Indlela Entsha Yolwandle

Ababhali: Mark J. Spalding
Igama Elishicilelwe: I-Environmental Magazine. March/April 2011 Ushicilelo.
Usuku Lokushicilela: ULwesibili, Mashi 1, 2011

Ngomhla ziyi-19 kuJulayi, 2010, uMongameli Obama wakhipha i-Executive Order eyayikhuluma ngesidingo sokubusa kolwandle okudidiyelwe, futhi ehlonza “ukuhlelwa kwendawo yasolwandle” (MSP) njengemoto eyinhloko yokufika lapho. Lo myalo uqhamuke ezincomweni ze-Interagency Task Force—futhi selokhu kwamenyezelwa, izimboni eziningi eziphathelene nolwandle nezinhlangano zezemvelo ziye zaphuthuma ukulwela i-MSP njengokuqala kwenkathi entsha yokongiwa kolwandle. 

Ngokuqinisekile izinhloso zabo ziqotho: Imisebenzi yabantu iye yalimaza kakhulu izilwandle zomhlaba. Kunenqwaba yezinkinga okudingeka zixazululwe: ukudoba ngokweqile, ukucekelwa phansi kwemvelo, imiphumela yokushintsha kwesimo sezulu, nokwanda kobuthi ezilwaneni ukubala ezimbalwa nje. Njengeningi lenqubomgomo yethu yokuphatha izinsiza, uhlelo lwethu lokuphatha ulwandle aluphukile kodwa luhlukene, lwakhiwe kancane kancane ezikhungweni zikahulumeni ezingu-20, okuhlanganisa i-National Marine Fisheries Service, i-US Fish & Wildlife Service, i-US Environmental Protection Agency kanye neyangaphambili. Minerals Management Service (ihlukaniswe yaba ama-ejensi amabili kusukela ekuchithekeni kukawoyela we-BP eGulf of Mexico). Okushodayo wuhlaka olunengqondo, uhlaka oludidiyelwe lokuthatha izinqumo, umbono ohlanganyelwe wobudlelwano bethu nezilwandle manje nasesikhathini esizayo. 

Kodwa-ke, ukubiza i-MSP njengesixazululo salo mgodi ogqinsiwe kudala izinkinga eziningi njengoba kuzixazulula. I-MSP iyithuluzi elikhiqiza amamephu endlela esisebenzisa ngayo izilwandle; ukuzama ngokusebenzisa umzamo ohlangene phakathi kwama-ejensi ukulandelela ukuthi ulwandle lusetshenziswa kanjani nokuthi yiziphi izindawo zokuhlala nemithombo yemvelo ehlala nganoma yisiphi isikhathi. Ithemba le-MSP ukuhlanganisa abasebenzisi bolwandle—ukugwema izingxabano kuyilapho igcina i-ecosystem injalo. Kodwa i-MSP ayilona isu lokuphatha. Ayizisunguli ngokwayo uhlelo lokunquma ukusetshenziswa okubeka kuqala izidingo zezilwane zasolwandle, okuhlanganisa imizila ephephile efudukayo, ukuhlinzekwa kokudla, izindawo zokuhlala ezinkulisa noma ukuzivumelanisa nezinga lolwandle, izinga lokushisa noma ikhemistri. Ayikhiqizi inqubomgomo yolwandle enobumbano noma ixazulule izinto ezibalulekile ezingqubuzanayo ze-ejensi kanye nokungqubuzana okusemthethweni okwandisa amathuba enhlekelele. Njengesando, i-MSP iyithuluzi nje, futhi ukhiye wokusetshenziswa kwayo usekusetshenzisweni kwayo. 

Ukuchitheka kukawoyela we-Deepwater Horizon e-Gulf of Mexico entwasahlobo ka-2010 kufanele kube yiphuzu lokuvuma ingozi edalwe ukungaphathwa kahle kanye nokuxhashazwa okungavinjelwe kolwandle lwethu. Nakuba kwakunyantisa ukubuka ukuqhuma kokuqala kanye nokukhula okuhlala kunwebeka kawoyela ogelezayo, kufanele kuqashelwe ukuthi esinakho endabeni ye-Deepwater yilokho kanye esasinakho enhlekeleleni yakamuva yezimayini zaseWest Virginia, ngezinga elikhulu, ngokwehluleka kwama-levees eNew Orleans ngo-2005: ukwehluleka ukuphoqelela nokusebenzisa izidingo zokunakekela nokuphepha ngaphansi kwemithetho ekhona. Sesinemithetho emihle ezincwadini—asiyilandeli nje. Noma ngabe inqubo ye-MSP ikhiqiza izisombululo nezinqubomgomo ezihlakaniphile, zizoba yini usizo uma singazisebenzisi ngendlela ephelele nethembekile? 

Amamephu e-MSP azosebenza kuphela uma elondoloza imithombo yemvelo; khombisa izinqubo zemvelo (njengokufuduka nokuzala) futhi uzinikeze kuqala; lungiselela izidingo eziguqukayo zezinhlobo zasolwandle emanzini afudumalayo; ukubandakanya ababambiqhaza ohlelweni olusobala lokunquma ukuthi luphathwa kanjani kangcono ulwandle; futhi sidale intando yepolitiki yokuphoqelela imithetho nezimiso zethu ezikhona zokuphatha olwandle. Ngokwako, ukuhlela indawo yasolwandle ngeke kusindise inhlanzi eyodwa, umkhomo noma ihlengethwa. Lo mbono wagcotshwa ngoba ubukeka njengesenzo futhi ubonakala uxazulula izingxabano phakathi kokusetshenziswa komuntu, okwenza wonke umuntu azizwe ejabule, inqobo nje uma singabuzi omakhelwane bethu abahlala olwandle ukuthi bacabangani. 

Amamephu amamephu. Ziwumsebenzi omuhle wokubonisa ngeso, kodwa azinakuthatha indawo yesenzo. Ziphinde zibe sengozini enkulu yokufaka ukusetshenziswa okuyingozi njengabangane abasemthethweni bezilwane ezihlala olwandle. Isu kuphela elicashile nelinamathekisthi amaningi, sisebenzisa wonke amathuluzi esingawakha, azosisiza ukuthi sithuthukise impilo yolwandle ngokuthuthuka endleleni esiphatha ngayo ukusetshenziswa kwabantu kanye nobudlelwano bethu nezilwandle. 

UMARK J. SPALDING ungumongameli we-The Ocean Foundation eWashington, DC

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