Enye Imfihlelo kubunzulu boLwandle: Imigodi yaseLwandle

Ngu: Carla O. García Zendejas

Ndibhabha kwindawo ephakamileyo ye-39,000 ft. ngelixa ndicinga ngobunzulu bolwandle, ezo ndawo zimnyama abanye bethu baqala ukuzibona kwiidokhumentari ezinqabileyo kunye ezintle ezazisa uJacques Cousteau kunye nezidalwa ezimangalisayo kunye nobomi baselwandle esiye safunda ukukuthanda nokuxabisa. ehlabathini lonke. Abanye bethu bade baba nethamsanqa lokonwabela ubunzulu bolwandle ngokoqobo, ukujonga iikorale, ngoxa bengqongwe ziintlanzi ezininzi nezintywila.

Ezinye zeendawo zokuhlala eziqhubeka zimangalisa izazi ngebhayoloji zaselwandle zezo zidalwe lugqabhuko-dubulo olushushu oluphuma kwimithombo yentaba-mlilo apho ubomi bukhona kumaqondo obushushu aphezulu kakhulu. Phakathi kwezinto eziye zafunyaniswa kuphando lwemithombo yentaba-mlilo okanye abantu abatshayayo yayikukuba iintaba ezinesalfure eziye zavela kugqabhuko-dubulo zenza iidipozithi ezinkulu zezimbiwa. Izixa ezigxininiswe kakhulu zesinyithi esinzima njengegolide, isilivere kunye nobhedu ziqokelelana kwezi ntaba zidalwe ngenxa yamanzi ashushu asabela kulwandle oluqhaqhazelisa amazinyo. Ezi nzulu, zisengaqhelekanga kwimiba emininzi yingqwalasela entsha yeenkampani zemigodi kwihlabathi jikelele.

Iindlela zale mihla zemigodi azifane zifane noluvo uninzi lwethu olunalo malunga noshishino. Kudala zihambile iintsuku xa ubunokwemba igolide ngezembe, uninzi lwemigodi eyaziwayo kwihlabathi jikelele iphelelwe yintsimbi ekrwada ebifumaneka lula ukuba yombiwe ngolu hlobo. Kule mihla, uninzi lweediphozithi zentsimbi enzima ezisekho emhlabeni zincinci xa zithelekiswa. Ngaloo ndlela indlela yokukhupha igolide, okanye isilivere yinkqubo yemichiza eyenzeka emva kokufuduswa kweetoni zokungcola kunye namatye ekufuneka acolwe aze angeniswe kwindawo yokuhlamba imichiza esona sithako siphambili yicyanide kunye nezigidi zeelitha zamanzi acocekileyo ukufumana enye. I-ounce yegolide, oku kwaziwa ngokuba yicyanide leaching. I-byproduct yale nkqubo yi-sludge enetyhefu equlethe i-arsenic, i-mercury, i-cadmium kunye nelothe phakathi kwezinye izinto ezinobuthi, ezaziwa ngokuba zii-tailings. Ezi ntsalela zezimbiwa zikholisa ukugcinwa kwiziduli kufutshane nemigodi ezibeka ingozi kumhlaba nakumanzi aphantsi komhlaba ngaphantsi komhlaba.

Ke le migodi iguqulela njani enzulwini yolwandle, ibhedi yolwandle, ukususwa kweetoni zamatye kunye nokupheliswa kweentaba zezimbiwa ezikhoyo kumgangatho wolwandle kuchaphazela ubomi baselwandle, okanye iindawo zokuhlala ezingqongileyo okanye uqweqwe lolwandle. ? Inokujongeka njani ukuvuza kwecyanide elwandle? Kuya kwenzeka ntoni ngeentsalela zezimbiwa ezivela emigodini? Inyaniso yeyokuba isikolo sisaphuma kule mibuzo neminye emininzi, nangona isemthethweni. Kuba, ukuba sijonga nje ukuba zeziphi izenzo zemigodi ezizise kuluntu ukusuka eCajamarca (Peru), Peñoles (Mexico) ukuya eNevada (USA) ingxelo icacile. Imbali yokuphela kwamanzi, ungcoliseko lwesinyithi olunzima oluyityhefu kunye neziphumo zempilo ezihamba nalo zizinto eziqhelekileyo kwiidolophu ezininzi ezinemigodi. Ekuphela kweziphumo ezicace gca ziimonscapes zenyanga ezenziwe ngama crater amakhulu anokuba yimayile ubunzulu kwaye abe ngaphezulu kweemayile ezimbini ububanzi. Iinzuzo ezithandabuzekayo ezicetywayo ziiprojekthi zemigodi zihlala ziphantsi ngenxa yeempembelelo ezifihlakeleyo zoqoqosho kunye neendleko zokusingqongileyo. Uluntu kwihlabathi jikelele kudala luvakalisa inkcaso yalo kwiiprojekthi zemigodi zangaphambili nezexesha elizayo; ukumangala kuye kwacela umngeni kwimithetho, iimvume kunye nemimiselo kwisizwe nakwamanye amazwe ngamanqanaba ahlukeneyo empumelelo.

Enye inkcaso enjalo sele iqalile malunga nenye yeeprojekthi zokuqala zokumbiwa kwebhedi elwandle ePapua New Guinea, iNautilus Minerals Inc. inkampani yaseCanada yanikwa imvume ye-20 yeminyaka yokukhupha i-ore ekuthiwa iqulethe i-concentrations ephezulu yegolide kunye nobhedu 30 Iikhilomitha ukusuka elunxwemeni ngaphantsi koLwandle lweBismarck. Kule meko sijongene nephepha-mvume lasekhaya kunye nesizwe ukuze siphendule malunga neempembelelo ezinokuthi zibe khona kule projekthi yomgodi. Kodwa kuya kwenzeka ntoni ngamabango emigodi agcinwe kumanzi amazwe ngamazwe? Ngubani oza kuphenduliswa kwaye aphendule ngeempembelelo kunye neziphumo ezibi ezinokubakho?

Ngena kwi-International Seabed Authority, eyenziwe njengenxalenye yeNgqungquthela yeZizwe eziManyeneyo kuMthetho woLwandle [1] (i-UNCLOS), le arhente yamazwe ngamazwe inoxanduva lokuphumeza ingqungquthela kunye nokulawula umsebenzi wezimbiwa phantsi kolwandle, umgangatho wolwandle kunye nomhlaba ongaphantsi. amanzi ngamazwe. IKomishoni yezoMthetho nobuGcisa (eyenziwe ngamalungu angama-25 anyulwe libhunga le-ISA) iphonononga izicelo zophononongo kunye neeprojekthi zemigodi, ngelixa ikwavavanya kwaye ibeke iliso kwimisebenzi kunye neempembelelo zokusingqongileyo, imvume yokugqibela inikwe ngamalungu angama-36 ebhunga le-ISA. Amanye amazwe ngoku abambe izivumelwano zamalungelo akhethekileyo okuhlola yiTshayina, iRashiya, iSouth Korea, iFransi, iJapan neIndiya; iindawo eziphononongiweyo zifikelela kwi-150,000 yeekhilomitha zesikwere ngobukhulu.

Ngaba i-ISA ixhotyiselwe ukujongana nesidingo esikhulayo semigodi yaselwandle, ingaba iya kuba nako ukulawula nokubeka esweni inani elandayo leeprojekthi? Lithini inqanaba lokuphendula nokungafihli nto kweli qumrhu lamazwe ngamazwe elinoxanduva lokukhusela uninzi lweelwandlekazi zomhlaba? Singasebenzisa i-oyile ye-BP yentlekele njengesalathisi semingeni ejongene ne-arhente enkulu yolawulo exhaswa ngemali ngaphaya kwamanzi kazwelonke e-US Leliphi ithuba i-arhente encinci efana ne-ISA inalo ukujongana nale mingeni kunye nemingeni ezayo?

Kanti omnye umcimbi kukuba i-US ayizange ivume iNgqungquthela yeZizwe eziManyeneyo kuMthetho woLwandle (izizwe ze-164 ziye zayivuma ingqungquthela), ngelixa abanye bacinga ukuba i-US ayifuni ukuba yinxalenye yesivumelwano sokuqalisa imigodi yolwandle. utyando abanye abaluvumi ngentliziyo epheleleyo. Ukuba siza kubuza okanye sicele umngeni ekuphunyezweni ngokufanelekileyo kolongamelo kunye nemigangatho yokusingqongileyo ukuphepha ukonakalisa ubunzulu bolwandle, kuya kufuneka sibe yinxalenye yengxoxo. Xa singazimiselanga ukuthobela inqanaba elifanayo lokuphonononga kumazwe ngamazwe silahlekelwa yintembeko nentando elungileyo. Ngoko nangona sisazi ukuba ukomba enzulu elwandle kulishishini eliyingozi, kufuneka sizixhalabise ngokumbiwa kwemigodi enzulu elwandle kuba kusafuneka sibuqonde ubukhulu beempembelelo zako.

[1] Isikhumbuzo seminyaka engama-30 ye-UNCLOS yayisisihloko solwazi olubini lweposti yebhlog nguMateyu Cannistraro kule ndawo.  

Nceda ujonge iProjekthi ye-DSM yeNgingqi yoWiso-mthetho kunye neNkqubo-sikhokelo yoLawulo ye-Deep Sea Minerals Exploration and Exploitation, epapashwe kulo nyaka uphelileyo. Olu xwebhu lusetyenziswa ngoku ngamazwe eSiqithi sePasifiki ukudibanisa kwimithetho yawo amagunya olawulo anoxanduva.

UCarla García Zendejas ligqwetha elaziwayo lokusingqongileyo elisuka eTijuana, eMexico. Ulwazi lwakhe kunye nombono wakhe uvela kumsebenzi wakhe obanzi wemibutho yamazwe ngamazwe kunye nelizwe kwimiba yentlalo, ezoqoqosho kunye nokusingqongileyo. Kule minyaka ilishumi elinesihlanu idlulileyo uye wafumana impumelelo eninzi kumatyala abandakanya izakhiwo zamandla, ungcoliseko lwamanzi, ubulungisa bendalo esingqongileyo kunye nophuhliso lwemithetho karhulumente esebenza elubala. Uxhobise amatsha ntliziyo ngolwazi olubalulekileyo lokulwa ukonakalisa indalo esingqongileyo kunye nezikhululo zegesi yendalo enyibilikisiweyo enokuba yingozi kwi-Peninsula yase-Baja California, e-US naseSpain. UCarla uneeMasters kuMthetho azifumana kwiKholeji yoMthetho yaseWashington kwiYunivesithi yaseMelika. Ngoku usebenza njengeGosa eliPhezulu leNkqubo yamaLungelo oLuntu kunye naMashishini oPhicotho kwiNkqubo yokuDue yeSiseko soMthetho umbutho ongenzi nzuzo ozinze eWashington, DC.