Enye Imfihlakalo Ekujuleni Kolwandle: Izimayini Zase-Seabed

Ngu: Carla O. García Zendejas

Ngindizela endaweni ephakeme engu-39,000 ft. ngenkathi ngicabanga ngokujula kolwandle, lezo zindawo ezimnyama abanye bethu baqala ukuzibona kumadokhumentari ayivelakancane futhi amahle asethule ku-Jacques Cousteau kanye nezidalwa ezimangalisayo nempilo yasolwandle esiye safunda ukuyithanda nokwazisa. emhlabeni wonke. Abanye bethu baye baze baba nenhlanhla yokujabulela ukujula kolwandle mathupha, ukubuka amakhorali, kuyilapho bezungezwe inqwaba yezinhlanzi ezinelukuluku nama-eel ancibilikayo.

Ezinye zezindawo zokuhlala ezisaqhubeka nokumangalisa izazi zezinto eziphilayo zasolwandle yilezo ezidalwe ukuqhuma okushisayo okuvela eziphethwini zentaba-mlilo lapho ukuphila kuba khona emazingeni okushisa aphakeme kakhulu. Phakathi kwezinto ezitholwe ekucwaningeni ngeziphethu zentaba-mlilo noma ababhemayo kwaba yiqiniso lokuthi izintaba ezine-sulphurous ezakheka ngenxa yokuqhuma zakha amadiphozi amakhulu amaminerali. Amanani agxilile kakhulu ezinsimbi ezisindayo njengegolide, isiliva nethusi anqwabelana kulezi zintaba ezidalwe ngenxa yamanzi ashisayo asabela olwandle olubandayo. Lokhu kujula, okusajwayelekile ezicini eziningi kuyizinto ezintsha ezigxilwe yizinkampani zezimayini emhlabeni jikelele.

Izinqubo zesimanje zokumba izimayini azivamile ukufana nombono iningi lethu elinawo mayelana nemboni. Sezadlula izinsuku lapho ubukwazi ukumba igolide ngembazo, izimayini eziningi ezaziwayo emhlabeni wonke seziphelelwe yinsimbi ebitholakala kalula ukuze imbiwe ngale ndlela. Namuhla, amadiphozithi amaningi ensimbi esindayo asekhona emhlabathini mancane kakhulu uma eqhathaniswa. Ngakho indlela yokukhipha igolide, noma isiliva iyinqubo yamakhemikhali eyenzeka ngemva kokuhambisa amathani othuli namadwala okumelwe agaywe bese ayiswa endaweni yokugeza ngamakhemikhali isithako sayo esiyinhloko i-cyanide kanye nezigidi zamalitha amanzi ahlanzekile ukuze kutholwe elilodwa. I-ounce yegolide, lokhu kwaziwa ngokuthi i-cyanide leaching. I-byproduct yale nqubo iwudaka olunobuthi oluqukethe i-arsenic, i-mercury, i-cadmium nomthofu phakathi kwezinye izinto ezinobuthi, ezaziwa ngokuthi ama-tailings. Lezi zinsalela zemayini zivame ukufakwa ezindundumeni eziseduze nezimayini ezibeka ingozi enhlabathini nasemanzini angaphansi komhlaba ngaphansi.

Ngakho-ke lezimayini ihumusheka kanjani ekujuleni kolwandle, umbhede wolwandle, ukususwa kwamatshe amathani kanye nokuqedwa kwezintaba zamaminerali akhona olwandle kuthinta kanjani impilo yasolwandle, noma izindawo ezizungezile noma uqweqwe lolwandle. ? I-cyanide leaching ingabukeka kanjani olwandle? Kwakuzokwenzekani ngezinsalela ezivela ezimayini? Iqiniso liwukuthi isikole sisaphuma kule mibuzo neminye eminingi, yize ngokusemthethweni. Ngoba, uma nje sibheka ukuthi yiziphi izenzo zezimayini ezilethe emiphakathini esuka e-Cajamarca (Peru), e-Peñoles (e-Mexico) kuya e-Nevada (e-USA) irekhodi licacile. Umlando wokuncipha kwamanzi, ukungcoliswa kwensimbi enoshevu kanye nemiphumela yezempilo ehambisana nakho kuyindawo evamile emadolobheni amaningi anezimayini. Okuwukuphela kwemiphumela ezwakalayo ama-monscapes enyanga eyenziwe ngama-crater amakhulu angaba imayela ukujula futhi abe ngaphezu kwamamayela amabili ububanzi. Izinzuzo ezingabazekayo eziphakanyiswe amaphrojekthi ezimayini zihlale zincishiswa imithelela efihlekile yezomnotho kanye nezindleko zemvelo. Imiphakathi emhlabeni wonke ibilokhu izwakalisa ukungahambisani nemiklamo yezimayini yangaphambilini neyesikhathi esizayo; ukuqulwa kwamacala kuphonsele inselelo imithetho, izimvume kanye nezinqumo kuzwelonke nakwamanye amazwe ngamazinga ahlukene empumelelo.

Okunye ukuphikiswa okunjalo sekuvele kuqalile mayelana nenye yephrojekthi yokuqala yezimayini zombhede osolwandle ePapua New Guinea, iNautilus Minerals Inc. inkampani yaseCanada yanikezwa imvume yeminyaka engama-20 yokukhipha insimbi okuthiwa iqukethe igolide nethusi eliningi 30. amamayela ukusuka ogwini ngaphansi koLwandle iBismarck. Kulokhu sibhekene nemvume yasekhaya nesizwe ukuze siphendule mayelana nemithelela engase ibe khona kulo msebenzi wezimayini. Kodwa kuzokwenzekani ngezicelo zezimayini ezigcinwe emanzini omhlaba? Ubani oyothweswa icala futhi aphendule ngemithelela emibi engaba khona kanye nemiphumela?

Faka i-International Seabed Authority, eyakhiwe njengengxenye ye-United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea[1] (i-UNCLOS), le nhlangano yamazwe ngamazwe ithweswe umsebenzi wokusebenzisa ingqungquthela kanye nokulawula ukusebenza kwezimbiwa phansi olwandle, phansi kolwandle nangaphansi komhlaba. amanzi ngamazwe. IKhomishana Yezomthetho Nezobuchwepheshe (eyakhiwe ngamalungu angama-25 akhethwe umkhandlu we-ISA) ibuyekeza izicelo zamaphrojekthi okuhlola nezimayini, kuyilapho ihlola futhi iqondisa ukusebenza nomthelela kwezemvelo, imvume yokugcina inikezwa amalungu angama-36 omkhandlu we-ISA. Amanye amazwe njengamanje aphethe izinkontileka zamalungelo akhethekile okuhlola yiShayina, iRussia, iSouth Korea, iFrance, iJapan neNdiya; izindawo ezihloliwe zingafika ku-150,000 square kilometers ngosayizi.

Ingabe i-ISA ihlonyiselwe ukubhekana nesidingo esikhulayo sezimayini ezingaphansi kolwandle, ingabe izokwazi ukulawula nokwengamela inani elikhulayo lamaphrojekthi? Lingakanani izinga lokuziphendulela kanye nokungafihli lutho kwalesi sikhungo samazwe ngamazwe esinesibopho sokuvikela iningi lezilwandle zomhlaba? Singasebenzisa inhlekelele kawoyela ye-BP njengenkomba yezinselele ezibhekene nesikhungo esikhulu sokulawula esixhaswe kahle emanzini phesheya kwezilwandle e-US Iliphi ithuba i-ejensi encane efana ne-ISA enalo ukubhekana nalezi zinselele kanye nezinselele zesikhathi esizayo?

Enye futhi inkinga ukuthi i-US ayizange ivume i-UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (izizwe ezingu-164 ziye zagunyaza umhlangano), kuyilapho abanye becabanga ukuthi i-US ayidingi ukuba yingxenye yesivumelwano ukuze kuqalwe izimayini zasolwandle. ukuhlinzwa abanye abavumelani ngenhliziyo yonke. Uma sizobuza noma siphonsele inselelo ukuqaliswa okufanele kokwengamela kanye namazinga emvelo ukuze sigweme ukulimaza ekujuleni kolwandle, kuzodingeka sibe yingxenye yengxoxo. Uma singazimisele ukuhambisana nezinga elifanayo lokubhekisisa emazweni omhlaba silahlekelwa ukwethembeka kanye nenhliziyo enhle. Ngakho-ke nakuba sazi ukuthi ukumba i-deep sea kuyibhizinisi eliyingozi, kufanele sizikhathaze ngezimayini ezijulile zasolwandle ngoba asikakabuqondi ubukhulu bemithelela yazo.

[1] Umgubho weminyaka engama-30 we-UNCLOS wawuyisihloko sokwaziswa okuyingxenye yebhulogi okuthunyelwe ngu-Matthew Cannistraro kule sayithi.  

Sicela ubuke Uhlaka Lwezomthetho Lwesifunda lwephrojekthi ye-DSM kanye Nohlaka Lokulawula Lokuhlola Nokuxhashazwa Kwezimbiwa Zase-Deep Sea, olushicilelwe ngonyaka odlule. Lo mbhalo usetshenziswa manje amazwe asesiqhingini sasePacific ukuze afake emithethweni yawo izimiso zokulawula ezinomthwalo wemfanelo.

UCarla García Zendejas ungummeli owaziwayo wezemvelo ovela eTijuana, eMexico. Ulwazi lwakhe kanye nombono wakhe luvela emsebenzini wakhe omkhulu wezinhlangano zamazwe ngamazwe nezikazwelonke ezindabeni zezenhlalakahle, ezomnotho nezemvelo. Eminyakeni eyishumi nanhlanu edlule uzuze impumelelo eminingi emacaleni abandakanya ingqalasizinda yezamandla, ukungcoliswa kwamanzi, ubulungiswa bezemvelo kanye nokuthuthukiswa kwemithetho kahulumeni yokubeka izinto obala. Unikeze izishoshovu amandla ngolwazi olubucayi lokulwa nokulimaza imvelo kanye namatheminali egesi yemvelo ewuketshezi engaba yingozi e-Peninsula yase-Baja California, e-US naseSpain. UCarla uneziqu zeMasters in Law azithola eWashington College of Law e-American University. Njengamanje usebenza njengeSikhulu Esiphezulu Sohlelo Lwamalungelo Abantu Nezimboni Ezikhulayo ku-Due Process of Law Foundation inhlangano engenzi nzuzo ezinze eWashington, DC.