IPlastiki yePuny, iNgxaki yePlanethi

IsiGqibo sethu soLwandle sika-2016 #1:
Masiyeke ukongeza kwiNgxaki

Unyaka ka-2015 uze noloyiso oluthile kwikamva lobudlelwane bethu nolwandle. Ngoku sijonge ku-2016 njengomzuzu xa sonke siqala ukudlula kwezo zitshixo zeendaba kwaye singene kwisenzo esibambekayo. Sinokuzibiza ngokuba zezethu Izindululo zoNyaka oMtsha zoLwandle. 

Xa kufikwa kwinkunkuma yaselwandle, asikwazi kuhamba ngokukhawuleza ngokwaneleyo, kodwa kufuneka sizame. Ngenxa yokusebenza nzima inani lamaqela kuquka iPlastiki yoNgcoliseko Coalition, 5 Gyres, yaye Isiseko seSurfrider, Indlu yaseUnited States kunye neSenethi nganye ipasise umthetho ovala ukuthengiswa kweemveliso eziqulethe i-microbeads. Iinkampani ezininzi, ezifana ne-L'Oreal, uJohnson & Johnson, kunye ne-Procter & Gamble, sele ibhengeze isigaba sokuphuma kwee-microbeads kwimigca yabo yemveliso, kwaye ke ngeendlela ezithile, lo mthetho uwenza ngokusesikweni.

"Yintoni i-microbead?" Usenokubuza. "Kwaye yintoni umahluko phakathi kwee-microbeads kunye ne-microplastics?" IiMicrobeads kuqala.

IiMicrobead ngamaqhekeza amancinci eplastiki asetyenziswa njengezinto zokukhupha ulusu kwiimveliso ezahlukeneyo zolusu kunye neenwele. Nje ukuba zihlanjululwe, zidada phantsi komsele, zincinci kakhulu ukuba zingahluzwa, kwaye ngenxa yoko zihlambela emanzini kwaye ekugqibeleni ziye kumachibi naselwandle. Apho, bafunxa i-toxins kwaye ukuba intlanzi okanye i-shellfish iyayidla, ivumela ezo tyhefu ukuba zifakwe kwintlanzi kunye ne-shellfish, kwaye ekugqibeleni kwizilwanyana nakubantu abasebenzisa ezo ntlanzi. Ukongeza, iiplastiki zinokuqokelelana kwizisu zezilwanyana zasemanzini, nto leyo eyenza kube nzima kuzo ukufumana izondlo ezizifunayo. Izizwe ngezizwe "Betha iMicrobead" Iphulo liqokelele imibutho engama-79 kumazwe angama-35 ukuba isebenzele ukuvalwa ngokusemthethweni kweemveliso ekudaleni ukuhlamba ii-microbeads. Eli phulo liphuhlise i-app ukukunceda ukhethe iimveliso ezingenazo ii-microbead.

Kwaye microplastics? IMicroplastics ligama lokubambisa yonke into yamaqhekeza eplastiki angaphantsi kwe-5 mm ububanzi. Nangona eli gama lisandula kutshanje, ubukho bamasuntswana eplastiki kulo lonke ulwandle bekwaziwa kangangexesha elithile. Kukho imithombo emine ephambili yezo microplastics-1) i-microbeads efunyenwe kwiimveliso zomntu kunye nokucoca njengoko kuchazwe ngasentla; 2) ukuwohloka kwamaqhekeza amakhulu obutyobo beplastiki, ngokubanzi kwimithombo esekwe emhlabeni; 3) ukuchithwa ngengozi kweepellets kunye nezinye izinto ezisetyenziselwa ukwenza iimveliso zeplastiki ukusuka kwinqanawa okanye kwifektri kwindlela yamanzi; kunye 4) nodaka lwelindle kunye nenye inkunkuma ephuphumayo.

Sonke sifunda ukuba sele kukho izixa ezikhulu zeplastiki elwandle kwaye ingxaki ixhaphake kakhulu kunokuba besicinga. Kwamanye amanqanaba, yingxaki enkulu. Kufuneka siqale kwindawo ethile-kwaye indawo yokuqala kukuthintela.  

Ukuvalwa kwe-microbead sisiqalo esihle-kwaye siyakubongoza ukuba uzithintele kwikhaya lakho ngoku. Kukwanjalo ke ukumka kwiiplastiki ezisetyenziselwa enye, ezinje ngeendiza zeplastiki okanye izinto zesilivere. Iphulo elinye, Isitya sePlastiki sokugqibela, icebisa ukuba ucele iindawo zokutyela ozithandayo zikunikeze iziselo ngaphandle kweendiza ngaphandle kokuba uceliwe, zibonelele ngeendiza ezinokonakala, okanye uzinike zonke kunye. Izixeko ezinje ngeMiami Beach zenze loo nto kanye.  

Okokugqibela, xhasa iinzame zokuphucula ulawulo lwenkunkuma kwindawo ohlala kuyo ukuze iiplastiki zingaphelelanga kwiindlela zethu zamanzi ekwabelwana ngazo. Izikhukhula zamva nje kunye nemozulu embi eMzantsi Melika, kumbindi we-USA, e-UK, nakumbindi weYurophu zithethe ilahleko elusizi yobomi, ukufuduswa koluntu, kunye nokwenzakala kwiisayithi zembali nezoqoqosho. Kwaye, ngokudabukisayo, inxalenye yeendleko eziqhubekayo ziya kuba yimfucumfucu ehlamba emanzini, kubandakanywa namawaka eebhotile zeplastiki. Njengoko iipatheni zemozulu zitshintsha kwaye zitshintsha, kunye neziganeko zezikhukhula zisiba rhoqo, injongo kukuqinisekisa ukhuseleko lwethu lwezandyondyo lukwasisixhobo sokugcina iplastiki ngaphandle kwemijelo yethu yamanzi.

Umfanekiso 1: I-Joe Dowling, i-Sustainable Coastlines/Marine Photobank
Umfanekiso 2: Dieter Tracey/Marine Photobank
Umfanekiso 3: Ngoncedo lweBeat the Microbead
Umfanekiso 4: Ngenkxaso yePlastiki Yokugqibela