Imikhiqizo Elahlwayo Iba Imfucumfucu Engalahleki
UKUKHOHLWA inkinga yemfucumfucu nalokho okunikela kuyo kuwukungayinaki imikhuba yalomphakathi olahlayo. Ngokwesibonelo, ingabe uthola ukuthi ukhetha izimfaduku zephepha ekhishini njengezikhanga kakhulu kunezendwangu? Ingabe ngezikhathi zokudla usebenzisa okokusula izandla okwenziwe ngephepha kunokwenziwe ngendwangu? Uma unabantwana abasanabukeliswa, ingabe usebenzisa alahlwayo kunokusebenzisa amanabukeni endwangu? Ingabe uye wathola ukuthi izinsingo namakhamera okulahlwayo kumane kungcono kakhulu ukuba kungathengwa? Intsha embalwa namuhla eyake yabhala ngepeni eligcwaliswa uyinki; amapeni anezihloko ezisabhola, amanye ngokwawo ayizinto zokulahlwa futhi amanye awo anamathumbu alahlwayo, selokhu angena kudala esikhundleni sawo. Amabhizinisi aoda amapeni anezihloko ezisabhola ngezinkulungwane. Abakhangisi bawathengisa ngezigidi.
Ama-oda emikhiqizo ethengiswayo yetiye, ikhofi, amakhola, iziphuzo ezenziwe ngobisi, namahamburger alungiswa ngokushesha awasafakwa ezinkomishini nakumathreyi enziwe ngephepha. Izinto zokuphatha ezenziwe ngepulasitiki ziye zakwenza isidala. Kunemimese, izimfologo, nezipuni kwepulasitiki, konke okumelwe kulahlwe ngemva kokusetshenziswa kanye. Inani nokuhlukahlukana kwezinto ezenzelwe ukulahlwa akupheli. Umqondisi weNew York State Division of Solid Waste wathi: “Besilokhu siwumphakathi olahlayo. Kumelwe nje sishintshe izindlela zethu.”
Yini engashiwo ngamabhodlela obisi enziwe ngepulasitiki esikhundleni salawo enziwe ngengilazi; izicathulo ezenziwe ngepulasitiki esikhundleni sezenziwe ngesikhumba nangenjoloba; amabhantshi emvula enziwe ngepulasitiki kunalawo enziwe ngamafiber angokwemvelo avimbela amanzi? Abanye abafundi bangazibuza ukuthi izwe lalikwazi kanjani ukusebenza ngaphambi kokufika kwenkathi yepulasitiki. Phawula futhi, ukulandelana kwezinhlu olunye emva kolunye lwemikhiqizo yezinto zokuphatha ezinkulu kakhulu, zikumemeza emashalofini ezimakethe ezinkulu nanoma kukuphi lapho izimpahla ezifakwe ezintweni zokuphatha zithengiswa khona. Inkathi yamacomputer—akhiqiza izinkulungwane zezigidi zamakhasi ephepha—inezela enqwabeni yamaphepha enkulu kakade eye yaphakama ngangentaba.
Ukuphazamiseka okungakanani esizimisele ukukubekezelela ukuze sibone ukukhululwa kulenkinga ekhulayo yemfucumfucu? Nakuba abantu baseMelika kuphela bechitha amapeni alahlwayo alinganiselwa ezigidini ezingu-4,3 nezinsingo ezilahlwayo ezilinganiselwa ezigidini ezingu-5,4 ngosuku emfucumfucwini yabo, cishe akunakwenzeka ukuba lomphakathi ubuyele emuva ngengxenye yekhulu leminyaka esikhathini sangaphambi kwenkathi yepulasitiki nezinto ezilahlwayo ezenziwe ngobuchwepheshe obukhulu, ngisho noma ngabe inani esilikhokhayo ngalezizinto lingase lishaqise.
Kungashiwo okufanayo nangamanabukeni alahlwayo. “Amanabukeni angaphezu kwezigidigidi ezingu-16, aqukethe indle nomchamo okulinganiselwa kumathani ayizigidi ezingu-2,8 kuyachithwa unyaka nonyaka emananini anciphayo ezindawo zokuchitha esizweni sonke,” kwabika iNew York Times. Amathani angaphezu kuka-4 275 000 amanabukeni alahliwe angase asangulukise. Isazi sokungcola okuphathekayo saseWashington sathi: “Kuyindaba engathi sína, lapho sisebenzisa umkhiqizo olahlwayo obiza ngaphezu komkhiqizo ongasetshenziswa kabusha, kuyingozi kakhulu ngokwendawo ezungezile futhi usebenzisa izinto ezingavuseleleki.” Ingabe abazali bazimisele ukubekezelela isimo esibizelayo sokuwasha amanabukeni abantwana babo noma babhalise kwabenkonzo ephathelene nalokho? Kwabaningi, alicatshangwa nokucatshangwa izwe elingenawo amanabukeni alahlwayo.
Amanabukeni alahlwayo aseye aba uphawu lwezazi zendawo ezungezile zayo yonke inkinga yemfucumfucu. IU.S.News & World Report iyabhala: “Okubi nangaphezulu ukuthi wonke amanabukeni epulasitiki enziwe selokhu aqala ukwenziwa kusukela ngo-1961 asekhona; athatha iminyaka elinganiselwa kwengu-500 ukuze awohloke.”
Nokho, izazi zendawo ezungezile nezikhulu zikahulumeni zithi kumelwe sishintshe imikhuba yethu noma kunalokho singcwatshwe siphila emfucumfucwini yethu. Imikhiqizo yanamuhla elahlwayo ingase izuzise kubathengi, kodwa iyibhomu ezindaweni zokuchithwa kwemfucumfucu zomhlaba. Akubonakali kuseduze ukuphela kokuphila kwepulasitiki elahliwe. Ngokuphambene nokuhlakanipha kwezivumelwano zemibuso, amakhilogremu ayizigidi ezingu-159 ephepha alahlwayo usuku ngalunye abantu baseMelika kanye nenqwabanqwaba yamathani engaziwa emhlabeni wonke ayiwohloki futhi inyamalale ezindaweni zokuchitha imfucumfucu ngisho nangaphansi kwamathani amaningi emfucumfucu iminyaka eminingi. Amaphephandaba avubukulwe ezindaweni zokuchitha imfucumfucu ngemva kokuba ayegqitshwe iminyaka engaphezu kwengu-35 ayesafundeka njengasosukwini akhishwa ngalo.
Inkinga Yokuyisebenzisa Kabusha
Kuye kwabhalwa ukuthi kunezindlela ezine kuphela zokubhekana nemfucumfucu: “Yigqibe, yishise, yisebenzise kabusha—noma ungayenzi eningi kwasekuqaleni.” Imfucumfucu egqitshiwe ezindaweni zokulahla ukungcola ayibangeli nje kuphela ubuhlungu bamehlo obubulalayo kulabo okumelwe bahlale eduze kwayo, kodwa futhi ingaba ingozi empilweni. Njengoba udoti ubola ezindaweni zokuchitha imfucumfucu ukhiqiza isisi esingabonakali, esinganuki, esingavutha esibizwa ngokuthi imethane. Uma ingalawulwa, imethane ingase ihambe ngaphansi komhlaba iye kude nendawo yokuchithwa kwemfucumfucu, ibulale izitshalo, ingene ezakhiweni eziseduze, futhi iqhume uma yokhelekile. Kwezinye izimo iye yaphumela ekubulaleni. Amanzi agcineke ngaphansi, noma amadwala anamanzi, ayasongelwa njengoba amakhemikhali ayingozi engena edlula enhlabathini futhi engcolisa umthombo wamanzi omuntu.
Ukukhiqizwa kwamaphephandaba okuyinsada kuyinkinga ikakhulukazi ekuwagayeni kabusha. Umkhulumeli weNhlangano Yephepha yaseMelika wathi: “Ukusungulwa kwephephandaba elilahlwayo kuhlala kuphakeme kuwo wonke umbhalo ogciniwe. Izindawo zokugaya amaphepha nabathengisi bamaphepha banamaphephandaba angamathani angaphezu kwesigidi esisodwa ezindlini zabo zokugcina impahla, okumelela ingxenye eyodwa kwezintathu yomkhiqizo wonyaka. Kuza isikhathi lapho indawo yezindlu zokugcina impahla iyobe isigcwele ngokuphelele.” Ngenxa yalokunqwabelana kwephepha, amadolobha amaningi akade ethola u-R104 ngethani ngenxa yamaphepha awo ngonyaka odlule, manje akhokhela izinkontileka u-R65 ngethani ukuze azichithele wona—ukuze ayoshiswa noma ayochithwa ezindaweni zokuchithwa kwemfucumfucu.
Yini engashiwo ngepulasitiki? “Izimboni zepulasitiki ziye zalwa kanzima ukuze zisekele ukuba isetshenziswe kabusha, ikakhulukazi ngenxa yokwesaba ukuthi ngaphandle kwalokho imikhiqizo yazo etholakala kuyo yonke indawo izokwenqatshelwa,” kwasho iU.S.News & World Report. Ngokwesibonelo, amabhodlela epulasitiki angase ashintshwe enziwe ifiber yokwenza okhaphethi bepolyester, izinto zokuphesha amajazi, kanye nentilibathwa yezinye izinto. Nokho, lemboni yenza kahle ngokukhathazeka ngemakethe yayo. Kakade ezinye izindawo seziye zadlulisela umthetho owenqabela ukusetshenziswa nokudayiswa kwazo zonke izinto ezenziwe ngemikhiqizo yepolystyrene nePVC (polyvinyl chloride) ezindaweni ezithengisa ukudla. Ukwenqatshelwa kuhlanganisa izikhwama zegrosa ezenziwe ngepulasitiki, izinkomishi namathreyi enyama okwenziwe ngepolystyrene, kanye nezinto zokuphatha ezenziwe ngepolystyrene eziphatha amahamburger aselungele ukudliwa.
Kulinganiselwa ukuthi amaphesenti angaphezu kuka-75 okungcola okuphathekayo kwaseUnited States kuyasebenziseka kabusha. Nokho, ngenxa yokungabi nasithakazelo komphakathi kanye nokuntuleka kwezobuchwepheshe, manje lokhu akusafinyelelwa. Esinye isazi sezinto ezisetshenziswa kabusha sathi: “Ukusebenzisa izinto kabusha kungena enkathini eyingozi kakhulu. Ohulumeni abaningi bazoba nenkinga yokuphuma kulolubishi.”
Ezinye izikhulu zithi ikhambi liwukushisa imfucumfucu emishinini emikhulu yokushisa izinto kamasipala. Kodwa nalapha izinkinga zikhona. Izazi zendawo ezungezile zixwayisa ngokuthi ukushisa ipulasitiki kanye nenye imfucumfucu kukhipha amakhemikhali ayingozi, kuhlanganise nedioxin, emoyeni. “Ungacabanga nje ngomshini wokushisa izinto usebenza njengemboni yedioxin,” kwasho esinye isazi esiqavile sendawo ezungezile. “Lemishini ikhiqiza futhi amathani omlotha ngokuvamile angcoliswe ngomthofi necadmium,” kwabika umagazini iNewsweek. Kungezwakala ukubhongoza okuvela ezakhamizini ezihlala eduze kwezindawo okuhlongozwa ukuthi zizoba ezemishini yokushisa. Akekho oyifuna eduze kwakhe. Ibonakala njengosongo oluyingozi empilweni nasendaweni ezungezile. Ngakho inkinga yemfucumfucu iyaqhubeka nokwanda. Ingabe ukhona onekhambi?