Puny Plastic, Inkinga Yeplanethi

Isixazululo sethu Solwandle sika-2016 #1:
Ake Siyeke Ukwengeza Enkingeni

Unyaka ka-2015 ulethe okunye ukunqoba kwekusasa lobudlelwano bethu nolwandle. Manje sibheke ku-2016 njengesikhathi lapho sonke siqala ukwedlula lezo zindaba ezishicilelwe futhi senze isenzo esibambekayo. Singababiza abethu Izinqumo Zonyaka Omusha Zolwandle. 

Uma kukhulunywa ngemfucumfucu yasolwandle, asikwazi ukushesha ngokwanele, kodwa kufanele sizame. Sibonga ukuzikhandla kwedlanzana lamaqembu okuhlanganisa ne Plastic Pollution Coalition, 5 amaGyre, Futhi Isisekelo seSurfrider, I-United States House neSenethi iphasise umthetho ngamunye ovimbela ukuthengiswa kwemikhiqizo equkethe ubuhlalu obuncane. Izinkampani eziningi, ezifana ne-L'Oreal, Johnson & Johnson, kanye ne-Procter & Gamble, zase zimemezele kakade isigaba sokuphuma kwe-microbead emigqeni yazo yemikhiqizo, ngakho-ke ngezinye izindlela, lo mthetho uvele ukwenze kube ngokusemthethweni.

"Yini i-microbead?" Ungase ubuze. "Futhi yini umehluko phakathi kwama-microbeads nama-microplastics?" Ama-Microbeads kuqala.

Ama-Microbead izingcezu ezincane zepulasitiki ezisetshenziswa njenge-exfoliate yesikhumba emikhiqizweni ehlukahlukene yokunakekelwa kwesikhumba nezinwele. Uma sezihlanjululwe, zintanta phansi komsele, mancane kakhulu ukuthi zingahlungwa, futhi ngenxa yalokho zigezekela emanzini futhi ekugcineni ziye emachibini nasolwandle. Lapho, zicwilisa ubuthi futhi uma izinhlanzi noma i-shellfish ziwudla, zivumela lobo buthi bungene ezinhlanzini nasezimbazeni, futhi ekugcineni bungene ezilwaneni nakubantu abadla lezo zinhlanzi. Ngaphezu kwalokho, amapulastiki anganqwabelana eziswini zezilwane zasemanzini, okwenza kube nzima ukuthi zithole umsoco eziwudingayo. The international "Beat the Microbead" Umkhankaso usuqoqe izinhlangano ezingama-79 emazweni angama-35 ukuthi zisebenzele ukuvinjelwa okusemthethweni kwemikhiqizo edala ukuhlanzwa kwe-microbeads. Umkhankaso wenze uhlelo lokusebenza ukukusiza ukhethe imikhiqizo engenawo ama-microbead.

Futhi microplastics? I-Microplastics yigama elibambekayo lezingcezu zepulasitiki ezingaphansi kuka-5 mm ububanzi. Nakuba leli gama lisanda kwenzeka, ukuba khona kwezinhlayiya zepulasitiki ezincane kulo lonke ulwandle sekwaziwa isikhathi eside. Kunemithombo emine eyinhloko yalawo ma-microplastic—1) ama-microbead atholakala emikhiqizweni yomuntu siqu kanye neyokuhlanza njengoba kushiwo ngenhla; 2) ukuwohloka kwezingcezu ezinkulu zemfucumfucu yepulasitiki, ngokuvamile evela emithonjeni esekelwe emhlabathini; 3) ukuchitheka ngephutha kwama-pellets nezinye izinto ezisetshenziselwa ukwenza imikhiqizo yepulasitiki esuka emkhunjini noma efektri ibe yindlela yamanzi; kanye 4) nodaka lwendle nokunye ukuchichima kwemfucuza.

Sonke sifunda ukuthi sekuvele kunenqwaba yepulasitiki olwandle futhi inkinga itholakala yonke indawo kunalokho esake sakubona. Kwamanye amazinga, kuyinkinga enkulu kakhulu. Kufanele siqale ndawana thize—futhi indawo yokuqala ukuvimbela.  

Ukuvinjelwa kwe-microbead kuyisiqalo esihle—futhi sinxusa ukuthi ukuvimbele endlini yakho manje. Kanjalo nokuqhela kumapulasitiki asetshenziswa kanye nje, njengotshani bepulasitiki noma izinto zesiliva. Umkhankaso owodwa, Utshani Lwepulasitiki Lokugcina, iphakamisa ukuthi ucele izindawo zokudlela eziyizintandokazi zakho ukuthi zikunikeze iziphuzo ngaphandle kotshani ngaphandle uma uceliwe, unikeze ngotshani obubolayo, noma uzinike zonke ndawonye. Amadolobha anjengeMiami Beach enze lokho kanye.  

Okokugcina, sekela imizamo yokuthuthukisa ukuphathwa kwemfucuza emphakathini wakini ukuze amapulasitiki angaqedwa emigwaqweni yethu yamanzi esabelana ngayo. Izikhukhula ezinyantisayo zakamuva kanye nesimo sezulu esibi eNingizimu Melika, enkabeni ye-USA, e-UK, namaphakathi neYurophu kusho ukulahleka kwempilo okudabukisayo, ukuxoshwa kwemiphakathi, kanye nokulimala ezindaweni zomlando nezomnotho. Futhi, ngokudabukisayo, ingxenye yezindleko eziqhubekayo kuzoba udoti ogeza emanzini, kuhlanganise nezinkulungwane zamabhodlela epulasitiki. Njengoba izimo zesimo sezulu zishintsha futhi zishintsha, futhi izehlakalo zezikhukhula ziba njalo, umgomo uwukuqinisekisa ukuthi izivikelo zethu zezikhukhula nazo ziyithuluzi ekugcineni ipulasitiki ingangeni emigudwini yethu yamanzi.

Isithombe 1: UJoe Dowling, I-Sustainable Coastlines/Marine Photobank
Isithombe 2: Dieter Tracey/Marine Photobank
Isithombe 3: Ngenhlonipho ye-Beat the Microbead
Isithombe 4: Ngenhlonipho ye-The Last Plastic Straw