ABANTU abanengi bakhathazekile njalo bayesaba ngoba bahlala besizwa imibiko emibi. Ngo-2014 uBarack Obama owayebusa eMelika wabika ukuthi ngenxa yokwanda kwezindaba ezimbi ezilethwa zintatheli, inengi licina lisithi ‘umhlaba usumubi kakhulu futhi akula muntu ongenelisa ukuwulungisa.’

Isimanga yikuthi wathi eqeda ukutsho njalo, wakhuluma ngedlabuzane esithi akhona amacebo angenziwa ukuze kulungiswe izinhlupho ezisemhlabeni. Wathi amacebo akhulunywa ngabanye ohulumende aletha “izindaba ezinhle” wasesithi “ulethemba sibili lokuthi izinto zizalunga.” Ngamanye amazwi wayesithi abantu bangenelisa ukuwulungisa umhlaba lo futhi bawenze ungatshabalali.

Banengi abacabanga njengaye. Ngokwesibonelo abanye bathembele kwezesayensi njalo bathi intuthuko kwezempucuko itshengisa ukuthi umhlaba uzalungiseka. Enye ingcitshi kwezempucuko ithi ilethemba lokuthi ngomnyaka ka-2030 ‘ezempucuko ziyabe sezithuthuke ngendlela emangalisayo, kuthi ngo-2045 ziyabe seziphambili okwamagama.’ Iqhubeka isithi: “Senza kuhle kakhulu. Lanxa izinhlupho zizinengi kangaka siyenelisa ukuzilungisa masinyane.”

Kodwa umhlaba usumubi okunganani? Kambe sekuseduze yini ukuthi utshabalale? Abantu abanengi abahlalisekanga ngekusasa lanxa abezesayensi labezombusazwe betshumayela ivangeli lokuthi kuzalunga. Kuyini okwenza bangahlaliseki?

IZIKHALI EZESABEKAYO. Lanxa iNhlanganiso Yomanyano Wamazwe Omhlaba (i-UN) lezinye izinhlanganiso zizama ukuthi kuvalwe izikhali ze-nuclear, imizamo yazo iphelela emoyeni. Abanye ababusi abahloniphi imithetho ekhangela ngezikhali futhi amanye amazwe abesaziwa ngokuba lezikhali lezi ayathuthukisa ezindala njalo alokhu elungisa eziyingozi kakhulu. Lokhu akwenza ngenxa yokwesaba ukuthi izikhali zawo zilutshwana. Lamazwe ayengela zikhali ezesabekayo khathesi aselezingathanyela abantu zibaqede du!

Njengoba amazwe eselezikhali eziyingozi kangaka lokhu kwenza ukuthi umhlaba lo ube yindawo eyingozi kakhulu lanxa kukhanya kulokuthula. Elinye ibhuku elikhuluma ngezikhali lithi: ‘Izikhali eziqondiswa ngamakhompiyutha zingadala umonakalo owesabekayo.’

 AKUSELA MPILAKAHLE. Kuncane kakhulu okungenziwa ngezesayensi ukuze sibe lempilakahle. Ukungcoliswa komoya esiwuphefumulayo, ukusebenzisa kubi imithi, ukuba lemizimba emikhulu kanye lokukhwela kwama-BP sekubangele imikhuhlane eminengi. Inengi labantu liqedwa yimikhuhlane efanana lemvukuzane, istrokhu, umkhuhlane wenhliziyo lowetshukela. Abanye njalo basala begogekile ngenxa yemikhuhlane ehlasela ingqondo. Eminyakeni esanda kwedlula kube leminye eyingozi efanana le-Ebola lomunye okuthiwa yiZika obangelwa yimiyane. Kusegcekeni ukuthi imikhuhlane ilokhu isiba minengi njalo kukhanya akulathemba lokuthi abantu bangayiqeda.

ABANTU BABULALA EZEMVELO. Amafekithali aqhubeka engcolisa umkhathi. Izigidi zabantu ziyafa ngenxa yokuhogela umoya ongcolileyo.

Abantu balahlela ingcekeza, amaplastiki, imithi etshiyeneyo lokunye okuletshefu elwandle. Elinye ibhuku elikhuluma ngesayensi lithi: “Ingcekeza ephoselwa elwandle ibulala izinyamazana kanye lezihlahlakazana ezisemanzini njalo abantu bayafa ngenxa yokudla abakubambe elwandle.”

Kanti njalo semalutshwana amanzi ahlanzekileyo. URobin McKie umlobi wezesayensi uthi: “Udubo lwamanzi luzahlasela umhlaba wonke.” Abezombusazwe bayavuma ukuthi udubo lwamanzi lubangelwa ngabantu njalo luzadala umonakalo omkhulu.

IZINGOZI ZEMVELO. Izikhukhula, iziphepho, lokuzamazama komhlaba kudala umonakalo omkhulu. Abantu abanengi kakhulu bayafa njalo abanye basala belimele ngenxa yezingozi zemvelo. Okunye okuhlolisisa okwenziwa ngenye inhlanganiso yeMelika kwaveza ukuthi “kungaba lezikhukhula ezinkulu leziphepho kanye lokutshisa kwelanga” okungabangela indlala lomonakalo omkhulu. Izingozi zemvelo zizatshabalalisa bonke abantu yini?

Mhlawumbe kunengi ongakucabanga okungaqeda abantu bonke. Kodwa ukuthi ikusasa lizabe linjani ngeke ukwazi ngokuhlolisisa izinto ezimbi ezenzakala lamuhla. Abanye bathi ngeke sithole izimpendulo ngokulalela okutshiwo ngabezesayensi kanye labezombusazwe. Kodwa njengoba kuke kwatshiwo esihlokweni esisekuqaliseni, banengi abathole izimpendulo zemibuzo abalayo mayelana lomhlaba kanye lekusasa lethu. Zitholakala ngaphi izimpendulo lezi?