“Angiboni izaba ngezilwane ezidla inyama. Ngikholelwa ukuthi ukudla inyama kufana nokucekela phansi iplanethi.” - UHeather Small, umculi oholayo we-M People.
Ngenxa yokuthi izilwane eziningi zasemapulazini eYurophu nase-United States zigcinwa ezinqolobaneni, kunqwabelana umquba nemfucumfucu, okungekho muntu owaziyo ukuthi ikuphi. Muningi ubulongwe obungavundisa amasimu kanye nezinto ezinobuthi eziningi okufanele zilahlwe emifuleni. Lo mquba ubizwa ngokuthi “slurry” (igama elizwakala kamnandi elisetshenziselwa indle ewuketshezi) bese ulahla le “slurry” emachibini abizwa ngokuthi (ukholwa noma ungakholwa) “amachweba”.
Kuphela eJalimane naseHolland cishe amathani amathathu “e-slurry” awela esilwaneni esisodwa, okuyinto, ngokuvamile, engamathani ayizigidi ezingu-200! Kuphela ngochungechunge lokusabela kwamakhemikhali okuyinkimbinkimbi lapho i-asidi ihwamuka odongeni bese iphenduka imvula ene-asidi. Ezingxenyeni ezithile zaseYurophu, i-slurry iyona kuphela imbangela yemvula ene-asidi, edala umonakalo omkhulu wemvelo - ukubhubhisa izihlahla, ukubulala konke okuphilayo emifuleni nasemachibini, ukulimaza inhlabathi.
Iningi Lehlathi Elimnyama LaseJalimane liyafa, eSweden eminye imifula cishe ayiphili, eHolland amaphesenti angu-90 azo zonke izihlahla aye abulawa imvula eneasidi ebangelwa amachweba anjalo anendle yezingulube. Uma sibheka ngale kweYurophu, siyabona ukuthi umonakalo wemvelo obangelwa izilwane zasemapulazini mkhulu nakakhulu.
Enye yezinkinga ezinkulu ukugawulwa kwamahlathi emvula ukuze kwakhiwe amadlelo. Amahlathi asendle aphendulwa amadlelo emfuyo, inyama yayo ithengiselwa eYurophu nase-United States ukuze kwenziwe ama-hamburger namachops. Kwenzeka noma yikuphi lapho kunamahlathi emvula, kodwa ikakhulukazi eMelika Ephakathi neseNingizimu. Angikhulumi ngesihlahla esisodwa noma ezintathu, kodwa wonke amasimu alingana neBelgium agawulwa minyaka yonke.
Kusukela ngo-1950, ingxenye yamahlathi asezindaweni ezishisayo emhlabeni wonke iye yacekelwa phansi. Lena inqubomgomo yokubona okufushane kakhulu ongayicabanga, ngoba ungqimba lomhlabathi ehlathini lemvula luncane kakhulu futhi alutholakali futhi ludinga ukuvikelwa ngaphansi kombhede wezihlahla. Njengedlelo, lingasebenza isikhathi esifushane kakhulu. Uma izinkomo zidla ensimini enjalo iminyaka eyisithupha kuya kweyisikhombisa, khona-ke ngisho notshani ngeke bukwazi ukukhula kulo mhlabathi, futhi buzophenduka uthuli.
Yiziphi izinzuzo zala mahlathi emvula, ungase ubuze? Ingxenye yazo zonke izilwane nezitshalo kule planethi ihlala emahlathini ashisayo. Ziye zalondoloza ibhalansi yemvelo yemvelo, zimunca amanzi emvuleni futhi zisebenzisa, njengomanyolo, wonke amaqabunga awile noma igatsha. Izihlahla zimunca i-carbon dioxide emoyeni futhi zikhiphe umoya-mpilo, zisebenza njengamaphaphu eplanethi. Izinhlobonhlobo ezihlaba umxhwele zezilwane zasendle zinikeza cishe amaphesenti angamashumi amahlanu ayo yonke imithi. Kuyahlanya ukuphatha enye yezinsiza ezibaluleke kakhulu ngale ndlela, kodwa abanye abantu, abanikazi bomhlaba, benza ingcebo enkulu ngayo.
Izinkuni nenyama abakuthengisayo kwenza inzuzo enkulu, futhi lapho indawo iba yinyumba, bavele baqhubeke, bagawule izihlahla eziningi, futhi bacebe nakakhulu. Izizwe ezihlala kula mahlathi ziphoqeleka ukuba zishiye izindawo zazo, futhi ngezinye izikhathi zize zibulawe. Abaningi baphila ukuphila kwabo emijondolo, bengenamali yokuziphilisa. Amahlathi emvula acekelwa phansi ngendlela ebizwa ngokuthi ukusika nokushiswa. Lokhu kusho ukuthi izihlahla ezingcono kakhulu ziyagawulwa futhi zidayiswe, kanti ezinye ziyashiswa, futhi lokhu kunomthelela ekwenyukeni kokufudumala kwembulunga yonke.
Lapho ilanga lishisa iplanethi, okunye kwalokhu kushisa akufinyeleli ebusweni bomhlaba, kodwa kugcinwa emkhathini. (Ngokwesibonelo, sigqoka amajazi ebusika ukuze sigcine imizimba yethu ifudumele.) Ngaphandle kwalokhu kushisa, iplanethi yethu ibingaba indawo ebandayo nengenakuphila. Kodwa ukushisa ngokweqile kuholela emiphumeleni eyinhlekelele. Lokhu ukufudumala kwembulunga yonke, futhi kwenzeka ngenxa yokuthi amanye amagesi enziwe umuntu akhuphukela emkhathini futhi abambe ukushisa okwengeziwe kuwo. Elinye lala magesi yi-carbon dioxide (CO2), enye yezindlela zokudala le gesi ukushisa izinkuni.
Lapho begawula futhi beshisa amahlathi ashisayo eNingizimu Melika, abantu babasa imililo emikhulu kangangokuthi kunzima ukuyicabanga. Lapho osomkhathi beqala ukungena emkhathini futhi bebuka uMhlaba, ngeso lenyama babona indalo eyodwa kuphela yezandla zomuntu - iGreat Wall of China. Kodwa kakade ngawo-1980, babekwazi ukubona enye into edalwe umuntu - amafu amakhulu entuthu evela ehlathini lase-Amazonian. Njengoba amahlathi egawulwa ukuze akhe amadlelo, wonke isikhutha izihlahla nezihlahla osekungamakhulu ezinkulungwane zeminyaka ziwumunca uyakhuphuka futhi ube nengxenye ekufudumaleni kwembulunga yonke.
Ngokwemibiko kahulumeni emhlabeni wonke, le nqubo iyodwa (ngengxenye eyodwa kwezinhlanu) inomthelela ekufudumaleni kwembulunga yonke emhlabeni. Lapho ihlathi ligawulwa futhi izinkomo ziklatshwa, inkinga iba yimbi nakakhulu, ngenxa yenqubo yazo yokugaya: izinkomo zikhipha amagesi futhi zibhoboze ngobuningi. I-Methane, igesi abayikhiphayo, isebenza ngokuphindwe kamashumi amabili nanhlanu ekubambeni ukushisa kune-carbon dioxide. Uma ucabanga ukuthi lena akuyona inkinga, ake sibale – Izinkomo eziyizigidi eziyizinkulungwane ezingu-1.3 emhlabeni wonke futhi ngayinye ikhiqiza okungenani amalitha angu-60 e-methane ngosuku, ngesamba samathani ayizigidi eziyi-100 e-methane minyaka yonke. Ngisho nezivundisi ezifuthwa phansi zinengxenye ekufudumaleni kwembulunga yonke ngokukhiqiza i-nitrous oxide, igesi esebenza kahle ngokuphindwe izikhathi ezingu-270 (kune-carbon dioxide) ekubambeni ukushisa.
Akekho owazi kahle ukuthi ukufudumala kwembulunga yonke kungaholela kuphi. Kodwa esikwazi ngokuqinisekile ukuthi izinga lokushisa lomhlaba liyenyuka kancane kancane futhi ngaleyo ndlela izingqimba zeqhwa ezisezintabeni seziqala ukuncibilika. E-Antarctica eminyakeni engu-50 edlule, amazinga okushisa akhuphuke ngo-2.5 degrees kanti amakhilomitha-skwele angu-800 eshalofu leqhwa ancibilikile. Ezinsukwini ezingamashumi amahlanu nje ngo-1995, amakhilomitha angu-1300 eqhwa anyamalala. Njengoba iqhwa lincibilika futhi nezilwandle zomhlaba zifudumala, liyakhula endaweni futhi amazinga olwandle ayakhuphuka. Ziningi izibikezelo mayelana nokuthi izinga lolwandle lizokhuphuka kangakanani, ukusuka kumitha elilodwa ukuya kwezinhlanu, kodwa ososayensi abaningi bakholelwa ukuthi ukuphakama kolwandle akunakugwenywa. Futhi lokhu kusho ukuthi iziqhingi eziningi ezifana ne-Seychelles noma i-Maldives zizovele zinyamalale futhi izindawo ezinkulu eziphansi ngisho namadolobha wonke anjengeBangkok azogcwala amanzi.
Ngisho nezindawo ezinkulu zaseGibhithe naseBangladesh zizonyamalala ngaphansi kwamanzi. IBrithani ne-Ireland ngeke basilekele lesi siphetho, ngokocwaningo lwe-University of Ulster. Amadolobha angama-25 asengozini yezikhukhula kubandakanya iDublin, Aberdeen kanye nogu lwe-Issex, North Kent kanye nezindawo ezinkulu zaseLincolnshire. Ngisho neLondon ayibhekwa njengendawo ephephe ngokuphelele. Izigidi zabantu zizophoqeleka ukuba zishiye amakhaya nezindawo zazo - kodwa zizohlala kuphi? Sekuvele kushoda umhlaba.
Mhlawumbe umbuzo onzima kakhulu ngothi kuzokwenzekani emapalini? Ziphi izindawo ezinkulu zomhlaba oyiqhwa eningizimu nasenyakatho, ezibizwa ngokuthi iTundra. La mazwe ayinkinga enkulu. Izingqimba zenhlabathi eqandisiwe zinezigidi zamathani e-methane, futhi uma i-tundra ifudumala, igesi ye-methane izokhuphukela emoyeni. Uma kunegesi eningi emkhathini, ukufudumala kwembulunga yonke kuzoba namandla futhi kuzoba nokufudumala e-tundra, njalonjalo. Lokhu kubizwa ngokuthi “impendulo enhle” uma inqubo enjalo isiqalile, ngeke isamiswa.
Akekho okwamanje ongasho ukuthi imiphumela yale nqubo izoba yini, kodwa ngokuqinisekile izoba yingozi. Ngeshwa, lokhu ngeke kuqede inyama njengombhubhisi womhlaba. Ukholwa noma ungakholwa, iSahara Desert yake yaba luhlaza futhi iqhakaza futhi amaRoma atshala ukolweni lapho. Manje konke sekunyamalele, futhi ugwadule luqhubekela phambili, lusakazeka ngaphezu kweminyaka engama-20 ngamakhilomitha angama-320 kwezinye izindawo. Isizathu esikhulu salesi simo wukudliswa ngokweqile kwezimbuzi, izimvu, amakamela nezinkomo.
Njengoba ugwadule luthumba amazwe amasha, imihlambi nayo iyanyakaza, ibhubhisa yonke into esendleleni yayo. Lona umbuthano ononya. Izinkomo ziyodla izitshalo, izwe liyoncipha, isimo sezulu sizoshintsha futhi imvula izoshabalala, okusho ukuthi uma umhlaba usuphenduke ugwadule, uyohlala unjalo. NgokweZizwe Ezihlangene, namuhla ingxenye eyodwa kwezintathu yobuso bomhlaba isonqenqemeni lokuba ugwadule ngenxa yokusetshenziswa kabi kwendawo yokuklama izilwane.
Lokhu kuyinani eliphezulu kakhulu ukukhokhela ukudla esingakudingi nokukudingi. Ngeshwa, abakhiqizi benyama akudingeki bakhokhe izindleko zokuhlanza indawo ezungezile ekungcoleni abakubangelayo: akekho osola abakhiqizi bengulube ngomonakalo odalwe yimvula ene-asidi noma abakhiqizi benyama yenkomo ngamabhadi. Nokho, i-Center for Science and Ecology eNew Delhi, e-India, iye yahlaziya izinhlobo ezihlukahlukene zemikhiqizo futhi yanikeza inani langempela elihlanganisa lezi zindleko ezingakhangisiwe. Ngokwalezi zibalo, i-hamburger eyodwa kufanele ibize u-£40.
Abantu abaningi bazi okuncane ngokudla abakudlayo kanye nokulimala kwemvelo okudalwa yilokhu kudla. Nansi indlela yokuphila yaseMelika kuphela: ukuphila kufana neketango, isixhumanisi ngasinye sakhiwe izinto ezihlukahlukene - izilwane, izihlahla, imifula, izilwandle, izinambuzane, njalonjalo. Uma siphula eyodwa yezixhumanisi, senza buthaka iketango lonke. Yilokho kanye esikwenzayo manje. Ukubuyela emuva onyakeni wethu wokuziphendukela kwemvelo, newashi esandleni libala lehle ngomzuzu wokugcina kuya phakathi kwamabili, okuningi kuncike emizuzwaneni yokugcina. Ngokusho kososayensi abaningi, isilinganiso sesikhathi silingana nensiza yokuphila yesizukulwane sethu futhi siyoba yisici esiyingozi ekunqumeni ukuthi umhlaba wethu uyosinda yini noma cha njengoba siphila kuwo.
Kuyesabeka, kodwa sonke singenza okuthile ukuze simsindise.