Imithombo Yamandla—Kungani Ibalulekile Ekuphileni?

UMICAH usana olwazalwa ngo-August 2003. Unina waphuthunyiswa egumbini lokubelethisa ngemoto ehamba ngophethiloli. Isiteshi sikagesi esisebenza ngamalahle yiso esasikhanyise izibani zasesibhedlela azalelwa kuso. Igumbi afikela kulo lalifudunyezwe ngesimiso sokushisisa esisebenza ngegesi yemvelo embiwa phansi. Ukube omunye wale mithombo evamile yamandla wawungasebenzi, ukuphila kukaMicah osemncane kwakungaba sengozini.

Izwe lanamuhla uMicah azalelwa kulo lithembele emithonjeni ehlukahlukene yamandla ukuze nje liqhubeke likhona. Ngandlela-thile, nsuku zonke sithembele emithonjeni yamandla akhishwa ezintweni zokubasa ezimbiwa phansi—ukuze siye emsebenzini, sipheke ukudla kwethu, noma sikhanyise, sifudumeze noma sipholise imizi yethu. I-World Resources Institute ithi izinto zokubasa ezimbiwa phansi zisetshenziselwa “ukunakekela izidingo zamandla omkhiqizo wezamabhizinisi ezingaba amaphesenti angu-90 emhlabeni wonke.” Umbiko ka-2000 owakhishwa yile Institute uthi: “Uma sikhuluma ngemithombo yamandla, uwoyela uwodwa uneqhaza elikhulu ezidingweni zamandla emhlabeni, ngoba unengxenye engamaphesenti angu-40, kulandele amalahle ngamaphesenti angu-26 bese kuba igesi yemvelo ngamaphesenti angu-24.”a

Umagazini i-Bioscience uthi: “Ngokwesilinganiso, unyaka ngamunye umuntu ngamunye waseMelika usebenzisa ama-kilowatt-hour [kagesi] angu-93 000, okulingana namalitha angu-8000 kawoyela, ukuze enze izinto ezihlukahlukene, kuhlanganise nezinto zokuhamba, ukufudumeza kanye nokupholisa indlu.” E-Australia, eChina, eNingizimu Afrika nasePoland, amaphesenti angaphezu kwangu-75 kagesi osetshenziswayo aphehlwa ngemishini esebenza ngamalahle. ElaseNdiya lithembele emalahleni ukuze lithole amaphesenti angu-60 kagesi, kuyilapho elase-United States nelaseJalimane ebasa amalahle ukuze athole ugesi ongaphezu kwengxenye awudingayo.

Esihlokweni esithi “Ukuphila Ngemva Kokuphela Kukawoyela” (kumagazini i-Utne Reader), intatheli uJeremiah Creedon ithi: “Ngokwezinga elithile, sekwaziwa kabanzi ukuthi manje sekusetshenziswa uwoyela ukuze kukhiqizwe ukudla emhlabeni jikelele. Uwoyela ongahluziwe kanye negesi yemvelo kubalulekile esigabeni ngasinye sezolimo namuhla, kusukela ekwenzeni umanyolo kuya ekuthuthweni kwesivuno.” Kodwa iphephe kangakanani le mithombo yamandla umphakathi wanamuhla oziphilisa ngayo? Ingabe ikhona eminye imithombo ehlanzekile engasetshenziswa esikhundleni sale?

[Umbhalo waphansi]