Ukubuka Okwezwe
Amahlathi Emvula
ENdiya, kwakwaziwa ukuthi amahlathi emvula atholakala esifundazweni saseningizimu eKerala kuphela. Kodwa umagazini waseNew Delhi i-Down to Earth ubika ukuthi muva nje, isazi semvelo uSaumyadeep Dutta sithole ihlathi lemvula elingamakhilomitha-skwele angu-500 phakathi kwezifundazwe zasenyakatho-mpumalanga i-Assam ne-Arunachal Pradesh. Kuleli hlathi kunezinhlobonhlobo zezilwane zasendle—“izinhlobo ezingu-32 zezilwane ezincelisayo nezinhlobo zezinyoni ezingu-260, kuhlanganise nezinhlobo eziyivelakancane zezindlovu, amahlosi kanye nengwe empunga, isambane i-pangolin saseChina, ibhere i-sloth, i-sambar, izinkawu ama-hoolock, izinkwali ama-kalij, izinsingizi namadada asendle.” Noma kunjalo, i-Down to Earth iphawula ukuthi ukufuneka kwemikhiqizo yasemahlathini emhlabeni wonke kusongela amahlathi amaningi emvula. Ezinye izazi zemvelo zinovalo lokuthi uma imikhiqizo enjalo iqedwa ukugawulwa ngokweqile, amahlathi emvula ngeke esalondolozwa kodwa ayomane aguqulwe ukuze asetshenziselwe ezolimo.
Ukubhonga Kwehlosi
Kungani ukubhonga kwehlosi kungethusi nje ezinye izilwane kuphela kodwa ngisho nabanye abantu? I-Sunday Telegraph yaseLondon ibika ukuthi ososayensi base-Fauna Communications Research Institute eNyakatho Carolina, e-U.S.A., “batholé ukuthi ihlosi likhipha ‘umsindo ongezwakali,’ osholo phansi kangangokuthi abantu abawuzwa.” Abantu bezwa imisindo engaphezu kuka-20 hertz (Hz) kuphela, kodwa ihlosi “lixuba imisindo yokuvungama engazwakali engu-18 Hz nangaphansi kanye nokubhonga esikuzwayo, futhi ngenxa yalokho, u-Elizabeth von Muggenthaler, umongameli walesi sikhungo, uthi abantu bangalizwa egazini libhonga ihlosi, okuwumuzwa obangela ukwesaba kwesikhashana,” ngokusho kwaleli phephandaba. Ngisho nomakad’ ebona ekuqeqesheni amahlosi baye babe nawo lo muzwa.
Ukuthambisa Ngeziqhumane
Abapheki bavame ukuthambisa inyama elukhuni ngokuyishaya ngesando sokugxoba ukudla noma ngokuyithaka nempuphu enama-enzyme okuthambisa inyama. Kodwa umagazini i-New Scientist ubika ukuthi abacwaningi eMaryland, e-U.S.A., baye benza ucwaningo lokuthambisa inyama ngesiqhumane esinamandla. Abacwaningi bafaka inyama esoqwembeni lwensimbi emgqonyeni wepulasitiki kadoti ogcwele amanzi. Babe sebeqhumisa isiqhumane esilingana nengxenye yesine ye-dynamite ngaphakathi kulo mgqomo. Umbiko uthi: “Amanzi afaka amandla okuqhuma enyameni, kodwa umgqomo wona usakazeka ube yizicucu.” Ngaphandle kokuthambisa inyama, le nqubo ibulala namagciwane anjenge-E. coli, angase abangele ubuthi ekudleni. Noma kunjalo, njengoba uRandy Huffman we-American Meat Institute esho: “Inselele enkulu kuyoba ukusetshenziswa kwale nqubo ngokoqobo njengekhambi.”
Imikhumbi Isakaza Izifo
I-Daily Telegraph yaseLondon ithi: “Amanzi okusimamisa imikhumbi asakaza izifo emhlabeni wonke, okuwusongo kubantu, ezilwaneni nasezitshalweni.” Imikhumbi isebenzisa la manzi njengethuluzi lokuyenza isimame futhi iwachithela olwandle noma emathekwini asendleleni. E-United States, abacwaningi baseSmithsonian Environmental Research Center eMaryland bathola ukuthi amanzi okusimamisa umkhumbi athwalwa yimikhumbi ehamba olwandle aqukethe inani elikhulu lamagciwane. Amanzi ayo yonke imikhumbi engu-15 eyahlolwa eChesapeake Bay ayenegciwane elibangela ikholera. Ngokuvamile, ilitha elilodwa lala manzi laliqukethe ama-bacterium angaba yizigidi ezingu-830 nama-virus ayizigidi ezingu-7 400—okuphindwe izikhathi eziyisithupha kuya kwezingu-8 kunezinye izilwanyana eziphilayo.
Amathoyizi Amaningi
I-Sunday Times yaseLondon ibika ukuthi “ngokocwaningo olusha, izingane zilahlekelwa ikhono lokudlala ngendlela efanele ngenxa yokuthi zinikezwa amathoyizi nezinto zokudlala eziningi ngokweqile.” Lolu cwaningo ngokwengxenye lwagqugquzelwa ukukhathazeka eBrithani ngokuthi “ukuphila kwezingane sekushintshe ngokuphelele ngenxa yokuthi abazali basebenzisa amathoyizi, ama-computer nethelevishini esikhundleni sokuchitha isikhathi nezingane zabo.” Ngemva kokuhlola izingane ezingu-3 000 ezineminyaka emithathu kuya kwemihlanu ubudala, uProfesa Kathy Sylva wase-Oxford University waphetha ngokuthi: “Uma zinamathoyizi amaningi ngokweqile kubonakala ziphazamiseka, futhi lapho izingane ziphazamisekile azifundi kahle noma zidlale kahle.”
Ukucindezeleka Emsebenzini
I-Guardian yaseLondon iyabika: “Emsebenzini . . . ukukhathazeka, ukutubeka nokucindezeleka kwanda ngendlela engasalawuleki.” Ngokwe-International Labour Organisation ye-UN, izisebenzi ezintathu kweziyishumi e-United Kingdom zinezinkinga zempilo yengqondo, kanti kubikwa ukuthi isisebenzi esisodwa kweziyishumi e-United States sinesifo sokucindezeleka. Cishe abangamaphesenti angu-7 abathatha umhlala-phansi ngaphambi kwesikhathi eJalimane kungenxa yokuthi bacindezelekile. Izisebenzi zaseFinland ezingaphezu kwesigamu zinezimpawu ezihlobene nokucindezeleka. EPoland, ukukhathazeka okubangelwa ukwanda kwabantu abangenawo umsebenzi kwenyuka ngamaphesenti angu-50 ngo-1999, kuyilapho nenani labantu abazibulalayo lenyuka. Lo mbiko ubikezela ukuthi njengoba ukushintshela ebuchwephesheni obusha nezindlela zokuphatha emsebenzini kuqhubeka, ukucindezeleka kuyokwanda kakhulu. Futhi uxwayisa ngokuthi “ngo-2020, ukucindezeleka nokugula okungokwengqondo kuyohamba phambili njengembangela eyinhloko yokuphutha emsebenzini ngaphezu kwezingozi zomgwaqo, ingculaza nobudlova.”
Izindleko Ezikhulayo Zobugebengu
I-Independent yaseLondon iyabika: “Ubugebengu eNgilandi naseWales budla umphakathi opondo abayizigidi eziyizigidi ezingu-60 [amaRandi ayizigidi eziyizigidi ezingu-672] ngonyaka.” Leli nani, elichazwa uMnyango Wezangaphakathi ngokuthi lisesilinganisweni, limelela amaphesenti angu-6,7 omkhiqizo wezwe usuwonke. Ukubulawa kwabantu ngenhloso nangokungahlosiwe yikona okuyizenzo zobugebengu ezibiza kakhulu, kubiza izwe imali engaphezu kopondo abayisigidi [amaRandi ayizigidi ezingu-11] icala ngalinye, kuyilapho ezinye izenzo ezimbi zobudlova zidla opondo abangu-19 000 [R213 000] ngasinye. Ukukhwabanisa nomgunyathi kudla cishe ingxenye yesine yazo zonke lezi zindleko. Leli phephandaba linezela ukuthi la manani awahlanganisi “izindleko zokwesaba ubugebengu, ithonya lako emikhayeni yezisulu, imali echithwa uHulumeni ekunqandeni ubugebengu, . . . noma izindleko zomshuwalense.”
Ukhula Lungcono Kunezibulala-zinambuzane
Abalimi baseMpumalanga Afrika basebenzisa ukhula esikhundleni sezibulala-zinambuzane ukuze bathuthukise ummbila abawutshalayo, kubika umagazini i-New Scientist. Abalimi bommbila eMpumalanga Afrika bahlushwa yizinkinga ezimbili eziyingozi. Eyokuqala i-Striga, isithombo esibulala ezinye esibhubhisa ummbila obiza amaRandi ayizigidi eziyizinkulungwane ezingu-80 ngonyaka. Umcwaningi waseKenya uZiadin Khan wathola ukuthi i-Striga ayikhuli uma kutshalwe ukhula okuthiwa i-desmodium phakathi kwezindima zommbila. Inkathazo yesibili yizinhlava ezidla isiqu sommbila, ngokuvamile ezidla ingxenye yesithathu yommbila ngonyaka. Kodwa-ke, uKhan uye wathola ukuthi lezi zinhlava zithanda ukudla ukhula lwendawo okuthiwa i-napier grass. Ngokutshala lolu khula emasimini abo, abalimi benza lezi zinambuzane ziyeke ummbila. Uketshezi olusanhlaka olukhishwa yilolu khula lubamba lezi zinhlava luzibulale. “Lungcono kunezibulala-zinambuzane, futhi lushibhe kakhulu,” kusho uKhan. “Futhi luye lwathuthukisa umkhiqizo wezolimo kule ndawo ngamaphesenti angu-60 kuya ku-70.”
Umgunyathi Womvubukuli
Omunye wabavubukuli abadumile eJapane, oye wabizwa ngokuthi umvubukuli oyingcweti ngenxa yezinto ezibonakala zimangalisa aye wazithola, kubikwa ukuthi ubenza umgunyathi. Ikhamera ye-video eyacushwa yiphephandaba i-Mainichi Shimbun yathwebula lo mvubukuli egqiba amatshe aqoshwe ngobungcweti ngaphambi kokuba kufike iqembu elivubukulayo. Lapho ehluleka ukuphika ubufakazi, lo mvubukuli wavuma ukuthi wayefihle izinto ayeziqongelele yena ngokwakhe. Manje, yonke imiphumela yomsebenzi wakhe weminyaka engu-30 iyahlaziywa. Abashicileli bezincwadi balindele ukubukeza izincwadi zezikhombo zemivubukulo nezincwadi zesikole ngenxa yalesi senzakalo.
Izingozi Zezingane
Ngokocwaningo olwenziwa i-United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) emazweni angu-26, izingozi ziyimbangela eyinhloko yokufa kwezingane emazweni acebile omhlaba. I-Mainichi Daily News yaseJapane ibika ukuthi “izingozi zazibangele ukufa kwezingane ezingaba amaphesenti angu-40 ezinonyaka owodwa kuya kwengu-14 ubudala emazweni acwaningwa,” okulinganiselwa ekufeni kwezingane ezingaba ngu-20 000 unyaka ngamunye. Izici ezandisa amathuba okulimala kwezingane zihlanganisa ubumpofu, abazali abangabodwa abakhulisa izingane bebodwa, imikhaya emikhulu kanye nokuluthwa kwabazali utshwala nezidakamizwa. I-UNICEF yakhuthaza ukuthi kunakisiswe “izindlela ezisindisa ukuphila: izigqoko zokuvikela ikhanda, isivinini ezindaweni ezigcwele abantu, izihlalo zezingane zasemotweni, amabhande okuphepha, izivalo zamabhodlela emithi, imishini ethungatha umusi ezindlini nemithetho yokuphepha lapho kudlalwa.”