Kuningi kuleyo Lebula kunokuhlangana Neso

Ibhalwe nguMiranda Ossolinski

Kumelwe ngivume ukuthi ngangazi kakhulu ngocwaningo kunezindaba zokongiwa kolwandle ngenkathi ngiqala ukufunda e-The Ocean Foundation ehlobo lika-2009. Nokho, akuthathanga isikhathi eside ngaphambi kokuba ngidlulisele ukuhlakanipha kokongiwa kolwandle kwabanye. Ngaqala ukufundisa umndeni wami nabangane, ngibakhuthaza ukuba bathenge i-salmon yasendle esikhundleni se-salmon efuywayo, ngakholisa ubaba ukuthi anciphise ukusetshenziswa kwakhe kwe-tuna, futhi ngakhipha umhlahlandlela wami wephakethe we-Seafood Watch ezindaweni zokudlela nezitolo zegrosa.

Phakathi nehlobo lami lesibili e-TOF, ngijuba kuphrojekthi yocwaningo "nge-ecolabeling" ngokubambisana ne-Environmental Law Institute. Ngokukhula kokuduma kwemikhiqizo ebizwa ngokuthi “ilungele imvelo” noma “eluhlaza,” kubonakala kubaluleke nakakhulu ukubhekisisa izindinganiso ezithile ezidingekayo zomkhiqizo ngaphambi kokuba uthole i-ecolabel enkampanini ngayinye. Kuze kube manje, alikho izinga elilodwa le-ecolabel elixhaswe uhulumeni elihlobene nezinhlanzi noma imikhiqizo evela olwandle. Nokho, kunenqwaba yemizamo yangasese ye-ecolabel (isb. I-Marine Stewardship Council) kanye nokuhlola ukusimama kwezilwane zasolwandle (isb. leyo edalwe yiMonterey Bay Aquarium noma i-Blue Ocean Institute) ukwazisa ukukhetha kwabathengi nokukhuthaza izindlela ezingcono zokuvunwa noma ukukhiqizwa kwezinhlanzi.

Umsebenzi wami kwakuwukubheka izindinganiso eziningi ze-ecolabeling ukuze ngazise okungaba izindinganiso ezifanele zokuthola isitifiketi somuntu wesithathu sokudla kwasolwandle. Njengoba kunemikhiqizo eminingi ehlanganiswayo, bekujabulisa ukuthola ukuthi lawo malebula empeleni ayethini ngemikhiqizo ayiqinisekisayo.

Elinye lamazinga engalibuyekeza ocwaningweni lwami kwakuyiLife Cycle Assessment (LCA). I-LCA iyinqubo ehlanganisa zonke izinto ezibonakalayo namandla okokufaka kanye nokuphumayo ngaphakathi kwesigaba ngasinye somjikelezo wempilo yomkhiqizo. Eyaziwa nangokuthi "i-cradle to grave methodology," i-LCA izama ukunikeza isilinganiso esinembile nesiphelele somthelela womkhiqizo endaweni. Ngakho, i-LCA ingafakwa kumazinga asethelwe i-ecolabel.

I-Green Seal ingelinye lamalebula amaningi agunyaze zonke izinhlobo zemikhiqizo yansuku zonke, kusukela ephepheni lokuphrinta eligaywe kabusha kuye kwinsipho yesandla ewuketshezi. I-Green Seal ingelinye lama-ecolabels ambalwa amakhulu ahlanganise i-LCA enqubweni yokuqinisekisa yomkhiqizo wayo. Inqubo yayo yokunikeza isitifiketi yayihlanganisa inkathi Yokuhlola Umjikelezo Wempilo elandelwa ukuqaliswa kokusetshenziswa kohlelo lokunciphisa imithelela yomjikelezo wokuphila ngokusekelwe emiphumeleni yocwaningo. Ngenxa yalezi zindlela, iGreen Seal ihlangabezana nezindinganiso ezibekwe yi-ISO (Inhlangano Yamazwe Ngamazwe Yokumisa) kanye ne-US Environmental Protection Agency. Kwaba sobala phakathi nocwaningo lwami ukuthi ngisho nezindinganiso kufanele zihlangabezane nezindinganiso.

Naphezu kobunkimbinkimbi bezindinganiso eziningi ngaphakathi kwamazinga, ngifinyelele ekuqondeni kangcono inqubo yokugunyazwa kwemikhiqizo ephethe i-ecolabel efana neGreen Seal. Ilebula yeGreen Seal inamazinga amathathu esitifiketi (ithusi, isiliva, negolide). Ngayinye yakhela phezu komunye ngokulandelana, ukuze yonke imikhiqizo esezingeni legolide nayo ihlangabezane nezidingo zamazinga ethusi nesiliva. I-LCA iyingxenye yezinga ngalinye futhi ihlanganisa izidingo zokunciphisa noma zokuqeda imithelela ekutholweni kwempahla engavuthiwe, inqubo yokukhiqiza, izinto zokupakisha, kanye nokuthuthwa komkhiqizo, ukusetshenziswa, nokulahlwa.

Ngakho-ke, uma umuntu efuna ukuqinisekisa umkhiqizo wezinhlanzi, kuzodingeka abheke ukuthi izinhlanzi zibanjwe kuphi nokuthi kanjani (noma ukuthi zazifuywa kuphi futhi kanjani). Ukusuka lapho, ukusebenzisa i-LCA kungase kuhilele ukuthi yahanjiswa kude kangakanani ukuze icutshungulwe, ukuthi yacutshungulwa kanjani, yathunyelwa kanjani, umthelela owaziwayo wokukhiqiza nokusebenzisa izinto zokupakisha (isb. I-Styrofoam nokugoqwa kwepulasitiki), njalo njalo, kuze kufike ukuthengwa komthengi kanye nokulahlwa kwemfucuza. Ezinhlanzini ezifuywayo, umuntu uzophinde abheke uhlobo lokudla okusetshenziswayo, imithombo yokudla, ukusetshenziswa kwemithi elwa namagciwane kanye nezinye izidakamizwa, kanye nokwelashwa kokungcola okuvela ezikhungweni zepulazi.

Ukufunda nge-LCA kwangisiza ukuba ngiqonde kangcono izinto eziyinkimbinkimbi ngemuva kokulinganisa umthelela endaweni, ngisho nasezingeni lomuntu siqu. Nakuba ngazi ukuthi nginomphumela olimazayo endaweni ezungezile ngemikhiqizo engiyithengayo, ukudla engikudlayo, nezinto engizilahlayo, ngokuvamile kuba nzima ukubona ukuthi lowo mphumela ubaluleke kangakanani ngempela. Ngombono othi “cradle to grave”, kulula ukuqonda izinga langempela lalowo mthelela futhi uqonde ukuthi izinto engizisebenzisayo aziqali futhi azipheli ngami. Kuyangikhuthaza ukuthi ngiqaphele ukuthi umthelela wami uya kude kangakanani, ngenze imizamo yokuwunciphisa, futhi ngiqhubeke ngiphethe umhlahlandlela wami wephakethe we-Seafood Watch!

Owayengumfundi we-TOF u-Miranda Ossolinski uthweswe iziqu ngo-2012 eNyuvesi yaseFordham lapho aphumelela khona kabili ngeSpanishi neTheology. Uchithe intwasahlobo yonyaka wakhe omncane efunda eChile. Usanda kuphothula i-internship yezinyanga eziyisithupha eManhattan ne-PCI Media Impact, i-NGO egxile kwezemfundo yezokungcebeleka kanye nezokuxhumana ngokushintsha kwezenhlalo. Manje usebenza kwezokukhangisa eNew York.