalondolozi bemvelo babesaba inhlekelele yendawo ezungezile ngo-1978 lapho umkhumbi kawoyela i-Amoco Cadiz uphuka ngasogwini lwaseBrittany, enyakatho yeFrance. Iziphathimandla zendawo zachitha izinyanga eziyisithupha zisusa izinkulungwane zamathani odaka nendawo yamaxhaphozi engcoliswe uwoyela endaweni eyodwa. Enye indawo eyangcoliswa kakhulu ayizange ihlanzwe. Ukuqhathanisa lezi zindawo ezimbili manje kwembula ukuthi amaqembu ahlanzayo asusa udaka nendawo yamaxhaphozi enkulu kangangokuba amaphesenti angafinyelela kwangu-39 ohlaza lwakuleyo ndawo awasamili. Nokho, endaweni engazange ithintwe, amaza olwandle aye ahlanza udaka kahle kangangokuba sekunohlaza olungamaphesenti angu-21 ngaphezu kwalolo olwalukhona ngaphambi kokuchitheka kukawoyela. Lendawo yamaxhaphozi yavuseleleka ngokuphelele, futhi sekuyiminyaka eminingana kungekho phawu lokungcolisa kukawoyela kuleyo ndawo.
Ukushayela Izikebhe Budedengu
Izikebhe zomuntu siqu, ezaziwa kabanzi ngokuthi izithuthuthu zasemanzini, zithandwa ngokwandayo e-United States. Lezi zikebhe ezincane zifinyelela isivinini esingaba amakhilomitha ayikhulu ngehora futhi zingashayelwa njengesithuthuthu. Okukhathaza kakhulu inani elikhulayo lezingozi ezimbi, ngezinye izikhathi ezibulalayo, ezihilela lezi zikebhe. Ngokwe-Wall Street Journal, kulinganiselwa ukuthi “izingozi ezingaba ngu-60% zibangelwa abantu abaziqashayo.” Nakuba abagibeli abaningi begqoka amajazi esivikelo ngokuvumelana nomthetho, abaningi abanayo imikhuba emihle yokugibela izikebhe futhi bazishayela budedengu. Isikhulu esithile se-Coast Guard sachaza ukuthi “lapho umgibeli ewa ehamba ngesivinini esingu-50 mph [80 km/h], igalelo lamanzi linjengokushayiseka esakhiweni.”
Kutholakale Isikebhe Esineminyaka Engu-2000 Ubudala
Ukusha kwamanzi okuyingqopha-mlando oLwandle LwaseGalile ngo-1986 kwembula isikebhe sangesikhathi sikaJesu. Kusukela ngaleso sikhathi, lesi sikebhe besicwiliswe emuthini wokuvimbela ukuvunda ukuze singawohloki ngokushesha. I-National Geographic ibika ukuthi sesikhishiwe kulomuthi futhi sisembukisweni eduze nedolobhana laseMagdala. “Singaba amafidi angu-27 [amamitha angu-8] ubude, sinenetha lokudoba elivalekayo, futhi kungenzeka sasigwedlwa abantu abane futhi sinomqondisi,” kuchaza uShelley Wachsmann, owayehola ekuvubukulweni kwaso. Wanezela: “Kwasetshenziswa okungenani izinhlobo zokhuni eziyisikhombisa, kuhlanganise nezingcezwana zemikhumbi ezindala. Kungenzeka ukhuni lwalungekho noma umniniso wayempofu ngempela.”
Ukuqinisekisa Ukukhula Okufanele
Ukukhula komntwana kuthonywa okungaphezu nje kofuzo, kusho umbiko othile kuyi-Jornal do Brasil. Leli phephandaba liphawula ukuthi “ukudla okunomsoco kuyisiqinisekiso esiyinhloko sokuthi uzokhula kahle,” linezela ukuthi ukudla okungenamsoco kuvamile ngisho nasemikhayeni yesigaba esiphakathi. “Okunye okushukumisa ukukhula ukuvivinya umzimba njalo,” kuphawula uprofesa wesayensi yezindlala u-Amélio Godoy Matos. Wathi: “Kufanele kuqikelelwe ukuthi kunesikhathi esanele sokulala ngoba i-hormone yokukhula iphuma kuphela lapho umntwana elele.” Izinkinga ezingokomzwelo nazo zingathiya ukukhula komntwana. Ngokwesazi sesayensi yezindlala uWalmir Coutinho, “ukubuka ithelevishini isikhathi eside, ikakhulukazi amafilimu anobudlova, kuphazamisa ukulala komntwana futhi kungase kuthiye ukukhula okufanele.”