Uxolo, Leyo AKUYONA I-Cocktail Yeholide Elikhethekile

NguMark J. Spalding, uMongameli

Ngaphambilini ngo-December 2014, ngaba nenhlanhla yokukwazi ukuya emicimbini emibili ekhetheke kakhulu e-Annapolis, eMaryland. Esokuqala kwaba isidlo sakusihlwa semiklomelo yeChesapeake Conservancy lapho sezwa khona inkulumo evuthayo evela ku-ED wenhlangano, uJoel Dunn, yokuthi kubaluleke kangakanani ukukholelwa ukuthi sonke singasiza ekwenzeni indawo ehlala i-Chesapeake Bay enezifundazwe eziyisithupha ibe yindawo enempilo yokuhlala, ukusebenza, nokudlala. Omunye wabahlonishiwe kusihlwa kwakungu-Keith Campbell owasitshela ukuthi amaqiniso asekela wonke umuntu okholelwa ukuthi i-Chesapeake Bay enempilo iyingxenye ebalulekile yomnotho wesifunda onempilo.

Ngobusuku obulandelayo, kwakunguKeith nendodakazi yakhe uSamantha Campbell (umongameli we-Keith Campbell Foundation for the Environment kanye nelungu langaphambili leBhodi ye-TOF) abebebungaza okuzuzwe ngu-Verna Harrison, owehla esikhundleni ngemva kweminyaka eyishumi nambili enguMqondisi Omkhulu Wesisekelo. Isikhulumi ngemva kwesikhulumi sakubona ukuzinikela kuka-Verna e-Chesapeake Bay enempilo phakathi namashumi eminyaka. Abaseza ukusiza ukugubha umsebenzi wakhe kuze kube manje kwakungababusi bangaphambili, izikhulu zamanje, izifundazwe, kanye nezikhulu zendawo, ozakwabo abangaphezu kweshumi nambili besisekelo, futhi vele, inqwaba yabanye abantu abanikela izinsuku zabo endaweni enempilo e-Chesapeake Bay.

Omunye wabantu abebezinikele kulo mcimbi kwakunguJulie Lawson, umqondisi we-Trash-Free Maryland, obephethe imbiza yamanzi ayehamba nayo esuka e-Bay. Ukubhekisisa kahle kwavela ukuthi kwakungewona amanzi akhe okuphuza. Eqinisweni, ngadabuka lapho ngizwa ukuthi kukhona okuphuzwayo noma okuhlala kulawa manzi. Njengoba ubona esithombeni, amanzi asejekeni ayeluhlaza ngokugqamile, eluhlaza njengosuku aqoqwa ngalo. Ukuhlolisisa kwembula ukuthi emiculweni ye-algae kwakulenga izingcezu zepulasitiki ezinobukhulu obuhlukahlukene. Ingilazi yokukhulisa ingaveza izingcezu eziningi nezincane zepulasitiki.

Isampula aliphethe laqoqwa ngasekupheleni kukaNovemba lapho izinhlangano ezimbili zokongiwa kwemvelo, i-Trash Free Maryland kanye ne-5 Gyres Institute, zaphuma ukuyolanda amasampula amanzi kanye namasampula ensalela yemfucumfucu e-Chesapeake. Bameme uchwepheshe waseChesapeake Bay kanye nomeluleki omkhulu we-EPA uJeff Corbin ukuthi bahambisane:  Encwadini eyalandela kamuva, wabhala: “Ngabikezela ukuthi ngeke sithole okuningi. Ithiyori yami yayiwukuthi i-Chesapeake Bay inamandla kakhulu, namagagasi ayo angaguquki, imimoya nemisinga, ngokuphambene namaphethini okujikeleza olwandle avulekile angagxilisa ukungcoliswa kwamapulasitiki. Ngenze iphutha."

I-Microplastics igama elisetshenziselwa ukuchaza izinhlayiya ezincane zepulasitiki manje ezikhona kulo lonke ulwandle lwethu-izinsalela zikadoti wepulasitiki ongena emanzini naselwandle. Amapulasitiki awashabalali olwandle; zihlukana zibe izingcezu ezincane nezincane. Njengoba uJulie abhala muva nje mayelana nesampula ye-Bay, “Izinkulungwane zama-microbeads ezivela emikhiqizweni yokunakekela komuntu siqu kanye nokuminyana kwepulasitiki sekukonke okulinganiselwa izikhathi eziyi-10 kunezinga elitholakala “ezindaweni zikadoti” ezidumile ezilwandle zomhlaba. Lezi zingcezu ezincane zepulasitiki zimunca amanye amakhemikhali e-petrochemical njengezibulala-zinambuzane, uwoyela, nophethiloli, ziba nobuthi obukhulayo futhi bufake ushevu emaphethelweni e-Bay ukudla okuholela ezinkalanleni eziluhlaza ne-rockfish ezidliwa abantu.”

Ukushicilelwa kukaDisemba kwesampula yesayensi yeminyaka emihlanu yezilwandle zomhlaba ku-PLOS 1 yayikhathaza kakhulu - "Amapulastiki abo bonke osayizi atholakala kuzo zonke izifunda zolwandle, ehlangana ezindaweni ezinqwabelanayo ezindaweni ezishisayo, okuhlanganisa ne-southern hemisphere gyres lapho ukuminyana kwabantu ogwini kuphansi kakhulu kunaseNyakatho nenkabazwe." Lolu cwaningo luyizilinganiso zokuthi ingakanani ipulasitiki olwandle emhlabeni igcizelela ukuthi ukumunca nokubambeka kulimaza kanjani ukuphila olwandle.

Sonke singenza njengoba kwenza uJulie futhi siphathe nesampula lamanzi. Noma singamukela umlayezo esiwuzwa kaningi ku-Trash Free Maryland, i-5 Gyres Institute, i-Plastics Pollution Coalition, i-Beyond Plastic, i-Surfrider Foundation, kanye nabalingani babo abaningi emhlabeni jikelele. Kuyinkinga abantu abayiqonda ngokuyisisekelo—futhi umbuzo wokuqala esivame ukubuzwa ukuthi “Singawukhipha kanjani upulasitiki olwandle?”

Futhi, kwa-The Ocean Foundation, sivame ukuthola iziphakamiso ezivela ezinhlanganweni ezihlukahlukene kanye nabantu ngabanye mayelana nokususwa kwamapulastiki emanzini olwandle lapho anqwabelana khona. Kuze kube manje, akukho kulokhu okuye kwakhipha ipensela. Ngisho noma singasebenzisa uhlelo lwakhe ukuqoqa upulasitiki emshinini wokujiyisa, sisadinga ukwazi ukuthi kuzobiza malini ukuthwala lowo mfucuza ukuwumisa phansi nokuyimboza ukuze uphethiloli ngendlela ethile. Noma, uyiguqule olwandle, bese uthwala uphethiloli uwuyise emhlabeni lapho kungenzeka usetshenziswe khona kakhulu. Izindleko zomjikelezo ogcwele wokuyofuna ipulasitiki, ukuyiguqulela kumandla noma ukuyisebenzisela okunye ukulidlula kude inani lanoma imaphi amandla noma omunye umkhiqizo ophinde wagaywa kabusha okhiqizwayo (lokhu kukhulu nakakhulu manje njengoba amanani kawoyela ehla).

Nakuba ngikhathazekile ngokuthi kusazohlala kunzima ukwenza ukususa ipulasitiki olwandle kusebenze ngokwezimali (njengebhizinisi lenzuzo); Ngiyakweseka ukukhipha amapulasitiki olwandle lwethu. Ngoba, uma singakwazi ukususa inqwaba yepulasitiki ngisho naku-gyre eyodwa, lokho kungaba umphumela omuhle kakhulu.
Ngakho-ke impendulo yami evamile ithi, “Hhayi-ke, singaqala ngokwenza ingxenye yethu ukuze singavumeli noma iyiphi enye ipulasitiki ingene olwandle kuyilapho sithola indlela yokususa ngokwezomnotho ukungcoliswa kwepulasitiki olwandle ngaphandle kokulimaza.” Ngakho-ke njengoba sisondela kuNcibijane, mhlawumbe lezi ezinye izinqumo esingazigcina egameni lolwandle:

• Okokuqala, leyo eyinselele ikakhulukazi ngalesi sikhathi sonyaka: Khawulela ukudalwa kukadoti. Bese ulahla wonke udoti ngendlela efanele.  Sebenzisa kabusha lapho kufaneleka.
• Thola ezinye izinto zepulasitiki othembele kuzo; futhi wenqabe amaphakheji asebenza kanye, ama-straws, ukupakisha ngokweqile, namanye amapulasitiki 'alahlwayo'.
• Ungagcwalisi kakhulu imigqomo kadoti futhi wenze isiqiniseko sokuthi isivalo silingana siqinile—ukuchichima ngokuvamile kuphelela emgwaqeni, kukhukhulwe emiseleni yeziphepho, kuphumele emanzini.
• Khuthaza ababhemayo ukuthi balahle izinqe zabo ngendlela efanele—kulinganiselwa ukuthi ingxenye eyodwa kwezintathu (izigidi eziyizinkulungwane ezingu-120) yazo zonke izinqamu zikagwayi ziphelela emanzini e-United States kuphela.
• Phatha ibhodlela lakho lamanzi futhi izikhwama zokuthenga ezingasetshenziswa kabusha nawe-sisebenzisa izikhwama eziyizigidi eziyizinkulungwane ezi-3 ngonyaka emhlabeni wonke futhi eziningi kakhulu zazo ziphenduka udoti.
• Gwema imikhiqizo yokunakekelwa komuntu siqu enakho "ama-microbeads" - sezigcwele yonke indawo emanzini nasemabhishi njengoba sezigcwele yonke indawo ekuxubeni amazinyo, ukugeza ubuso, neminye imikhiqizo kule minyaka eyishumi edlule.
• Khuthaza abakhiqizi nabanye ukuthi baphishekele ezinye izindlela ezingeziwe—i-Unilever, i-L'Oreal, i-Crest (i-Procter & Gamble), i-Johnson & Johnson, ne-Colgate Palmolive ngezinye zezinkampani ezivumile ukwenza kanjalo ekupheleni kuka-2015 noma u-2016 (ukuze uthole uhlu oluphelele).
• Khuthaza imboni ukuthi qhubeka nokufuna izixazululo zokuvimbela ipulasitiki kusukela ekungeneni olwandle kwasekuqaleni.