Ulwandle Lwethu kanye Nekusasa Lepulasitiki

NgoJulayi, ngachitha izinsuku ezine e-The Klosters Forum, indawo esondelene yedolobhana elincane e-Swiss Alps ekhuthaza ukusebenzisana okusha ngokuhlanganisa izingqondo eziphazamisayo nezikhuthazayo ukuze kubhekwane nezinselelo zemvelo ezicindezela kakhulu emhlabeni. Ababungazi abamukelayo baka-Klosters, umoya ocwebile wasezintabeni kanye nemikhiqizo kanye noshizi ovela endaweni yomhlangano wepulazi lezingcweti zakhelwe ukunika amandla izingxoxo ezicabangelayo nezingathathi hlangothi phakathi kwabahlanganyeli abangochwepheshe.

Kulo nyaka, abangamashumi ayisikhombisa bethu bahlangene ukuze bakhulume ngekusasa lepulasitiki emhlabeni wethu, ikakhulukazi mayelana nendlela esinganciphisa ngayo umonakalo ovela ekungcoleni kwepulasitiki kuya olwandle. Lo mbuthano wawuhlanganisa ochwepheshe abavela ezinhlanganweni eziphansi kanye neminyango yamakhemikhali enyuvesi kanye nabezimboni nomthetho. Kwakukhona abakhankasi abazimisele abamelene nepulasitiki kanye nabantu abanothando abacabanga ngobuciko mayelana nendlela yokubhekana nodoti wepulasitiki emazweni ampofu kakhulu emhlabeni.

Sichithe ingxenye yesikhathi sethu kulokho, nengxenye ngokuthi kanjani. Sibhekana kanjani nenkinga efakwe kokubili iningi lesintu, futhi engase ibe yingozi kuso sonke isintu?

Njengabaningi bethu, ngangicabanga ukuthi nginesiphatho esihle kakhulu mayelana nenkinga yokungcoliswa kwepulasitiki olwandle lwethu. Ngacabanga ukuthi ngiyayiqonda inselele yokubhekana nayo kanye nemiphumela yokuqhubeka nokuvumela izigidi zamaphawundi kadoti ukuthi uphephule, ukhukhuleke, noma uwele olwandle. Ngaqonda ukuthi indima ye-The Ocean Foundation ingahle ibe ukuqhubeka nokweseka ezinye zezinketho ezinhle kakhulu ezikhona, ukunikeza ukuhlolwa, ukulwela ukukhulula amapulasitiki, nokukhomba lapho kungase kube khona izikhala ezingavalwa abantu abazinikele emhlabeni wonke.

Kodwa ngemva kwesonto ngikhuluma nochwepheshe mayelana nokungcoliswa kwepulasitiki yolwandle, ukucabanga kwami ​​sekushintshile kulokho kokwesekwa, ukuhlaziya, nokudluliselwa kwamaphrojekthi amahle ukuze kuxhaswe imali ekuhlanganiseni kwethu abanikeli esidingweni sokwengeza isici esisha emzamweni. Asidingi nje kuphela ukunciphisa udoti wepulasitiki-sidinga ukunciphisa ukuthembela kwethu kumapulasitiki jikelele.

 
Ipulasitiki iyinto emangalisayo. Uhlu oluhlukahlukene lwama-polymers luvumela ububanzi obumangalisayo bokusetshenziswa kusukela ezithweni zokufakelwa kuya ezingxenyeni zemoto nezendiza kuya ezinkomishini ezisetshenziswa kanyekanye, izinkomishi, nezikhwama. Sicele osokhemisi ukuthi beze nezinto ezihlala isikhathi eside, ezifanele ukusetshenziswa okuthile, nezingasindi ukuze zinciphise izindleko zokuthutha. Basabela osokhemisi. Ekuphileni kwami, siye sasuka engilazini nasephepheni saya kupulasitiki cishe kuyo yonke imibuthano yamaqembu—kangangokuthi embuthanweni wakamuva wokubuka amafilimu emvelo, othile wangibuza ukuthi sizophuzani uma kungezona izinkomishi zepulasitiki. Ngaphakamisa kancane ukuthi izingilazi zewayini namanzi zingase zisebenze. “Ingilazi iyaphuka. Iphepha liyaba muncu,” ephendula. Isihloko sakamuva se-New York Times sibonise imiphumela yempumelelo yamakhemikhali:

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Phakathi kwezinto engizithathe emhlanganweni we-Klosters kimina wukuqonda kangcono ukuthi inkulu kangakanani inselelo esibhekene nayo. Isibonelo, ama-polymers angawodwana angase abe kokubili okuphephile ngokusemthethweni kokudla futhi kusetshenziswe kabusha ngokobuchwepheshe. Kodwa asinawo amandla wangempela okugaywa kabusha kulawo ma-polymer ezindaweni eziningi (futhi kwezinye izimo noma yikuphi). Ngaphezu kwalokho, abacwaningi nabamele imboni abebesemhlanganweni baphakamise udaba lokuthi lapho ama-polymer ehlanganiswa ukuze kubhekwane nezinkinga zokudla eziningi ngesikhathi esisodwa (ngokwesibonelo, ukuphefumula kanye nokusha kwe-ulethisi), akuvamile ukuba kube khona ukuhlolwa okwengeziwe kokuphepha kokudla noma ukuphinda kusetshenziswe kabusha kwenhlanganisela. Noma ukuthi izingxube ze-polymer zisabela kanjani ekuchayekeni isikhathi eside elangeni nasemanzini—kokubili okusha nokunosawoti. Futhi wonke ama-polymers ahle kakhulu ekuthutheni ubuthi futhi abukhulule. Futhi-ke, kunosongo olwengeziwe lokuthi ngenxa yokuthi amapulasitiki enziwe ngowoyela negesi, azokhipha amagesi abamba ukushisa ngokuhamba kwesikhathi. 

Enye inselele enkulu ukuthi ingakanani ipulasitiki ekhiqizwa futhi ilahlwa empilweni yami isesekhona enhlabathini yethu, emifuleni nasemachibini ethu, nasolwandle. Ukumisa ukugeleza kwepulasitiki emifuleni kanye nolwandle kuyaphuthuma—ngisho noma siqhubeka nokuhlola izindlela ezingenzeka nezingabizi kakhulu zokususa ipulasitiki olwandle ngaphandle kokudala umonakalo owengeziwe sidinga ukuqeda ukuthembela kwethu kumapulasitiki ngokuphelele. 

Itshwele le-Laysan Albatross elilambile, uFlickr/Duncan

Ingxoxo eyodwa yase-Klosters yayigxile ekutheni ingabe sidinga ukukala inani lokusetshenziswa kwepulasitiki ngakunye kanye nentela noma sikuvimbele ngokufanele. Isibonelo, amapulasitiki asetshenziswa kanye kuphela ukuze asetshenziswe ezindaweni zasesibhedlela nasezimeni ezinobungozi obukhulu (isibonelo, ukuqubuka kwekholera) angathola ukwelashwa okuhlukile kunezinkomishi zephathi, izikhwama zepulasitiki, notshani. Imiphakathi izonikezwa izinketho zokuhlanganisa isakhiwo ngokuvumelana nezidingo zayo ezithile—yazi ukuthi kudingeka ilinganisele izindleko zayo zokuphatha udoti oqinile nezindleko zokuphoqelela ukuvinjelwa. Idolobhana elingasogwini lingase ligxile ekuvinjweni ukuze kwehliswe izindleko zokuhlanza amabhishi ngokuqondile futhi omunye umphakathi ungase ugxile ezindlekweni ezinciphisa ukusetshenziswa futhi zinikeze ngezimali izinjongo zokuhlanza noma zokubuyisela esimweni.

Isu lomthetho—noma ngabe lingahle lakhiwe—lidinga ukufaka kokubili izikhuthazo zokulawulwa okungcono kwemfucuza kanye nokuthuthukiswa kobuchwepheshe obufanele ukuze kuthuthukiswe ukuphinda kusetshenziswe esikalini esingokoqobo. Kusho ukulawula ukukhiqizwa kwamapulasitiki ezinhlobo eziningi kanye nokuhlinzeka ngezikhuthazo zokuthuthukisa amapholymer asebenziseka kakhudlwana futhi asebenziseka kabusha. Futhi, ukuthola le mikhawulo yomthetho kanye nezikhuthazo zibe khona maduze kubalulekile ngoba imboni ihlela ukuphinda kabili ukukhiqizwa kwepulasitiki emhlabeni wonke eminyakeni engama-30 ezayo (lapho kudingeka ukuthi sisebenzise okuncane kakhulu esikwenzayo namuhla).

Njengoba ngicabanga ngezinselelo eziningi, ngisazimisele ikakhulukazi ukuqhubekisela phambili ukuthuthukiswa kwekhithi yamathuluzi ezomthetho, engasetshenziswa ngokuhambisana nolwazi lwe-The Ocean Foundation nokufinyelela kontanga ngokomthetho mayelana ne-acidification yolwandle ezingeni likahulumeni e-USA. , nasezingeni likazwelonke emhlabeni jikelele.

Ngizoqaphela ukuthi kuzoba umsebenzi onzima ukuthola noma yimiphi imibono yomthetho wokungcoliswa kwepulasitiki ngendlela efanele. Sizodinga isizinda sobuchwepheshe esibucayi futhi sizodinga ukuthola imibono etholakala kumsuka wenkinga, esikhundleni saleyo egqoke amafasitela, ukuze siphumelele. Ngamanye amazwi, kuzofanele sisebenze ukuze sigweme ukuba yizisulu zabantu abanemibono emikhulu nemangalisayo ezwakalayo enemikhawulo engathi sína noma ezixazululweni ezibukeka kahle nezizwakala kahle ezingasifikisi lapho sifuna ukuba khona njengoBoyan Slat's “ Iphrojekthi yokuhlanza i-Ocean.  

Ngokusobala, thina kwa-The Ocean Foundation akubona abokuqala ukucabanga ngokwesu lomthetho kanye nokuthuthukiswa kwekhithi yamathuluzi omthetho. Ngokunjalo, kunenani elikhulayo lezinhlangano ezisebenze nabathatha izinqumo ukuze zenze amasu okulawula afanelekile. Ukuze uthole isethi yamathuluzi yenqubomgomo ebanzi, ngingathanda ukuqoqa izibonelo eziphumelelayo ezivela ezingeni likamasipala nesifunda, kanye neminye imithetho kazwelonke (e-Rwanda, Tanzania, Kenya, kanye ne-Tamil Nadu efika engqondweni njengezibonelo zakamuva). Ngingathanda ukusebenzisana nozakwethu bakwa-ClientEarth, amalungu e-Plastic Pollution Coalition, kanye nemboni ehlonze amasu ayimpumelelo. Ngesisekelo esibekwe eNgqungqutheleni yase-Klosters yalo nyaka, Iforamu yangonyaka ozayo ingagxila kunqubomgomo, kanye nezixazululo zomthetho zenkinga yepulasitiki olwandle lwethu.

UMark J. Spalding, uMongameli we-The Ocean Foundation uyilungu le-Ocean Studies Board ye-National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Usebenza kwiKhomishini Yasolwandle yaseSargasso. UMark uyisikhulu esiphezulu esikhungweni seBlue Economy, eMiddlebury Institute of International Studies. Ngaphezu kwalokho, usebenza njenge-CEO kanye noMongameli we-SeaWeb, ungumeluleki we-Rockefeller Ocean Strategy (isikhwama sokutshala imali esingakaze sibe khona olwandle) futhi uklame uhlelo lokuqala ngqa lwe-carbon offset, i-SeaGrass Grow.

A¹Lim, Xiaozhi “Ukuklama Ukufa Kwepulasitiki” New York Times 6 Agasti 2018 https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/06/science/plastics-polymers-pollution.html
²Shiffman, David “Ngibuze ochwepheshe bokungcoliswa kwepulasitiki olwandle abayi-15 mayelana nephrojekthi ye-Ocean Cleanup, futhi banokukhathazeka” I-Southern Fried Science 13 Juni 2018 http://www.southernfriedscience.com/i-asked-15-ocean-plastic-pollution-experts-about-the-ocean-cleanup-project-and-they-have-concerns