Ukubuka Okwezwe
Amehlo Ancishwa Umoya-mpilo
I-Globe and Mail ibika ukuthi abanye abantu abasebenzisa ama-contact lens kungenzeka bancisha amehlo abo umoya-mpilo. “Ukuvuvukala kwemithambo ye-cornea [ungwengwezi lweso olukhanya ngalé] kwenzeka lapho iso lingawutholi umoya eliwudingayo bese liqala ukuveza imithambo yegazi ukuze lithole umoya-mpilo.” Lokhu kungabangela ukufiphala kwamehlo noma ngisho nobumpumputhe. UDkt. Raymond Stein, umphathi womnyango wezifo zamehlo esibhedlela saseToronto, uthi “isimo siba sibi kakhulu lapho umuntu engawanakekeli ama-lens akhe futhi engabuyeli kudokotela ukuze ahlolwe futhi.” Odokotela bamehlo bakhuthaza abantu ukuba bathintane nochwepheshe wokunakekelwa kwamehlo ukuze baqiniseke ukuthi basebenzisa ama-contact lens afanele amehlo abo bese belandela inqubo etuswayo yokuwafaka nokuwanakekela.
Ubungane Babantu BaseBrazil Buyancipha
Iphephandaba i-Globo libika ukuthi abantu baseBrazil manje abasabakhi ubuhlobo ngezinga ababenza ngalo eminyakeni eyishumi edlule. Ngokukachwepheshe wezempilo yengqondo uMaria Abigail de Souza, wase-University of São Paulo, ukuqhudelana emkhakheni wezemisebenzi, ukulwela ukulondoloza indlela ethile yokuphila, nokuncipha kwesikhathi sokuzilibazisa kuyizici ezinezelayo. UCésar Vasconcelos de Souza, umqondisi wezokwelapha e-Adventist Healthy Life Center, eSão Paulo, uthi: “Ukuze sibe nabangane bangempela, kumelwe sibatshele imizwa yethu, sithulule isifuba kubo, sibatshele okuhle nokudumazayo, izinto ezinzima nokulula ukuzisho. Lokho kudinga isikhathi nezibopho ezingokomzwelo eziqinile. Abantu abaningi bangathanda ukuhlanganyela imizwa yabo nabanye kodwa bayesaba ukwenza kanjalo. Ukuze bagweme izingozi bancamela ukuba nabangane nje abavamile.”
Ukudabuka Nokucindezeleka
Inhlolo-vo eyenziwa kwabesilisa nabesifazane abaneminyaka engu-70 kuya kwengu-79 ibonisa ukuthi abanye abafelokazi nabafelwa bacindezeleka kakhulu isikhathi esingaba iminyaka emibili ngemva kokushonelwa abangane bomshado. Labo ababenengxenye kulolu cwaningo bahlukaniswa izigaba eziyisithupha, ngokwesikhathi esase sidlulile kusukela bashonelwa abangane babo. Kwasetshenziswa kokubili izingxoxo nemibuzo ukuze kuhlolwe izimpawu zokucindezeleka. Abangamaphesenti angu-38 abahlolwa kwakungamadoda, kanti abesifazane babengamaphesenti angu-62. Lolu cwaningo lwathola ukuthi izinga lokucindezeleka kwabasanda kushonelwa laliphakeme ngokuphindwe izikhathi ezingu-9 kunelabantu abashadile abangashonelwanga abangane bomshado.
Imilutha Yezithombe Ezingcolile Ze-Internet
I-New York Times ibika ukuthi abacwaningi bathole ukuthi “okungenani abantu abangu-200 000 abasebenzisa i-Internet bayimilutha yezingosi zezithombe ezingcolile, izingosi zengevu zabantu abadala noma ezinye izinto eziphathelene nobulili ezitholakala kuyi-computer.” Lolu cwaningo lwenziwa yizazi zokusebenza kwengqondo emayunivesithi aseStanford naseDuquesne futhi lungolokuqala ukulinganisela isibalo “semilutha yobulili” be-Internet. Abacwaningi bathi laba bantu bavakashela izingosi ze-Internet ezingcolile amahora angaphezu kwangu-11 ngesonto. Leli phephandaba lacaphuna abacwaningi bethi: “Lolu usongo lwempilo yomphakathi olufihlekile olukhulayo, ngokwengxenye ngenxa yokuthi bambalwa ababonayo ukuthi usongo noma abazikhathazayo ngalo.”
Ingculaza Ibhuqabhuqa Elase-Afrika
Kulo nyaka odlule, ingculaza iye yabulala abantu abaningi e-Afrika ngaphezu kwezimpi, ngokusho kukaKofi Annan, unobhala-jikelele weZizwe Ezihlangene. Lezi zimpi zihlanganisa izimpi zaseDemocratic Republic of Congo, eSierra Leone, e-Angola, eRepublic of Congo, eTopiya, eSomalia, e-Eritrea naseSudan. Cishe ingxenye yesibili yabantu abayizigidi ezingu-36 abanengculaza emhlabeni ihlala emazweni aseningizimu ye-Afrika. ECôte d’Ivoire, ingculaza ibulala uthisha oyedwa nsuku zonke, kanti eBotswana ubude beminyaka yokuphila sebunciphile busuka eminyakeni engu-70 baya kwengu-41. EZimbabwe kulindeleke ukuthi ngonyaka ka-2005, i-HIV nengculaza kuyobe kudla amaphesenti angu-60 emali ebekelwe ezempilo, futhi lezo zindleko ziyobe zinganele. Iphephandaba laseLondon i-Guardian libika ukuthi indaba yengculaza iyagwenywa eMalawi naseZambia, lapho liphakeme kakhulu khona izinga labantu abanayo; kanti eNingizimu Afrika abantu abanayo bakhishwa inyumbazane. UMnu. Annan wathi: “Akekho noyedwa phakathi kwethu owuqonda ngokuphelele umphumela walesi simo esisabisayo—ezingeni lokuphila e-Afrika, ekuthuthukeni kwayo kwezomnotho nasekuzinzeni kwesimo sayo sezenhlalo nezombangazwe.”
Amadolobha Ashintsha Isimo Sezulu
I-Times yaseLondon ibika ukuthi: “Ukwanda kwamadolobha ngokushesha kwakha ‘iziqhingi ezishisayo’ ezivutha bhé kangangokuba zibangela isimo sazo sezulu.” Amadolobha abamba ukushisa emini abese ekukhiphela emkhathini ebusuku. Ngakho, amazinga okushisa emadolobheni anjengeBeijing ne-Atlanta akhuphuka ngo-5,5 °C. noma ngaphezulu. Kule minyaka engu-19 edlule, kuye kwagawulwa amahektare angu-150 000 ezihlahla e-Atlanta ukuze kwakhiwe imigwaqo nemizi. Ukwanda kwamadolobha kwandisa ukungcoliswa komoya, kubangela izimvula ezifika ngesikhathi esingafanele futhi kunciphise ukukhiqiza kwamapulazi ezilimo. Ekhuluma ngomphumela walezi “ziqhingi ezishisayo,” uDkt. Marc Imhoff, ongusosayensi we-National Aeronautics and Space Administration, wathi: “Ukuphila komuntu kuxhomeke emandleni omhlabathi okukhiqiza ukudla. Uma ikhono lomhlabathi lokukhiqiza ukudla lincipha kakhulu, liyancipha nekhono leplanethi lokusekela ukuphila komuntu.” Ngokuvamile kukhethwa indawo yezolimo ethelayo ukuze kwandiswe amadolobha.
Ukungcola Kunciphisa Ukuzingelwa Kwemikhomo
Ukungcola sekuye kwaba umsekeli ongalindelekile emzamweni wokulondoloza imikhomo. Uphenyo lwamuva nje lubonisa ukuthi imikhomo namahlengethwa abanjwa ngasogwini lweJapane angcoliswe kakhulu yi-DDT, i-dioxin, ama-PCB ne-methylmercury. Okunye ukuhlola kubonisé ukuthi ukudla nje amagremu angu-50 enyama yehlengethwa engcolile kungafaka umuntu engozini enkulu yempilo. Abanye balindele ukuthi imibiko enjalo ingase ishabalalise ukufuneka kwenyama yomkhomo.
I-lotus “Ezihlanzayo”
Kungani isithombo se-lotus, osekuyisikhathi eside sibhekwa njengesingcwele ezinkolweni zaseMpumalanga, sihlala sihlanzekile? Ososayensi baseJalimane bathi sebeyitholile impendulo yalo mbuzo osekuyiminyaka uxaka izazi zesayensi yezinto eziphilayo. Ososayensi uW. Barthlott noC. Neinhuis bathi: “Sekuyisikhathi eside kwaziwa ukuthi amaqabunga ezithombo awangeni manzi. Kodwa ikhono lokuzihlanza . . . belingashaywa mkhuba nhlobo.” Njengoba kuchazwa kuyi-Sunday Times of India, “amaconsi amanzi asemaqabungeni e-lotus asusa ukungcola, kanjalo ahlanze iqabunga ngokuphelele.” Lokhu akwenziwa ukuthi amaqabunga abushelelezi. Uma ulibheka ngesibona-khulu, leli qabunga limahhadla “linamaqhubu, imivingqi nezinto ezimile kulo” ezenza “ligobekele ngaphandle bese amanzi angakwazi ukuhlala kulo.” Kodwa ngaphandle kwalokho, lesi sithombo simbozwe ngengcino exosha amanzi. Abacwaningi bathi leli “khono le-lotus” likunciphisa ngokuphawulekayo ukuhlala kwamanzi nokungcola, futhi banezela ngokuthi lesi sithombo singakhiqiza ingcino naphezu kwezimo zendawo ezimbi. Bathi lokhu kuphakamisa ikhono le-lotus elingokwemvelo ngaphezu kukapende ovimbela amanzi owenziwe umuntu noma izinto zokuhlanza ezikhucululayo.
Ingabe Akulungele Ukuphuzwa?
Ucwaningo lwe-World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) luxwayisa ngokuthi “kumelwe kuthathwe izinyathelo eziyisivikelo” ngaphambi kokuba izinga lamanzi aseFrance lifinyelele “eqophelweni eliyingozi.” Ngokwe-WWF, amanzi aseFrance angaphansi komhlaba nahamba phezulu angcoliswa yizibulala-zinambuzane nemikhiqizo kamanyolo. Umanyolo ungcolisa amanzi ngokuyinhloko lapho ubulongwe bezinkomo nendle yezingulube bungena emapayipini amanzi. Lo mbiko uthi “indle yezingulube eziyizigidi ezingu-8 esifundeni saseBrittany ilingana nendle yedolobha elinezakhamuzi eziyizigidi ezingu-24 kodwa elingenaso isikhungo sokukhucululwa kwendle!” Ngaphezu kwalokho, i-WWF ithi “ukusetshenziswa kakhulu kukamanyolo kwezolimo ezweni lonke” nakho kungcolisa amanzi ngezithako zikamanyolo. Ngaphezu kwalokho, ukusetshenziswa ngokweqile kwezibulala-zinambuzane emasimini ommbila kuye kwabangela ukwenyuka kwamazinga ezibulala-zinambuzane okungamaphesenti angu-40 ngaphezu kwezilinganiso ezivunyelwe. Umbiko we-WWF utusa ukuba kuvuselelwe izindawo ezingamaxhaphozi nezindonga zokuvimbela ukuze zibe yisisefo esingokwemvelo.