Umuntu Uwenzani Umhlaba?

EMINYAKENI engamakhulu amathathu edlule, umuntu wayephila ngokuseduze kakhulu nendalo. Ngokwengxenye enkulu, wayengasongelwe ushintsho olwenziwa umuntu endaweni esembulungeni yonke ngendlela asongelwa ngayo namuhla. Intuthuko yezezimboni yayingakaqali. Zazingekho izindawo zokuphehla ugesi, amafekthri, izimoto, noma eminye imithombo yokungcola okusakazeke kabanzi. Kungenzeka kwakunzima ngomuntu ukuba azicabange onakalisa wonke umhlaba.

Nokho, ngisho nasemuva ngalesosikhathi, isixwayiso ngokonakaliswa kwembulunga yonke sase sisakazeke kabanzi. Lesosixwayiso sasitholakala encwadini yokugcina yeBhayibheli, futhi sasibikezela ngesikhathi uNkulunkulu ayeyongenela ngaso ezindabeni zabantu ukuze ‘abhubhise ababhubhisa umhlaba.’—IsAmbulo 11:17, 18.

Yeka ukuthi kududuza kanjani kubo bonke abakhathazekile ngokuphatha kabi umhlaba komuntu wanamuhla ukwazi ukuthi uMdali weplanethi yethu enhle kakhulu uyoyisindisa ekonakalisweni! ‘Kodwa,’ ungase uzibuze, ‘ingabe ngempela sesiye safinyelela esimweni esibucayi kangangokuthi ukungenela kukaNkulunkulu kudingekile?’ Nokho, cabangela amanye amaqiniso futhi uzinqumele ngokwakho.

Amahlathi

Amahlathi ahlobisa umhlaba futhi anikeza izigidi eziningana zezinhlobonhlobo zezinto eziphilayo ukudla nendawo yokukhosela. Njengoba izihlahla zikhula futhi zikhiqiza ukudla, zenza ezinye izinkonzo ezibalulekile, njengokungenisa isikhutha futhi zidedele ioksijini eyigugu. Ngawo, iNational Geographic ithi, “anikeza elinye ikhambi eliqeda ukufudumala kwembulunga yonke okusongela ukuphila emhlabeni njengoba sazi.”

Kodwa umuntu wonakalisa ifa lakhe eliyihlathi. Amahlathi aseNyakatho Melika nawaseYurophu ayafa ngenxa yokungcola. Futhi izidingo zezizwe ezinezimboni zicekela phansi ingxenye enkulu yamahlathi asezindaweni ezishisayo. Elinye iphephandaba laseAfrika lachaza ukuthi ngo-1989, “amacubic mitha ayizigidi ezingu-66 [ezinkuni zasezindaweni ezishisayo] kwakulindeleke ukuba athunyelwe kwamanye amazwe—amaphesenti angu-48 athunyelwe eJapane, amaphesenti angu-40 eYurophu.”

Futhi, kwamanye amazwe, abalimi bashisa amahlathi ukuze benze indawo yokulima. Ngokushesha umhlabathi wamahlathi ontekenteke uphelelwa yizakhi, futhi abalimi kudingeka bashise amahlathi engeziwe. Kulinganiselwa ukuthi kulelikhulu leminyaka lilodwa, cishe ingxenye yamahlathi omhlaba iye yanyamalala.

Izilwandlekazi

Izilwandlekazi zomhlaba nazo zifeza indima ebalulekile ekuhlanzeni umoya osemkhathini, futhi imisebenzi yomuntu iyazonakalisa. Amanani amakhulu esikhutha angeniswa izilwandlekazi. Ngokufanayo, izitshalo ezintanta emanzini zingenisa isikhutha futhi zidedele ioksijini. UDkt. George Small uchaza ukubaluleka kwalomjikelezo wokuphila: “Amaphesenti angu-70 eoksijini enezelwa emoyeni osemkhathini unyaka ngamunye avela ezitshalweni nasezilwaneni ezintanta olwandle.” Nokho, abanye ososayensi baxwayisa ngokuthi izitshalo ezintanta emanzini zingancipha ngokungathi sína ngenxa yokuqedwa komoya ohlanzekile emkhathini, okukholelwa ukuthi kubangelwa umuntu.

Futhi, umuntu ulahlela izibi, uwoyela, ngisho nezinto ezinobuthi olwandlekazini. Nakuba amanye amazwe evuma ukulinganisela udoti avumayo ukuba ulahlelwe olwandle, amanye ayenqaba. Elinye izwe laseNtshonalanga lize ngisho ligodle ilungelo lokuwulahlela olwandle udoti osala lapho kwakhiwa izikhali zenuzi. Umhloli wolwandlekazi odumile uJacques Cousteau uyaxwayisa: “Kumelwe sisindise izilwandlekazi uma sifuna ukusindisa isintu.”

Amanzi Okuphuza

Umuntu wonakalisa ngisho namanzi akhe okuphuza! Emazweni ampofu, izigidi zabantu ziyafa unyaka ngamunye ngenxa yamanzi angcolile. Emazweni acebe kakhudlwana, imithombo yamanzi ingcoliswa, phakathi kokunye, yimiquba nezibulala-zinambuzane okukhukhulekela emifuleni futhi kushone kujule emanzini angaphansi. Ngo-1986 ukukhiqiza komhlaba izibulala-zinambuzane kwakungamathani ayizigidi ezingu-2,3, futhi izinga lokwanda kubikwa ukuthi lingamaphesenti angu-12 ngonyaka.

Omunye umthombo wokungcola uyizindawo okulahlwa kuzo amakhemikhali. “Imigqomo yensimbi enamakhemikhali,” kuchaza iScientific American, “iyafana nje namabhomu acushwayo angase aqhume lapho egqwala.” Loluhlobo lokungcola, kwenezela leliphephabhuku, lwenzeka “emhlabeni wonke ezinkulungwaneni zezindawo okulahlwa kuzo amakhemikhali angasasebenzi.”

Uyini umphumela? Emhlabeni wonke, imifula eyake yahlanzeka yenziwa izindawo zezimboni zokulahlela ukungcola. Kulinganiselwa ukuthi abantu baseYurophu abayizigidi ezingu-20 baphuza amanzi omfula iRhine, kodwa lomfula ungcolé kangangokuthi udaka olukhiwe esiqwini sawo luyingozi kakhulu ukuba lungase lusetshenziselwe ukugcwalisa izigodi!

Imikhuba Yokulima

Ngokushaqisayo, umuntu wonakalisa ngisho nendawo yakhe yokulima. NgokweScientific American eUnited States iyodwa, amaphesenti angu-20 endawo ebekelwe ukuniselwa aye onakaliswa. Ngani? Ngoba ukunisela ngokweqile kunezela usawoti omningi emhlabathini. Ngalendlela amazwe amaningi aye onakalisa ingxenye enkulu yendawo yawo eyigugu. “Manje indawo eyenziwa ingakhiqizi ngenxa yokugcwala usawoti ilingana nendawo eyenziwa ikhiqize ngezindlela ezintsha zokunisela,” kusho iEarth Report. Enye inkinga eyandé kabanzi iwukuklaba ngokweqile kwemfuyo, okungenzeka kunengxenye ekwandeni kwezingwadule.

Izimoto Eziningi Kakhulu

Okuningi kangaka ezweni nasemanzini eplanethi yethu. Kodwa kuthiwani ngomoya wayo? Nalokhu futhi kuyonakaliswa, futhi izimbangela ziningi. Uma sibala eyodwa nje, cabangela imoto. Okulandelayo kuyizixwayiso ezivela emaphephabhukwini ezesayensi amathathu anethonya: “Izimoto ziwungcolisa ngokwengeziwe umoya kunanoma imuphi omunye umsebenzi womuntu owodwa.” (New Scientist) “Njengamanje kunezimoto eziyizigidi ezingu-500 ezibhalisiwe kuleplanethi . . . Ukugcwalisa amathange azo kuthatha cishe ingxenye yesithathu yomkhiqizo kawoyela womhlaba. . . . Inani lezimoto landa ngokushesha kakhulu kunelabantu.” (Scientific American) “Uphethiloli kuzo zonke izici zomkhiqizo, ukusetshenziswa nokulahlwa kwawo kuwumthombo oyinhloko wokuwohloka kwendawo yonke nezifo.”—The Ecologist.

Yebo, iplanethi yethu iyaxhashazwa, iyonakaliswa. Izilwandle zalo, amanzi okuphuza, izindawo zokulima, ngisho nomoya wayo osemkhathini kungcoliswa ngezinga elikhulu. Ngokuqinisekile, lokhu kukodwa kungasikisela ukuthi sesisondele isikhathi sokuba uNkulunkulu angenele futhi ‘abhubhise ababhubhisa umhlaba.’ (IsAmbulo 11:18) Nokho, kunezinye izindlela, ezimbi ngisho nangokwengeziwe, umhlaba owonakaliswa ngazo. Ake sibone ukuthi iziphi ngempela.

[Amazwi acashunwe esihlokweni ekhasini 4]

“Kumelwe sisindise izilwandlekazi uma sifuna ukusindisa isintu.”—Jacques Cousteau