Iplanethi Yethu Entekenteke Liyini Ikusasa Layo?

EMINYAKENI engu-200 edlule, isikhulu sikahulumeni saseMelika uPatrick Henry sathi: “Okuwukuphela kwendlela engiyaziyo yokwahlulela isikhathi esizayo ukubukeza isikhathi esidlule.” Esikhathini esidlule, umuntu uye wadovadova indawo ezungezile. Ingabe uyoshintsha esikhathini esizayo? Okwamanje, akubonakali kunjalo.

Nakuba kuye kwenziwa intuthuko encomekayo, ngokuyinhloko kuye kwaba eyangaphandle nje, ukubhekana nezimpawu kunokubhekana nezimbangela. Uma indlu inomuhlwa, ukupenda amapulangwe ayo ngeke kuvimbele ukuwohloka kwayo. Ukuyilungisa ngokuphelele kuphela okungayisindisa. Ngokufanayo, kumelwe kube noshintsho endleleni umuntu asebenzisa ngayo leplanethi. Ukulawula umonakalo nje ngeke kwanele.

Ehlaziya imiphumela yeminyaka engu-20 yokulawula indawo ezungezile e-United States, uchwepheshe othile waphetha ngokuthi “ukuhlaselwa kwendawo ezungezile akunakulawulwa ngokuphumelelayo, kodwa kumelwe kuvinjelwe.” Ngokusobala, ukuvimbela ukungcola kungcono kakhulu kunokwelapha imiphumela yako emibi. Kodwa ukufinyelela umgomo onjalo kungadinga okungaphezu koshintsho oluyisisekelo emphakathini wesintu nakulokho amabhizinisi amakhulu agxile kukho. Incwadi ethi Caring for the Earth iyavuma ukuthi ukunakekela umhlaba kudinga “izindinganiso, ezomnotho nemiphakathi okuhlukile kulokho okuningi okukhona namuhla.” Iziphi ezinye zalezi zindinganiso okudingeka zishintshwe ukuze kuvikelwe leplanethi?

Izimbangela Ezigxilile Zalenhlekelele

Ubugovu. Ukubeka izithakazelo zaleplanethi ngaphambi kwezabantu abaxhaphazayo kuyisinyathelo sokuqala esidingekayo sokuvikela indawo ezungezile. Nokho, bambalwa abazimisele ukudela indlela yokuphila ngokunethezeka, ngisho noma kungenzeka ukuthi ilimaza leplanethi yezizukulwane ezizayo. Lapho uhulumeni waseNetherlands—elinye lamazwe angcole kakhulu eNtshonalanga Yurophu—uzama ukunciphisa ukuhamba ngezimoto njengengxenye yomkhankaso wokulwa nokungcola, ukumelana nako kukawonk’uwonke kwalibhuntshisa lelisu. Nakuba imigwaqo yaseNetherlands iminyene ngaphezu kwayo yonke emhlabeni, abashayeli bezimoto babengazimisele neze ukuyeka inkululeko yabo.

Ubugovu buthinta abenzi bezinqumo kanye nomphakathi. Izazi zezombangazwe ziyanqikaza ukusebenzisa izimiso zokuvikela indawo ezungezile ezingase zizilahlekisele amavoti, futhi izazi zezimboni zithiya noma iziphi iziphakamiso ezingase zisongele izinzuzo nokusimama kwezomnotho.

Ukuhaha. Lapho kuziwa ekukhetheni phakathi kwezinzuzo nokulondoloza imvelo, ngokuvamile imali inethonya elikhulu. Izimboni ezinkulu zikhuthaza ukuncishiswa kokulawulwa kokungcola noma ukugwema izimiso zikahulumeni ngokuphelele. Ukonakaliswa kongqimba lwe-ozone kuyisibonelo salenkinga. Muva nje ngo-March 1988, usihlalo wenkampani enkulu yamakhemikhali yase-United States wathi: “Okwamanje, ubufakazi obungokwesayensi abusibonisi isidingo sokukunciphisa ngokuphawulekayo ukukhishwa kwama-CFC.”

Nokho, lenkampani yatusa ukuba kuyekwe ngokuphelele ukusetshenziswa kwama-chlorofluorocarbon (ama-CFC). Ingabe lokhu ukushintsha kwesimo sengqondo? “Kwakungahlobene nakancane nokuthi indawo ezungezile iyonakaliswa noma cha,” kuchaza uMostafa Tolba, umqondisi-jikelele we-United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). “Kwakuhlobene [nokuthi] ubani owayeyozuza [ngokomnotho] kunomunye.” Ososayensi abaningi sebeyaqaphela ukuthi ukubhujiswa kongqimba lwe-ozone kungenye yezinhlekelele zendawo ezungezile ezinkulu ezenziwe umuntu emlandweni.

Ukungazi. Lokho esikwaziyo kuncane kakhulu kunalokho esingakwazi. “Kusekuncane kakhulu esikwaziyo ngenqwaba yezinto eziphilayo ezisemahlathini emvula asezindaweni ezishisayo,” kuchaza uPeter H. Raven, umqondisi we-Missouri Botanical Garden. “Ngokumangalisayo, sazi okuningi—okuningi kakhulu—ngenyanga.” Kungokufanayo nangomoya osemkhathini. Singakanani isikhutha esingaqhubeka sisikhiphela esibhakabhakeni ngaphandle kokuthinta isimo sezulu sembulunga yonke? Akekho owaziyo. Kodwa njengoba umagazini i-Time washo, “kuyingozi ukuhlola imvelo ngezinto ezinjalo lapho umphumela ungaziwa futhi kwesabisa ukucabanga ngemiphumela engaba khona.”

Ngokwezilinganiso ze-UNEP, kungenzeka ukubhujiswa kwe-ozone ekupheleni kwaleli shumi leminyaka kugcine kubangela abantu abangamakhulu ezinkulungwane umdlavuza wesikhumba minyaka yonke. Umphumela ezilimweni nasezindaweni zokudoba izinhlanzi awukaziwa, kodwa kulindeleke ukuba ube mkhulu.

Imibono elinganiselwe. Ngokungafani nezinye izinhlekelele, izinkinga zendawo ezungezile ziyasinyonyobela. Lokhu kuthiya imizamo yokuthatha isinyathelo ngokubumbana ngaphambi kokuba kwenzeke umonakalo ohlala njalo. Incwadi ethi Saving the Planet iqhathanisa isimo sethu samanje nesabagibeli ababesengozini kuyi-Titanic eyayilimele ngo-1912: “Bambalwa ababuqaphelayo ubukhulu benhlekelele engaba khona.” Laba balobi bakholelwa ukuthi leplanethi ingavikelwa kuphela uma izazi zezombangazwe nosomabhizinisi bebhekana neqiniso futhi bacabange ngamakhambi asebenzayo esikhathi eside kunokucabanga ngezinzuzo zesikhathi esifushane.

Izimo zengqondo zobugovu. ENgqungqutheleni Yomhlaba ngo-1992, undunankulu waseSpain uFelipe González wabonisa ukuthi “lenkinga ngeyembulunga yonke, futhi nekhambi kumelwe kube ngelembulunga yonke.” Yiqiniso, kodwa ukuthola amakhambi amukeleka embulungeni yonke kuwumsebenzi othena amandla. Ummeleli we-United States owayeseNgqungqutheleni Yomhlaba walimisa ngesihloko: “AmaMelika awanakuyiyeka indlela yawo yokuphila.” Ngakolunye uhlangothi, isazi sendawo ezungezile saseNdiya uManeka Gandhi sakhononda ngokuthi “ingane eyodwa yaseNtshonalanga idla njengabantu abangu-125 baseMpumalanga.” Sathi “cishe konke ukuwohloka kwendawo ezungezile eMpumalanga kubangelwa yilokho okudliwa eNtshonalanga.” Ngokuphindaphindiwe, imizamo yamazwe ngamazwe yokuthuthukisa indawo ezungezile iye yabhuntshiswa izithakazelo zobugovu zamazwe.

Naphezu kwazo zonke lezi zinkinga eziyisisekelo, kunezizathu zokubheka esikhathini esizayo ngethemba. Esinye sazo singamandla okuzivuselela esimiso sokuzivikela seplanethi yethu.

Ukuzivuselela Komhlaba

Njengomzimba womuntu, umhlaba unamandla amangalisayo okuzivuselela ngokwawo. Isibonelo esivelele salokhu senzeka ekhulwini leminyaka elidlule. Ngo-1883 isiqhingi sentaba-mlilo sase-Indonesia iKrakatau (Krakatoa) saqhuma sabanga umsindo owezwakala ebangeni eliqhele ngamakhilomitha angaba ngu-5000. Kwaqubuka umlotha ongaba ama-cubic kilometer angu-21, futhi izingxenye ezimbili kwezintathu zalesi siqhingi zambozwa ulwandle. Ezinyangeni ezingu-9 kamuva okuwukuphela kwento eyayiphila eyayikhona kwakuyisicabucabu esincane kakhulu. Namuhla sonke lesi siqhingi simbozwe uhlaza oluhle oluhlukahlukene, olunezinhlobo ezingamakhulu zezinyoni, izilwane ezincelisayo, izinyoka, nezinambuzane. Akungabazeki ukuthi lokhu kululama kuye kwabangelwa ukuvikelwa kwalesi siqhingi njengengxenye ye-Ujung Kulon National Park.

Umonakalo owenziwa abantu nawo ungalungiswa. Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi, umhlaba ungazivuselela ngokwawo. Umbuzo uwukuthi, Ingabe abantu bayoke bawuphumuze umhlaba? Mhlawumbe ngeke. Kodwa ukhona Othile ozimisele ukuvumela iplanethi yethu izivuselele ngokwayo—Lowo owayidala.

“Umhlaba Mawename”

UNkulunkulu wayengahlosile ukuba umuntu onakalise umhlaba. Watshela u-Adamu ukuba ‘alime futhi anakekele’ insimu yase-Edene. (Genesise 2:15) Ukukhathalela kukaJehova ukuvikela indawo ezungezile kwabonakala futhi emithethweni eminingi ayinikeza ama-Israyeli. Ngokwesibonelo, ayetshelwe ukuba ayeke izwe lawo libe ifusi njalo ngemva kweminyaka eyisikhombisa—unyaka weSabatha. (Eksodusi 23:10, 11) Lapho ama-Israyeli engawunaki ngokuphindaphindiwe lomyalo neminye imiyalo yaphezulu, ekugcineni uJehova wavumela abaseBabiloni ukuba bachithe izwe, elahlala liyincithakalo iminyaka engu-70 ‘laze laneliswa ngamasabatha alo.’ (2 IziKronike 36:21) Ngenxa yalesi sandulela esingokomlando, akumangalisi ukuthi iBhayibheli lithi uNkulunkulu ‘uyochitha labo abachitha umhlaba’ ukuze umhlaba ululame ekuhlaselweni umuntu.—IsAmbulo 11:18.

Nokho, leso kuyobe kuyisinyathelo sokuqala. Ukusinda kwaleplanethi, njengoba isazi sesayensi yezinto eziphilayo uBarry Commoner sisho ngokufanele, “kuxhomeke ekuqedeni ukulwa nemvelo njengoba kuxhomeke nasekuqedeni izimpi phakathi kwethu.” Ukuze bafinyelele lowo mgomo, abantu emhlabeni kumelwe ‘bafundiswe uJehova’ ukuba banakekelane nokuba banakekele ikhaya labo eliwumhlaba. Ngenxa yalokho, ukuthula kwabo “kuyakuba-kukhulu.”—Isaya 54:13.

UNkulunkulu uyasiqinisekisa ukuthi kuyoba khona ukuvuselelwa kwezindawo zomhlaba. Kunokuba zande ngokunganqandeki, izingwadule ‘ziyokhahlela njengentebe.’ (Isaya 35:1) Esikhundleni sokuswelakala kokudla, “kuyakuba-khona inala kakolweni ezweni.” (IHubo 72:16) Esikhundleni sokubulawa ukungcola, imifula emhlabeni ‘iyoshaya ihlombe.’—IHubo 98:8.

Luyokwenzeka nini uguquko olunjalo? Lapho ‘uJehova eseyinkosi.’ (IHubo 96:10) Ukubusa kukaNkulunkulu kuyoqinisekisa ukuthi yonke into ephilayo emhlabeni ithola isibusiso. “Umhlaba mawename,” kusho umhubi. “Ulwandle maluhlokome, nakho konke okukulo; amasimu mawajabule, nakho konke okukuwo. Khona-ke yonke imithi yasehlathini iyohlabelela ngenjabulo.”—IHubo 96:11, 12, New International Version.

Umhlaba obusiswé uMdali wawo futhi obuswa ngokulunga unekusasa elikhazimulayo. IBhayibheli lichaza imiphumela: “Kwangane ukulunga nokuthula. Kuyakuhluma iqiniso emhlabeni, kulunguzele phansi nokulunga kwasezulwini. Yebo, uJehova uyakuveza okuhle; izwe lethu liyakuthela izithelo zalo.” (IHubo 85:10-12) Lapho lolo suku lufika, iplanethi yethu iyobe ingasekho engozini phakade.

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Njengomzimba womuntu, umhlaba unamandla amangalisayo okuzivuselela ngokwawo