‘Uma Izilwandle Zingafa’
“UMA izilwandle zomhlaba zingafa—okungukuthi, uma ukuphila okusezilwandle kungaphela ngokungazelele, ngandlela-thile—kuyoba inhlekelele yokugcina nenkulu kunazo zonke endabeni egcwele inkathazo yomuntu kanye nezinye izilwane nezitshalo umuntu ahlanganyela leplanethi nakho.” Wabhala kanjalo uJacques Cousteau esethulweni soMqulu 1 wencwadi yakhe ethi The Ocean World of Jacques Cousteau.
Uyaqhubeka elandisa: “Uma ukuphila kungaphela ezilwandle, isilinganiso secarbon dioxide yasemkhathini singanda ngendlela emangalisayo. Lapho lelizinga leCO2 lidlula iqophelo elithile ‘ukushisa okubabazekayo’ kuyoqalisa: ukushisa okuphuma emhlabeni kuye emkhathini kuyovimbeka kuyistratosphere, kwenyuse kakhulu amazinga okushisa asolwandle. KumaPole aseNyakatho naseNingizimu, izingqimba zeqhwa zingancibilika. Izilwandle zinganyuka cishe [ngamamitha angu-30] eminyakeni embalwa. Wonke amadolobha amakhulu omhlaba angagcwala izikhukhula zamanzi. Ukuze igweme ukucwila, ingxenye eyodwa kwezintathu zomphakathi womhlaba iyophoqeleleka ukuba ibalekele emagqumeni nasezintabeni, amagquma nezintaba kungakulungele ukwamukela labantu, kungakwazi ukukhiqiza ukudla okwanele ngenxa yabo.”
Khona-ke uCousteau uyaqhubeka ekhuluma ngemiphumela edabukisayo: “Beminyene ezindaweni eziphakeme ezihlukahlukene, belamba, beyizisulu zeziphepho nezifo ezesabekayo, imikhaya nezinhlangano kuhlakazeke ngokuphelele, isintu esisele siqala ukuphathwa ianoxia—ukuntuleka komoya-mpilo—okubangelwa wukuqothulwa kwamaplankton alga kanye nokuncipha kwemifino yezwe. Okuboshwe ebhandeni elincane phakathi kwezilwandle ezifile kanye nasemithambekeni yezintaba umuntu uselibuka uyaligcina osizini olungachazeki. Mhlawumbe eminyakeni engamashumi amathathu ukuya kwengamashumi ayisithupha ngemva kokuba izilwandle zifile umuntu wokugcina emhlabeni uselibuka uyaligcina. Izinto eziphilayo ezibonakalayo kuyiplanethi seziphenduke zaba amabacterium kanye namagciwane ambalwa aletha ukungcola.”
Nokho, umuntu eseyilokho ayikho, lesixwayiso kanye nezinye ezifanayo ezikhishwayo namuhla azinakulalelwa njengoba isintu esihlanyiswa imali siqhubeka nokuzishonisa ngokuphulukundlela enhlekeleleni. Njengoba uJehova asho kudala: “Akukuyo indoda ukuba ihambe, iqondise izinyathelo zayo,” futhi kuyodinga uJehova ngokwakhe ukuba angenele futhi anqande “ababhubhisa umhlaba.”—Jeremiya 10:23; IsAmbulo 11:18.