Ukubuka Okwezwe
“Izigqila” Zanamuhla Zasemkhunjini
“Amakhulu ezinkulungwane zamatilosi emikhunjini yezohwebo aphathwa njengezigqila,” kuphawula i-International Herald Tribune. Umbiko we-International Commission of Shipping wembula ukuthi la matilosi “asebenza ngaphansi kwezimo ezingaphephile, isikhathi eside ngokweqile, awakhokhelwa, athola ukudla okuncane, ayadlwengulwa futhi ayashaywa.” Kwamanye amaqembu, amatilosi akhonondayo noma afuna usizo ezinyunyaneni azifaka engozini yokukhishwa inyumbazane noma yokuphonswa emanzini. Izisulu eziyinhloko zalobu “bugqila banamuhla” zivela emazweni asathuthuka. Ngenxa yezinkinga zezomnotho emazweni akubo, abaningi akukho lapho bengaphendukela khona ukuze bathole imali. Ngakho, ngokomlobi walo mbiko, bagcina “sebechayeke engozini, . . . bekhohliswa futhi bephangwa.”
Ukulahleka “Kwezimfihlo Zemvelo”
“I-UN ilinganisela ukuthi izilimi zomhlaba ezingu-90% zingase ziphele ekhulwini leminyaka elizayo, futhi ziyonyamalala nolwazi oluyigugu kakhulu ngemvelo,” kusho umbiko we-BBC News. Izilimi zomdabu zivame ukuba izinqolobane zamasiko, izingoma nezindaba ezidluliselwa ezizukulwaneni ngezizukulwane, ezinikeza izifundo eziwusizo ngendawo ezungezile nangezilwane zayo. Ngokwesibonelo, amaTurkana asenyakatho-ntshonalanga yeKenya sekuyisikhathi eside efunda imikhuba yezinyoni ezithile ukuze abone ukuthi imvula izona nini. Lokhu kuwasiza ukuba azi ukuthi atshale nini. Uma ulimi lwawo luphela, ulwazi oluyigugu lwezizukulwane eziningi luyoshabalala. Kakade, sekunezilimi zomdabu ezingu-234 okuthiwa sezishabalele, kanti ezinye ezingu-2 500 zisengcupheni yokushabalala. “Izimfihlo zemvelo, ezisezingomeni, ezindabeni, ebucikweni nasemisebenzini yezandla yabantu bomdabu, zingase zilahleke unomphela,” kusho umbiko we-UN, oxwayisa ngokwanda okuhambisanayo kwengozi yokufa kwezilimo.
Kusakhethwa Iphepha
Esikhathini esingaphezu kweminyaka engu-25 edlule, kwabikezelwa ukuthi ukusetshenziswa kwephepha kuzoncipha njengoba ama-computer esegcwele emahhovisi futhi ukwaziswa sekungagcinwa kuwo. Nokho, isidingo sephepha siyaqhubeka sikhula. Ngokwephephandaba i-Vancouver Sun, uma kuziwa ohlotsheni lwephepha olusetshenziswa emishinini yokwenza amakhophi neye-fax, abaseCanada basebenzisa angamaphesenti angu-25 ngo-1999 ngaphezu kwalawo abawasebenzisa ngo-1992. Lokhu kulingana “nephepha elingamaphawundi angu-66 (amakhilogremu angu-30) ngonyaka umuntu ngamunye waseCanada, kuhlanganise nezingane.” Okunye ukuhlola okwenziwa ezisebenzini zasemahhovisi kwabonisa ukuthi nakuba kuqale kusetshenziswe ama-computer ukuze kubonwe ukwaziswa, abantu basakufuna okusephepheni. Kunjalo nangalabo abanama-computer ekhaya, kusho i-Sun. Izingane “zingabasebenzisi abakhulu bephepha,” zifuna ukunyathelisa yonke into eziyakha noma eziyibona kuyi-computer.
Usongo Lobugebengu Obuhleliwe
“Ubugebengu obuhlelwe emhlabeni wonke sebuwusongo olukhulu manje ekuphepheni kwabantu abavamile ukudlula impi.” Ngokombiko wezindaba we-Agence France-Presses lelo iphuzu elavezwa engqungqutheleni yamuva yobugebengu bomhlaba wonke. Ekhuluma kule ngqungquthela eTokyo, uPino Arlacchi, iPhini likaNobhala-Jikelele we-UN Office for Drug Control and Crime Prevention, wathi: “Izinga lobugebengu bomhlaba wonke liye laba ngaphezu kwalokho ohulumeni nomphakathi abalungele ukukwamukela.” Wabala ukushushumbiswa kwabantu njengohlobo lobugebengu bomhlaba wonke olukhula ngokushesha kunazo zonke, njengoba kunabesifazane nezingane abangaba yisigidi abashushumbiswa amaqembu ezigebengu bayiswe kwamanye amazwe, athole izindodla zemali. UBunmei Ibuki, owayekade engumphathi womkhakha wezombangazwe wamaphoyisa aseJapane, uthi: “Alikho izwe elingabhekana nobugebengu obuhleliwe bamazwe lilodwa. Yingakho ukubaluleka kokushaywa komthetho ezifundazweni noma embulungeni yonke kuya ngokuya kwanda.”
Indawo Kadoti Emkhathini Wethu
Kusukela umuntu aqala ukuya emkhathini cishe eminyakeni engu-40 edlule, uye washintsha indawo ezungeze umhlaba wayenza indawo kadoti. Ngokwe-News yaseMexico City, kuye kwacitshwa amarokhethi angaba ngu-4 000, aye abangela “ukungcoliswa komkhathi ‘okubonakalayo’ yizinto ezingaphezu kuka-23 000, ngayinye enkulu kunebhola lekhilikithi.” Kulezi, cishe ezingu-6 000 “ziwudoti,” futhi uma zihlangene zinesisindo esilinganiselwa emathanini angu-1 800. Ukushayisana kwezinto zasemkhathini kuye kwakhiqiza izingcezu zikadoti ezincane ezingu-100 000. Nakuba lezi zinto zingelona usongo emhlabeni, ziyingozi kwabahamba emkhathini ngenxa yejubane lazo. Ucezwana oluncane lwensimbi oluhamba ngesivinini esingamakhilomitha angu-50 000 ngehora lungaqhekeza ifasitela lesikhungo sasemkhathini, lubhoboze i-solar panel, noma lubhoboze ingubo yokuzivikela kasomkhathi lapho ehamba emkhathini. I-News ithi: “I-NASA imatasa nge-Project Orion, ‘umshanelo wasemkhathini’ ozoshanela udoti emkhathini. Inhloso iwukuhlasela udoti ngemisebe ye-laser, . . . usondele emkhathini woMhlaba lapho uzosha khona ungabangi ngozi.”
Ukuswela Amakhaya Kuyanda
I-BBC News ithi: “Lapho kwenziwa iSimemezelo Somhlaba Wonke Samalungelo Abantu ngo-1948, i-UN yachaza ukuthi ukuthola izindlu ezanele kubalulekile, kodwa eminyakeni engaphezu kwengu-50 kamuva, ilungelo lokuthola ikhaya elilondekile alikaqinisekiswa.” Umbiko wamuva we-UN ulinganisela ukuthi abantu abayizigidi eziyikhulu emhlabeni wonke abanamakhaya—kuhlanganise nezingane ezingaphezu kwezigidi ezingu-30—futhi uxwayisa ngokuthi isimo siya siba sibi kakhulu. Emazweni asathuthuka, i-UN ithi le nkinga ibangelwa kakhulu ukunqwabelana ngokushesha emadolobheni. Ngaphezu kwalokho, eNingizimu-mpumalanga Asia nase-Afrika, abantu abangaba yizigidi ezingu-600 bahlala ezindlini eziminyene, ezisezingeni eliphansi, ezingenaso isimiso sokukhuculula indle namanzi anele. Amazwe acebile nawo anayo le nkinga. E-United States, abantu ababalelwa ku-700 000 bahlala emigwaqweni. Kwezinye izingxenye zeNtshonalanga Yurophu, abantu abangu-12 kwabayinkulungwane abanamakhaya.
“Ikhono Elishabalalayo”?
“Ukukhuthuza kuyikhono elishabalalayo e-Osaka,” eJapane, ngoba “intsha ayisenasithakazelo sokuthuthukisa leli khono,” kubika i-Asahi Evening News. Ngokwephoyisa lendawo, kuthatha iminyaka eminingana ukuba umuntu abe umpetha walolu hlobo lokweba. Kubonakala sengathi intsha eyizigebengu ithanda izindlela ezilula zokuntshontsha. Ngokwesibonelo, ayanda amacala okuhlwithwa kwezikhwama zemali. Ingxenye yesithathu yabo bonke abasolwa ababoshelwa ukukhuthuza ngonyaka odlule eSifundeni sase-Osaka kwakungabantu abaneminyaka engu-60 noma ngaphezulu. Omdala kunabo bonke, ikhehla elineminyaka engu-78 ubudala, kwase kuyizikhathi ezingu-12 liboshwa lapho libanjwa lithatha isikhwama sezibuko esikhwameni sesalukazi esithile. Umseshi wathi: “Alisaboni, lithathe isikhwama sezibuko licabanga ukuthi isikhwama semali.”
Ukushayela Okuyisibonelo
“Abazali kudingeka baqaphele ukuthi bangase babe yizibonelo ezinganeni zabo kokubili ngaphambi kokuba zithole izincwadi zokushayela nalapho zisafunda ukushayela,” kusho uSusan Ferguson we-Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Njengoba kwabikwa kumagazini i-New Scientist, yena nozakwabo bahlola amarekhodi ezingozi emikhaya engu-140 000 yaseMelika, beqhathanisa abazali nezingane zabo ezineminyaka engu-18 kuya kwengu-21. Izingane zabazali ababenze izingozi zemoto ezintathu noma ngaphezulu phakathi neminyaka emihlanu zazinamathuba angamaphesenti angu-22 okushayisa ngemoto ngokwazo kunezingane zabazali abangakaze benze ingozi. Kwakungokufanayo mayelana nokwephulwa kwemithetho yomgwaqo enjengokuhamba ngesivinini esikhulu noma ukudlula irobhothi libomvu. Kulezi zimo izingane zazisethubeni lokwenza njengabazali bazo ngamaphesenti angu-38. UJane Eason, we-Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents yaseBrithani, uthi: “Abazali kufanele babeke isibonelo. Abantu kufanele bafundiswe besebancane ngokuphepha emgwaqweni.”
“Into Ephilayo Enkulu Kunazo Zonke Emhlabeni”
Umagazini i-National Wildlife uthi: “Ebumnyameni emahlathini angabuni asempumalanga ye-Oregon kuhuquzela into ephilayo enkulu kunazo zonke emhlabeni, isikhunta esibizwa ngokuthi i-Armillaria ostoyae.” Lesi sikhunta sesineminyaka okungenani engu-2 400 ubudala futhi simboza indawo engaphezu kwamahektare angu-900—noma cishe izinkundla zebhola likanobhuntshuzwayo ezingu-1 700—ngokososayensi be-U.S. Forest Service abasithola.” Lesi sikhunta sihlala ngaphansi komhlabathi, sisakazeka kancane kancane futhi ngokuvamile sisebenzisa izimpande zesihlahla ukuze sisuke kwesinye isihlahla siye kwesinye. Kodwa lezi zazi zamahlathi zithi lesi sikhutha “sinohlangothi oluyingozi.” Lo magazini uyabika: “I-Armillaria ibangela isifo sezimpande esingagcina ngokubulala izihlahla.”