Ukubuka Okwezwe
Ingqayizivele Yeplanethi Engumhlaba
Izazi zezinkanyezi zithi kusatholakala amaplanethi amasha njengoba izazi zesayensi zicwaninga ukuzamazama—okubangelwa amandla eplanethi adonsela phansi—kwenkanyezi ekude ezungezwa amaplanethi. Kusukela ngo-1999, kuye kwabikwa ukuthi kunamaplanethi anjalo angu-28 angaphandle kwesimiso sethu sikanozungezilanga. Kuthiwa amaplanethi amasha atholakele acishe alingane ne-Jupiter noma abe ngaphezudlwana kwayo. I-Jupiter inesisindo esidlula esomhlaba izikhathi ezingu-318. Njenge-Jupiter, kucatshangwa ukuthi la maplanethi ane-helium ne-hydrogen. Ngenxa yebanga eliphakathi kwala maplanethi njengoba ejikeleza, kubonakala kungenakwenzeka ukuthi akhona amanye amaplanethi alingana nomhlaba aphakathi kwawo. Ngaphezu kwalokho, ngokungafani nomjikelezo woMhlaba oyisiyingi esingamakhilomitha ayizigidi ezingu-150, la maplanethi anomjikelezo ozungeza ilanga omise okweqanda. Empeleni, omunye umjikelezo uqala ebangeni elingamakhilomitha ayizigidi ezingu-58 uye ebangeni eliqhele ngamakhilomitha ayizigidi ezingu-344 enkanyezini ezungezwa yileyo planethi. Isazi esithile sezinkanyezi sithi: “Kubonakala sengathi imijikelezo eyiziyingi ezungeza ilanga ehlelwe kahle ndawonye efana neyesimiso sethu sikanozungezilanga iyivelakancane.”
Ukuxoxa Ngekhwela
I-Times yaseLondon ibika ukuthi izingane zesikole zaseSpain esiqhingini saseGomera, okungesinye seziqhingi zaseCanary Islands, kudingeka zifunde ulimi lwekhwela osekungamakhulu eminyaka lusetshenziswa abelusi bendawo. Njengoba ekuqaleni lwasungulwa njengendlela yokuxhumana phakathi kwabantu ezigodini ezingaphesheya endaweni enezintaba, isi-silbo saseGomera, noma ikhwela, sisebenzisa imisindo ukulingisa izinhlamvu zenkulumo. Abashayi bekhwela bafaka iminwe emlonyeni ukuze benze imisindo ehlukahlukene, bese bevala umlomo ngezandla ukuze umsindo uhambe ibanga elide—elingaba amakhilomitha amathathu. Isi-silbo, esacishe sashabalala ngawo-1960, sesingundabuzekwayo, futhi manje lesi siqhingi sesinosuku lwaminyaka yonke lokushaya ikhwela. Nokho, le ndlela yokukhuluma ilinganiselwe. “Ungakwazi ukuxoxa kodwa kumbalwa ongakusho,” kusho uJuan Evaristo, umqondisi wemfundo wendawo.
Izingane Nokulala
“Abazali kumelwe babeke imingcele, hhayi nje kuphela ekutheni izingane ezisafunda esikoleni kumelwe zilale nini kodwa nakulokho ezikwenzayo ngaphambi kokuyolala,” kusho umagazini i-Parents. “Ukubuka i-TV, ukudlala imidlalo ye-computer nokuhlola izingosi ze-Internet kuyizinto ezishukumisa ingqondo ezigcina imiqondo yezingane isebenza ngokweqile. Futhi imisebenzi eminingi ngemva kwesikole ibangela ukuba zingawuqedi ngesikhathi umsebenzi wazo wasekhaya.” Ukucwaninga kubonisa ukuthi ukungalali ngokwanele kunemiphumela ehlukile ezinganeni ezisencane—ziba nomdlandla ngokweqile futhi zingalawuleki, kanti abantu abadala bayozela futhi bazole. Ngenxa yalokho, lapho sezisesikoleni, izingane ezingalali ngokwanele ziyehluleka ukugxilisa ingqondo, ukulalelisisa, ukukhumbula lokho ezikufundayo nokuxazulula izinkinga. Ochwepheshe bathi abazali kudingeka babekele izingane zabo isikhathi sokulala futhi bakwenze kube yinto eza kuqala—kungabi yinto yokugcina eziyenza lapho sezikhathele futhi sekuphelile ezingakwenza.
Ingculaza Emhlabeni Wonke
I-Globe and Mail yaseCanada ithi ngokombiko omusha weZizwe Ezihlangene, emhlabeni wonke “abantu abangaphezu kwezigidi ezingu-50 sebene-HIV-AIDS—okungabantu abalingana nenani labantu base-United Kingdom—futhi sekufe abayizigidi ezingu-16. Ucwaningo olwenziwe emazweni angu-9 ase-Afrika lwembule ukuthi abesifazane abedlula amadoda ngamaphesenti angaphezu kwangu-20 sebenalesi sifo” futhi “intsha engamantombazane isengozini ephindwe kahlanu yokungenwa i-HIV noma ingculaza kunentsha engabafana.” UPeter Piot, umqondisi ophethe i-Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS, uchaza ukuthi isimo eMpumalanga Yurophu “sibhebhetheka ngesikhulu isivinini.” Lo mbiko ubonisa ukuthi “izinga labantu abangenwa igciwane le-HIV ezweni elalikade liyiSoviet Union liye laphindeka kabili eminyakeni emibili edlule, okuwukwanda okukhulu kakhulu emhlabeni.” Ochwepheshe bathi lokhu kuwumphumela wokwanda kokusetshenziswa kwemijovo yezidakamizwa kuleyo ndawo. Kubantu abane-HIV-AIDS emhlabeni wonke, abangaphezu kwengxenye “basithola sebeneminyaka engu-25 ubudala futhi ngokuvamile bafa bengakayihlanganisi iminyaka engu-35 ubudala.”
Imithi Yokuzivikela Elangeni Nesifo Somdlavuza
I-Times yaseLondon ibika ukuthi “ukugcoba imithi ephumelelayo yokuzivikela elangeni kwenza abantu bazikhohlise futhi lokhu kwandisa ingozi yomdlavuza wesikhumba. Lokhu kubangelwa ukuthi bachitha isikhathi esiningi beselangeni futhi bachayeke emisebeni yelanga.” Abacwaningi be-European Institute of Oncology eMilan, e-Italy, bathola ukuthi labo abasebenzisa umuthi wokuzivikela elangeni oyi-factor 30 bachitha isikhathi esingamaphesenti angu-25 beselangeni ngaphezu kwalabo abasebenzisa oyi-factor 10. UPhillipe Autier, umsunguli walokhu kucwaninga, uthi: “Umphumela wamandla emithi yokuzivikela elangeni ekuvimbeleni umdlavuza, ikakhulukazi i-melanoma, awukabonakali emphakathini kabanzi, kodwa kunokwaziswa okuqand’ ikhanda okubonisa ukuthi kunokuhlobana phakathi kokuhlala elangeni isikhathi eside nomdlavuza wesikhumba.” Manje izazi zezempilo zixwayisa abantu ngokuhlala isikhathi eside elangeni, kungakhathaliseki ukuthi umuthi wokuzivikela elangeni uvikela ngezinga elingakanani. UChristopher New, ongumphathi womkhankaso womdlavuza we-Health Education Authority yaseBrithani, uyeluleka: “Ungakuyeki ukusebenzisa imithi yokuzivikela elangeni, kodwa khumbula ukuthi akufanele uyisebenzisele ukuthamela ilanga isikhathi eside.”
Okokuhamba Okufiselekayo?
Sekuphele amashumi eminyaka ama-pedicab, aziwa nangokuthi ngorisho, esetshenziswa eNdiya. Nokho, umagazini i-Outlook, uphawula ukuthi namanje abakashintshi, bakhiwe “ngepulangwe elisindayo, banesisekelo sensimbi, izihlalo ezithé ukuqethuka futhi abanawo amagiya.” Eminyakeni yamuva, ukusetshenziswa kwabo kuye kwaphikiswa kakhulu ngenxa yobunzima abashayeli babo ababhekana nabo, ngokuvamile okungamadoda asekhulile futhi angondlekile. Manje, njengoba ukungcola komoya sekuseqophelweni eliyingozi eNdiya, orisho bamabhayisikili baye banikezwa elinye ithuba. Inkampani ezinze eDelhi yenzé umklamo onesisekelo esilula futhi esincane esigijima kalula, amagiya akwenza kube lula ukushova, izikhwelo eziphephile, izimpondo ezinciphisa ukukhandleka kwezihlakala nezihlalo zabagibeli ezinethezekile ezivulekile. NgokukaT. Vineet, umholi walolu hlelo, “kuyafanelana nesimo sanamuhla sezombangazwe nezenhlalo lapho amalungelo esintu nokuhlanzeka kwendawo ezungezile kuyinkulumo esematheni.” I-Outlook ithi: “Kungenzeka ukuba orisho abaphansi babe indlela efiselekayo yokuhamba ekhulwini lama-21.”
Iposi Elingenakuthathelwa Indawo
Kuze kube namuhla, “ubuchwepheshe buye bahluleka ukuthola into eyothatha indawo yezincwadi eziposwayo,” kusho iphephandaba i-Figaro. Ngo-1999 abezenkonzo yamaposi eFrance baqopha umlando ngokuthumela izincwadi eziyizigidi eziyizinkulungwane ezingu-25. Kuzo zazingamaphesenti angu-90 izincwadi zebhizinisi, kanti zazingamaphesenti ayishumi kuphela ezazibhalelwe abantu nje abavamile. Cishe ingxenye yeposi elithunyelwayo iyakhangisa ngandlela-thile, futhi abangamaphesenti angu-98 okwaxoxwa nabo bathi babelifunda ngokucophelela. Usuku ngalunye, abathwali beposi baseFrance abangu-90 000, abangamaphesenti angu-40 kubo okungabesifazane, bahambela amakhaya angu-72 000 bediliva izincwadi eziyizigidi ezingu-60 nsuku zonke.
Izinkampani Zomshuwalense Ezikhathazekile
Iphephandaba laseFrance i-Monde libika ukuthi u-1999 “wawungunyaka oqalekisiwe ezinkampanini zomshuwalense.” Ngo-1998 izinhlekelele ezingokwemvelo zadala umonakalo owadla ama-dollar ayizigidi eziyizinkulungwane ezingu-90 [amaRandi ayizigidi eziyizinkulungwane ezingu-570], kanti izinkampani zomshuwalense zakhokha ama-dollar ayizigidi eziyizinkulungwane ezingu-15 [amaRandi ayizigidi eziyizinkulungwane ezingu-95] kuleyo mali. Nokho, u-1999—owawuvelele ngenxa yokuzamazama komhlaba eTurkey naseTaiwan, iziphepho eJapane, izikhukhula eNdiya naseVietnam, kanye nezinye izinhlekelele—angase abangele izinkampani zomshuwalense izindleko ezinkulu ngisho nangaphezulu. Izinkampani zomshuwalense zikhathazekile ngenxa yokwanda kwethuba lokuba kwenzeke inhlekelele enkulu ezindaweni ezihlala abantu abaningi. Inkampani yomshuwalense ehamba phambili emhlabeni ixwayisa “ngemiphumela ebhubhisayo” yokufudumala kwembulunga “nemiphumela yezenzo zesintu esimweni sezulu.”
IMount Everest Isiphakeme Nakakhulu
“IMount Everest, intaba ephakeme kunazo zonke emhlabeni, isiphakeme kakhulu kunalokho ososayensi ababekucabanga, futhi isaqhubeka ikhula,” kusho umbiko wamuva nje we-Reuters. “Besebenzisa izimiso zesiphuphutheki eziyinkimbinkimbi, abaqwali bathola ukuthi i-Everest yayingamafidi angu-29 035 [amamitha angu-8 850]—cishe ingamamayela amahlanu nesigamu [amakhilomitha angu-8,9] ukuphakama . . . Lokho kungamafidi angu-7 [amamitha amabili] ngaphezu kwesilinganiso esingokomthetho esingamafidi angu-29 028 [amamitha angu-8 848] esatholwa ngo-1954.” Isiqongo sale ntaba esimbozwe yiqhwa yisona esiphakeme ngale ndlela esanda kutholwa. Kuze kube manje ukuphakama kwesiqongo esingaphansi esiyitshe akwaziwa. I-National Geographic Society isisebenzisa lokhu kwaziswa okusha emabalazweni ayo. Ngaphandle kokuphakama kwayo ukuya phezulu, le ntaba—eqinisweni lonke ukhahlamba lwaseHimalaya—luqhubekela ngasenyakatho-mpumalanga, eChina, ngamamilimitha angu-1,5 kuya kumamitha ayisithupha unyaka ngamunye.