Ukulwela Ukuvikela Iplanethi Yethu

NGUMLOBELI WE-PHAPHAMA! ESPAIN

UYURY, ohlala edolobheni laseRussia iKarabash, unabantwana ababili, futhi bobabili bayagula. Ukhathazekile kodwa akamangele. Uyachaza: “Azikho izingane eziphile saká lapha.” Abantu baseKarabash bathola ubuthi. Minyaka yonke ifektri yendawo ikhipha amathani angu-162 000 ezinto ezingcolisa umoya—amathani angu-9 kowesilisa, owesifazane, nomntwana ngamunye ohlala lapho. ENikel naseMonchegorsk eNhlonhlweni iKola, enyakatho ye-Arctic Circle, “amafektri amabili amadala ancibilikisa insimbi amakhulu kunawo wonke emhlabeni . . . akhiphela emoyeni izinto eziningi ezisansimbi ezisindayo ne-sulfur dioxide unyaka ngamunye ngaphezu kwanoma imaphi amafektri anjalo eRussia.”—I-New York Times.

Umoya awunampilo naseMexico City. Ukuhlola okwenziwa uDkt. Margarita Castillejos kwathola ukuthi ngisho nasendaweni enothile yakuleli dolobha, abantwana babegula izinsuku ezine kwezinhlanu. Waphawula: “Kubo ukugula sekuyinto evamile.” Uthi enye yezimbangela eziyinhloko intuthu eyandile ekhishwa izinkulungwane zezimoto eziminyana emigwaqweni yasedolobheni. I-ozone iphindeke izikhathi ezine kunesilinganiso sesiqondiso se-World Health Organization.

E-Australia lengozi ayibonakali—kodwa ibulala ngendlela efanayo. Manje abantwana kufanele bafake izigqoko lapho bedlala emagcekeni esikole. Ukubhujiswa kongqimba lwe-ozone oluvikelayo eNingizimu Nenkabazwe kuye kwenza abase-Australia baqala ukubheka ilanga njengesitha kunokuba balibheke njengomngane. Kakade sebeye babhekana nokwanda ngokuphindwe kathathu komdlavuza wesikhumba.

Kwezinye izingxenye zomhlaba, ukuthola amanzi anele kuyinkinga yansuku zonke. Lapho u-Amalia eneminyaka engu-13 ubudala, kwagadla isomiso eMozambique. Kwakunamanzi ayingcosana onyakeni wokuqala futhi kwakungekho neconsi ngonyaka olandelayo. Imifino yabuna futhi yafa. U-Amalia nomkhaya wakubo baphoqeleka ukuba badle izithelo zasendle futhi bambe osebeni lomfula olunesihlabathi ukuze bathole noma imaphi amanzi ayigugu ababengawathola.

Esifundazweni saseNdiya iRajasthan, amadlelo anyamalala ngokushesha. UPhagu, indoda ewuzulane, uvame ukuxabana nabalimi bendawo. Akalitholi idlelo lomhlambi wakhe wezimvu nezimbuzi. Ngenxa yokuntuleka kakhulu kwendawo evundile, sekuphelile ukuhlalisana ngokuthula kwesikhathi eside phakathi kwabalimi nemizulane.

Isimo sibi ngisho nakakhulu eSahel, izwe eliwudedangendlale elingavamile ukuthola imvula elisemaphethelweni angaseningizimu eSahara e-Afrika. Ngenxa yokugawulwa kwamahlathi nesomiso esalandela, yonke imihlambi iye yaqothulwa futhi inqwaba yamasimu iye yembozwa isihlabathi sogwadule olwandayo. “Ngeke ngiphinde ngitshale,” kufunga umlimi othile ongumFulani waseNiger ngemva kokubona isivuno sakhe samabele sibhuntsha okwesikhombisa. Izinkomo zakhe zase zifile kakade ngenxa yokuntula idlelo.

Usongo Olwandayo

Isomiso samuva nje, ukubhuntsha kwezivuno, nomoya ongcolile ocinanisa idolobha nedolobha kuwusongo olubi. Kuyizimpawu zeplanethi egulayo, iplanethi engakwazi ukubhekana nazo zonke izimfuno zomuntu.

Umoya esiwuphefumulayo, ukudla esikudlayo, namanzi esiwaphuzayo kubaluleke ngaphezu kwanoma yini emhlabeni ukuze siphile. Ngokuqhubekayo, lezi zinto ezidingekayo ezisekela ukuphila ziyangcoliswa noma zincishiswe—umuntu ngokwakhe. Kwamanye amazwe isimo sendawo ezungezile kakade sesisongela ukuphila. Njengoba owayengumongameli waseSoviet uMikhail Gorbachev alimisa ngesihloko, “isayensi yezinto eziphilayo isibambe ngobhongwane.”

Lolu songo akufanele luthathwe kalula. Inani labantu emhlabeni landa ngokungaguquki, futhi izimfuno emithonjeni elinganiselwe ziyanda. ULester Brown, umongameli we-Worldwatch Institute, muva nje uthe “okusongela kakhulu ikusasa lethu akuyona impi kodwa ukuwohloka kwendawo ezungezile yaleplanethi.” Ingabe kwenziwa konke okusemandleni ukuze kugwenywe lenhlekelele?

Ukulwela Ukuvikela Leplanethi

Kunzima ukusiza umlutha wotshwala ozitshela ukuthi awunayo inkinga yophuzo. Ngokufanayo, isinyathelo sokuqala sokuthuthukisa impilo yaleplanethi siwukuqaphela izinga lenhlekelele. Ngokunokwenzeka imfundo iphumelela ngokuphawulekayo kuyo yonke indawo eminyakeni yamuva nje. Abantu abaningi namuhla bayaqaphela ukuthi umhlaba wethu uyawohlozwa futhi uyangcoliswa—nokuthi kumelwe kwenziwe okuthile ngakho. Ukuwohloka kwendawo ezungezile sekusongela ngaphezu kwempi yenuzi.

Abaholi bezwe bayazibona lezi zinkinga. Abaholi bamazwe abangaba ngu-118 baba khona eNgqungqutheleni YoMhlaba ngo-1992, lapho kwathathwa khona izinyathelo ezimbalwa zokuvikela umoya osemkhathini nemithombo yomhlaba enciphayo. Amazwe amaningi asayina isivumelwano sesimo sezulu lapho avumelana khona ngokumisa isimiso sokubika ukushintsha kwamazinga e-carbon, ngomgomo wokunqanda ukukhishwa kwayo esikhathini esizayo esiseduze. Acabangela nezindlela zokulondoloza izinhlobo ezihlukahlukene zezinto eziphilayo kuleplanethi yethu, ingqikithi yezinhlobo zezitshalo nezilwane. Akuzange kufinyelelwe esivumelwaneni ngokuvikela amahlathi ezwe, kodwa kulengqungquthela kwakhishwa izincwadi ezimbili—ethi “Rio Declaration” kanye nethi “Agenda 21,” eziqukethe iziqondiso ngendlela amazwe angafinyelela ngayo “ukusimama.”

Njengoba isazi sendawo ezungezile u-Allen Hammond sibonisa, “uvivinyo olusemqoka kuyoba ukuthi lezi zivumelwano ezenziwa eRio ziyagcinwa yini—ukuthi lamazwi abonisa isibindi ashukumisela esenzweni yini ezinyangeni naseminyakeni ezayo.”

Nokho, isinyathelo esiphawulekayo sentuthuko kwakuyi-Montreal Protocol yango-1987, eyayihilela isivumelwano samazwe ngamazwe sokuyeka ukusebenzisa ama-chlorofluorocarbon (ama-CFC) ngesikhathi esithile esinqunyiwe.a Kungani kwakunalokhu kukhathazeka? Ngoba kuthiwa ama-CFC anengxenye ekuwohlokeni ngokushesha kongqimba lomhlaba lwe-ozone oluvikelayo. I-ozone esemkhathini inendima ebalulekile ekuhluzeni imisebe yelanga e-ultraviolet, engabangela umdlavuza wesikhumba nemithuqu esweni. Lena akuyona inkinga ese-Australia kuphela. Muva nje, ososayensi baye bathola ukwehla ngamaphesenti angu-8 kwe-ozone ebusika ngaphezu kwezinye izifunda ezithokomele eNyakatho Nenkabazwe. Amathani ayizigidi ezingu-20 ama-CFC kakade asenyukele kuyi-stratosphere.

Njengoba ebhekene nalokhu kungcoliswa okuyinhlekelele komoya osemkhathini, amazwe omhlaba ayeka ukungezwani kwawo futhi athatha isinyathelo esiwujuqu. Bekulokhu kuhlelwa nezinye izinyathelo zamazwe ngamazwe zokuvikela izinhlobo zokuphila ezisongelwayo, ukulondoloza i-Antarctica, nokulawula ukuthuthwa kwemfucumfucu enobuthi.

Amazwe amaningi athatha izinyathelo zokuhlanza imifula yawo (ama-salmon asebuyele eMfuleni waseNgilandi iThames), ukulawula ukungcoliswa komoya (sekwehle ngamaphesenti ayishumi emadolobheni ase-United States anentuthu kunawo wonke), ukusebenzisa imithombo yamandla engayilimazi indawo ezungezile (amaphesenti angu-80 amakhaya ase-Iceland asebenzisa ugesi ophehlwa amandla angaphansi komhlaba), nokulondoloza ifa lawo elingokwemvelo (iCosta Rica neNamibia iye yaguqula amaphesenti angaba ngu-12 engqikithi yendawo yakhona aba indawo yombuso yokulondoloza imvelo).

Ingabe lezi zimpawu ezinhle ziwubufakazi bokuthi isintu siyithatha ngokungathi sína lengozi? Ingabe sekuyisikhashana nje ngaphambi kokuba iplanethi yethu ibe sesimweni esihle futhi? Izihloko ezilandelayo zizophendula leyo mibuzo.

[Umbhalo waphansi]