Imibiko Engqubuzanayo Ngokuchitheka Kukawoyela Wakwa-Exxon
NGO-APRIL odlule, eminyakeni emine ngemva kwenhlekelele yokuchitheka kukawoyela womkhumbi i-Exxon Valdez ePrince William Sound, ekugcineni ososayensi bakwa-Exxon bakhipha abakuthola. Ngokwalokho okushiwo umagazini i-New Scientist, abakwa-Exxon bathi “umonakalo owadalwa yilokhukuchitheka wathatha izinyanga ezimbalwa kuphela nokuthi iPrince William Sound cishe yayisibuyele esimweni sayo ngokuphelele.” Ukuhlola kososayensi bakahulumeni wase-U.S. ababechithe iminyaka emine behlola imiphumela yalokhukuchitheka kwakuhluke kakhulu: “Kusobala kakhulu ukuthi ukulungiseka komonakalo okuthatha isikhathi eside kusekude kakhulu ukuphela. Kwezinye izimo kuzothatha iminyaka eminingi.” Bathi: “Abakwa-Exxon bakhetha ukwaziswa abakuthandayo ukuze bathole ukuthi kusengalungiseka yini.” Ingcaphuno elandelayo evela ekwazisweni okwatholwa izazi zesayensi yezinto eziphilayo zasemanzini nomdobi othengisayo uRick Steiner kunikeza izimo zamuva zasePrince William Sound.
“Okumangaza ngendlela ekhethekile ukuncipha kwemithini yasolwandle, amadada ohlobo lwe-harlequin, izinyoni zasolwandle okuthiwa ama-murre nama-oystercatcher. . . . Ezindaweni lapho amanzi egcina khona uma ulwandle lungenisa nalapho egcina khona uma lubohla, inqwaba yezimbaza ezindlaleke lapho zigcine uwoyela owangena kuzo eminyakeni emine edlule. . . . Kwadingeka abadobi balinde ukubuya kwezinhlazi okuthiwa ama-salmon ngehlobo elidlule ukuze babone ukuthi uwoyela wawuyikhinyabezile yini inzalo yama-pink salmon amancane eyayizalwe ngesikhathi kuchitheka uwoyela. Abakuthola lapho zibuya kwabonisa inhlekelele: kwakuyingxenye eyodwa kwezine kuya kweyodwa kwezintathu kuphela kwezazilinganiselwe. . . . Ososayensi bezwe nabezinhlangano baye bathola imiphumela kawoyela ezintweni eziphilayo ezisukela ezinhlanzini kuya emikhomeni—ingeyohlobo lokonakala kobuchopho, ukuhluleka ukuzala, ukonakala kwezici zofuzo, ukukhubazeka komzimba okunjengokugoba komhlandla, ukunwabuzela, ukuncipha kwejubane lokukhula nokwehla kwesisindo somzimba, ukushintsha kwemikhuba yokudla, ukuncipha kobukhulu bamaqanda, izimila zamehlo, ukwanda kwenani lezilwane eziphila ngezinye, ukonakala kwesibindi nokuziphatha ngendlela engavamile.
“Sekuyacaca ukuthi ayikho into ewukulungiswa komonakalo wokuchitheka kukawoyela. Ngeke simane silungise isimiso sezinto eziphilayo esinqamukile njengoba singalungisa umshini ophukile. Ngabaningi, leliqiniso liye laba elidumazayo nelingathandeki.”—National Wildlife EnviroAction.
Omunye usosayensi kahulumeni uthi: “Indlela lokhukuhlola okwenziwa ngayo iyabandlulula. Lendlela yokuhlola iqhutshwa abameli, okuyibona abanqumayo ukuthi yikuphi ukuhlola okuzosekela ukuthi kunomonakalo—noma ikuphi okuzosiza ekuphikiseni lokho.” I-New Scientist ibuza lombuzo ofanelekayo: “Ingabe isayensi inalo usizo uma izithakazelo zingezenzuzo yobugovu?”
[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 31]
Wesley Bocxe/Sipa Press