Ingabe Umuntu Ubhubhisa Ukudla Kwakhe?
“Inselele yethu yangempela namuhla akuzona izikweleti nokuntuleka kwemali noma umncintiswano wembulunga yonke kodwa isidingo sokuthola indlela yokuphila ukuphila okunenjongo, okwanelisayo ngaphandle kokucekela phansi imvelo yale planethi, esekela konke ukuphila. Isintu asikaze sibhekane nosongo olunje: ukushabalala kwazo kanye izakhi ezisigcina siphila.”—Isazi sezakhi zofuzo uDavid Suzuki.
KULULA ukulithatha kancane i-apula. Uma uhlala endaweni lapho ama-apula eyinala khona, ungase ucabange ukuthi atholakala kalula, futhi ungakhetha olithandayo ezinhlotsheni eziningi. Kodwa bewazi yini ukuthi kungenzeka sekunezinhlobo ezimbalwa ongakhetha kuzo namuhla kunalezo ezazikhona eminyakeni eyikhulu edlule?
Phakathi kuka-1804 no-1905, kwakunezinhlobo zama-apula ezingu-7 098 ezazitshalwa e-United States. Namuhla ezingu-6 121 kuzo—amaphesenti angu-86 azo—azisekho. Yindaba efanayo nangamagonandoda. Cishe amaphesenti angu-88 ezinhlobo ezingu-2 683 ezake zatshalwa, awasekho. Emifinweni, kubi nakakhulu. Kunokuthile okushabalalayo, okubizwa ngokuthi izinhlobonhlobo zezinto eziphilayo—hhayi nje inqwaba yezigaba zezinto eziphilayo kuphela kodwa nenqwaba yezinhlobo zalezo zigaba. Izigaba zezinhlobo zemifino ehlukahlukene etshalwa e-United States ziye zancipha ngamaphesenti angu-97 eminyakeni engaphansi kwengu-80! Kodwa ingabe kubalulekile ngempela ukuba khona kwezinhlobonhlobo zezinto?
Ososayensi abaningi bathi kubalulekile. Nakuba kusaphikiswana ngendima yezinhlobonhlobo zezinto eziphilayo, ochwepheshe abaningi bendawo ezungezile bathi zibalulekile ekuphileni emhlabeni. Bathi kubalulekile ezinhlotsheni zezitshalo esizitshalela ukudla njengoba nje kunjalo nakulezo zasendle, emahlathini nasemadlelweni omhlaba. Izinhlobonhlobo zohlobo oluthile zibalulekile nazo. Ngokwesibonelo, izinhlobo eziningi zelayisi zandisa amathuba okuthi ezinye izinhlobo ziyokwazi ukumelana nezifo ezivamile. Ngakho, ipheshana elinyatheliswe i-Worldwatch Institute liphawule muva nje ukuthi kunento eyodwa kuphela evelele kunazo zonke engase ibonise isintu ukuthi kungaba yingozi kangakanani ukuqeda izinhlobonhlobo zezinto eziphilayo emhlabeni—umphumela ekutholakaleni kokudla kwethu.
Ukuqothulwa kwezitshalo kungase kuthinte izitshalo zokudla ngezindlela okungenani ezimbili: okokuqala, ngokuqeda izitshalo zasendle zohlobo lwalezo ezilinywayo, okuyizo ezingaba umthombo wezakhi zezitshalo zesikhathi esizayo, futhi okwesibili, ngokunciphisa inani lezinhlobo zezigaba ezilinywayo. Ngokwesibonelo, ekuqaleni kwekhulu lama-20 kwakunezinhlobo ezingaphezu kuka-100 000 zelayisi ezazilinywa e-Asia, okungenani ezingu-30 000 zazilinywa eNdiya kuphela. Manje amaphesenti angu-75 ezitshalo zaseNdiya asenezinhlobo eziyishumi nje kuphela. Izinhlobo zelayisi zaseSri Lanka ezingu-2 000 sezithathelwe indawo yizinhlobo ezinhlanu. IMexico, ewumnyombo wokutshalwa kommbila, isitshala amaphesenti angu-20 kuphela ezinhlobo ezazitholakala lapho ngawo-1930.
Kodwa akukhona nje ukudla kuphela okusengozini. Cishe amaphesenti angu-25 emithi yokwelapha edayiswayo atholakala ezitshalweni, futhi kuyaqhutshekwa kutholwa izitshalo ezintsha zemithi yokwelapha. Nokho, izitshalo ziyaqhubeka ziqothulwa. Ingabe empeleni kungenzeka ukuthi sigawula lona kanye igatsha elisisekelayo?
Ngokwe-World Conservation Union, ezinhlotsheni ezingaba ngu-18 000 zezitshalo nezilwane ezacwaningwa, zingaphezu kuka-11 000 ezisongelwa ukuqothulwa. Ezindaweni ezinjenge-Indonesia, iMalaysia neLatin America, lapho kuye kwagawulwa khona amahlathi amakhulu ukuze kutshalwe, abacwaningi bayaqagela nje ukuthi zingakanani izinhlobo esezizoqothulwa—noma eseziqothuliwe kakade. Noma kunjalo, i-UNESCO Courier ibika ukuthi abanye bathi ukuqothulwa kuqhubeka “ngokushesha okubi kakhulu.”
Yiqiniso, umhlaba usakhiqiza inala yokudla. Kodwa umphakathi wesintu owanda ngokushesha uyokwazi ukuzondla isikhathi esingakanani uma izinhlobonhlobo zezinto eziphilayo emhlabeni zincipha? Amazwe ahlukahlukene aye asabela ezinkingeni ezinjalo ngokwakha izinqolobane zembewu njengesiqinisekiso sokulondoloza izitshalo ezibalulekile. Ezinye izingadi zezitshalo ziye zathatha lo msebenzi wokulondoloza izinhlobo zezitshalo. Isayensi iye yaletha amathuluzi amasha anamandla okushintsha izakhi. Kodwa ingabe izinqolobane zembewu nesayensi kungayixazulula ngempela le nkinga? Isihloko esilandelayo sizohlola lo mbuzo.