Ulwandle Ludwetshiwe, Nokho Luvaliwe

By Phoebe Turner
uMongameli, i-George Washington University Sustainable Oceans Alliance; Intern, The Ocean Foundation

Naphezu kweqiniso lokuthi ngakhulela endaweni evalekile yase-Idaho, amanzi abelokhu eyingxenye enkulu yempilo yami. Ngakhula ngibhukuda ngokuncintisana futhi umndeni wami wachitha amasonto amaningi ehlobo endlini yethu elisechibini, amahora ambalwa nje enyakatho yeBoise. Lapho, sasivuka ekuphumeni kwelanga futhi sishibilike emanzini emanzini asekuseni ayingilazi. Sasihamba ngamashubhu lapho amanzi eguquguquka, futhi umalume wethu wayezama ukusikhipha eshubhuni - ehlukumeza ngempela. Sasithatha izikebhe ukuze sigxume eweni, futhi sishaye i-snorkel sizungeze izingxenye ezinamatshe echibi le-alpine. Sasihamba nge-kayaking sehle ngomfula i-Salmon, noma siphumule esikhumulweni semikhumbi, nencwadi, kuyilapho izinja zidlala ngokukha amanzi.

Akusho lutho, kade ngiwathanda amanzi.

Uthando lwami lokuvikela ulwandle ngenkuthalo luqale ngokukholelwa ngokuqinile ukuthi i-orcas akufanele iboshwe. ngibukile Imfishi unyaka wami wamabanga aphezulu eSikoleni Samabanga Aphakeme, futhi ngemva kwalokho ngaba umlutha wokufunda konke engangikwazi mayelana nodaba, ngingena kumadokhumentari amaningi nakakhulu, izincwadi, noma izihloko zezazi. Phakathi nonyaka wami omusha ekolishi, ngabhala iphepha lokucwaninga ngobuhlakani nezinhlaka zomphakathi zemikhomo ebulalayo kanye nemiphumela eyingozi yokuthunjwa. Ngangikhuluma ngakho kunoma ubani owayelalela. Futhi abanye abantu balalela ngempela! Njengoba isithunzi sami njengentombazane ye-orca sisabalala ekhempasini, umngane wami wakubona kufanele ukuthi angixhumanise ne-Georgetown Sustainable Oceans Summit nge-imeyili ethi, “Heyi, angazi noma intshisekelo yakho ku-orcas idlulela ekuthunjweni, kodwa ngifundile. mayelana nale ngqungquthela emasontweni ambalwa, futhi ngicabanga ukuthi iseduze kwakho." Bekuyi.

Ngangazi ukuthi ulwandle lusenkingeni, kodwa iNgqungquthela yavula ingqondo yami ukuthi zijule kangakanani futhi ziyinkimbinkimbi kangakanani izinkinga ezizungeze impilo yolwandle. Ngakuthola kungikhathaza konke, kwangishiya namafindo ashubile esiswini sami. Ukungcoliswa kwepulasitiki kwakubonakala kungenakugwenywa. Yonke indawo lapho ngijika khona ngibona ibhodlela lamanzi lepulasitiki, isikhwama sepulasitiki, ipulasitiki, ipulasitiki, ipulasitiki. Wona lawo mapulasitiki athola indlela eya olwandle lwethu. Njengoba zilokhu ziwohloka olwandle, zimunca ukungcola okuyingozi. Izinhlanzi zenza iphutha lawa mapulasitiki amancane njengokudla, futhi ziqhubeke nokuthumela izinto ezingcolisayo phezulu ohlwini lokudla. Manje, uma ngicabanga ngokubhukuda olwandle, engingacabanga ngakho yilowo mkhomo obulalayo owakhukhuleka oGwini olusenyakatho-ntshonalanga yePacific. Umzimba wayo uthathwa njengodoti onobuthi ngenxa yezinga lokungcola. Konke kubonakala kungenakugwema. Kunzima ngokuphelele. Okuyikhona okungigqugquzele ukuthi ngiqale esami isahluko seSustainable Oceans Alliance e-The George Washington University (GW SOA).

Ngenkathi ngisekhaya kuleli hlobo elidlule, ngaphandle kokuqapha impilo nokuqeqesha iqembu lokubhukuda leligi yasehlobo, ngasebenza ngokuzikhandla ekutholeni esami isahluko se-GW SOA phansi. Ulwandle oluhlala lusengqondweni yami, ngokwemvelo, futhi ngokweqiniso ngesimo sikaPhoebe, ngangikhuluma ngaso njalo. Ngangithola ijusi ekilabhini yendawo yasemaphandleni, lapho abazali babangane bami abambalwa bebuza ukuthi ngenzeni kulezi zinsuku. Ngemva kokuba ngibatshele ngokuqala kwe-GW SOA, omunye wabo wathi, “Oceans? Kungani [ukuhlambalaza kususiwe] unendaba nalokho?! Ungowase-Idaho!” Ngimangazwe impendulo yakhe, ngathi “Uxolo, ngizikhathalela izinto eziningi.” Bonke bagcina behleka, noma bethi “Awu, anginandaba nalutho!” futhi “Leyo inkinga yesizukulwane sakho.” Manje, kungenzeka ukuthi bebene-cocktail eyodwa kakhulu, kodwa ngabe sengibona ukuthi kubaluleke kangakanani ukuthi abantu abahlala ezifundazweni ezivaliwe baqaphele okwenzekayo, futhi yize singenalo ulwandle egcekeni lethu, asiqondile. okubangela ingxenye yezinkinga, kungakhathaliseki ukuthi amagesi abamba ukushisa esiwakhiphayo, ukudla esikudlayo noma udoti esiwukhiqizayo. Kwaba sobala futhi, ukuthi manje, kunanini ngaphambili, kubaluleke kakhulu ukuthi izinkulungwane zeminyaka zifunde futhi zigqugquzelwe ukuthatha isinyathelo olwandle. Kungenzeka ukuthi asizange sizidale izinkinga ezithinta ulwandle lwethu kodwa kuzoba kithina ukuthola izixazululo.

I-Sustainable Oceans Summit yalo nyaka iyaqhubeka Ephreli 2, lapha eWashington, DC. Umgomo wethu uwukwazisa intsha eningi ngangokunokwenzeka ngokwenzeka olwandle. Sifuna ukugqamisa izinkinga, kodwa okubaluleke kakhulu, ukunikeza izixazululo. Ngethemba ukuthi ngizogqugquzela abantu abasha ukuthi bathathe lesi senzo. Noma ngabe ukudla ukudla kwasolwandle okuncane, ukugibela ibhayisekili lakho kakhulu, noma ukukhetha indlela yomsebenzi.

Ithemba lami ngesahluko se-GW se-SOA ukuthi siphumelela njengenhlangano yabafundi eqhutshwa kahle futhi ehlonishwayo ngesikhathi ngiphothula, ngakho-ke ingaqhubeka nokubeka lezi zingqungquthela ezibalulekile eminyakeni ezayo. Kulo nyaka, nginezinjongo eziningi, enye yazo okuwukusungula uhlelo lwe-Alternative Break lokuhlanza ulwandle nolwandle ngoHlelo Lwekhefu Lolunye kwa-GW. Ngithemba futhi ukuthi inhlangano yethu yabafundi ingathola umfutho odingekayo ukuze kusungulwe amakilasi engeziwe akhuluma ngezihloko zasolwandle. Njengamanje kuneyodwa kuphela, i-Oceanography, futhi ayanele.

Uma ungathanda ukusekela i-Sustainable Oceans Summit ka-2016, sisadinga abaxhasi bezinkampani kanye neminikelo. Ngicela, ngemibuzo yozakwethu ngithumele i-imeyili. Ngeminikelo, i-Ocean Foundation ibe nomusa ngokwanele ukusiphathela isikhwama. Unganikela kuleso sikhwama lapha.