Namhlanje i-Op-Ed evela kwi ENew York Times:
Kutheni Imithi Ibalulekile
NguJim Robbins
Ipapashwe: Nge-Epreli 11, 2012
Helena, Mont.
IMITHI iphambili kwimozulu yethu eguqukayo. Kwaye xa imithi emidala emhlabeni iqala ukufa ngokukhawuleza, lixesha lokunikela ingqalelo.
Amahlathi amandulo akuMntla Merika athwaxwa nguqongqothwane kunye nomngundo waseAsia. E-Texas, imbalela ethathe ixesha elide yabulala ngaphezu kwezigidi ezihlanu zemithi yasezidolophini kunyaka ophelileyo kunye nesiqingatha sebhiliyoni yemithi kwiipaki nasemahlathini. EAmazon, iimbalela ezimbini zibulele amawaka ezigidi ezingakumbi.
Eyona nto ixhaphakileyo ibikubushushu, nemozulu eyomileyo.
Asikujongeli phantsi ukubaluleka kwemithi. Ayiyomithombo nje emnandi yomthunzi kodwa yimpendulo enokuba ngundoqo kwezinye zezona ngxaki zicinezelayo zokusingqongileyo. Sibathatha njengento nje, kodwa ngummangaliso okufutshane. Kwintwana ye-alchemy yendalo ebizwa ngokuba yi-photosynthesis, umzekelo, imithi ijika enye yezona zinto zibonakala zingenasihlahla kuzo zonke - ukukhanya kwelanga - zibe kukutya kwezinambuzane, izilwanyana zasendle kunye nabantu, kwaye ziyisebenzisele ukudala umthunzi, ubuhle kunye neenkuni zokubasa, ifenitshala kunye amakhaya.
Kuyo yonke loo nto, ihlathi elingaqhekekanga elalikade ligquma inxalenye enkulu yelizwekazi ngoku lidutyulwe linemingxuma.
Abantu baye bagawula eyona mithi mikhulu nelungileyo baze bayishiye ngasemva loo mithi. Kuthetha ukuthini oko kukufaneleka kwemfuza yamahlathi ethu? Akukho mntu wazi ngokuqinisekileyo, kuba imithi namahlathi aqondwa kakuhle phantse kuwo onke amanqanaba. “Kuyabangela iintloni indlela esisazi ngayo,” omnye umphandi odumileyo weredwood wandixelela.
Noko ke, into esiyaziyo ibonisa ukuba into eyenziwa yimithi ibalulekile nangona isoloko ingabonakali. Kumashumi eminyaka eyadlulayo, uKatsuhiko Matsunaga, usokhemesti waselwandle kwiYunivesithi yaseHokkaido eJapan, wafumanisa ukuba xa amagqabi omthi ebola, akhuphela iiasidi elwandle ezinceda ukuchumisa iplankton. Xa iplankton ikhula, kunjalo ke lonke ikhonkco lokutya. Kwiphulo elibizwa Amahlathi Ngabathanda Ulwandle, abalobi baye baphinda batyala amahlathi agudle unxweme nemilambo ukuze babuyise iintlanzi neembatyisi. Kwaye babuyile.
Imithi zizihluzo zamanzi zendalo, ezikwazi ukucoca inkunkuma enetyhefu kakhulu, kuquka iziqhushumbisi, izinyibilikisi kunye nenkunkuma ephilayo, ubukhulu becala ngoluntu oluxineneyo lwemicrobes ejikeleze iingcambu zomthi ezicoca amanzi ngokutshintshiselana ngezondlo, inkqubo eyaziwa ngokuba yiphytoremediation. Amagqabi emithi nawo ahluza ungcoliseko lomoya. Uphononongo olwenziwa ngo-2008 ngabaphandi kwiYunivesithi yase-Columbia bafumanisa ukuba imithi emininzi kwimimandla yasezidolophini ihambelana nesiganeko esisezantsi se-asthma.
EJapan, abaphandi kudala befunda into abayibiza ngokuba “ukuhlamba ehlathini.” Ukuhamba ehlathini, bathi, kunciphisa inqanaba lemichiza yoxinzelelo emzimbeni kwaye kwandisa iiseli ezibulalayo zendalo kwi-immune system, ezilwa namathumba kunye neentsholongwane. Uhlolisiso olwenziwa kwizixeko ezingaphakathi lubonisa ukuba ukuxhalaba, ukudandatheka kwanolwaphulo-mthetho luyancipha kwindawo enembonakalo-mhlaba.
Imithi ikwakhupha amafu amaninzi emichiza eluncedo. Ngomlinganiselo omkhulu, eminye yala ma-aerosols ibonakala inceda ekulawuleni imozulu; ezinye zichasene ne-bacterial, anti-fungal kunye ne-anti-viral. Kufuneka sifunde banzi ngendima edlalwa yile michiza kwindalo. Enye yezi zinto, i-taxane, evela kumthi wePasifiki yeyew, iye yaba lunyango olunamandla kumabele neminye imihlaza. Isithako esisebenzayo seAspirin sivela kwimingcunube.
Imithi ayisetyenziswa kakhulu njenge-eco-teknoloji. "Imithi esebenzayo" inokufunxa enye i-phosphorus kunye nenitrogen engaphezulu ebaleka emasimini kwaye incede ukuphilisa indawo efileyo kwiGulf of Mexico. EAfrika, izigidi zeehektare zomhlaba obharhileyo ziye zabuyiselwa ngokukhula kwemithi ngobuchule.
Imithi ikwasisikhuselo sobushushu kwisijikelezi-langa. Bagcina ikhonkrithi kunye ne-asphalt yezixeko kunye namadlelo edolophu i-10 okanye ngaphezulu i-degrees epholile kwaye ikhusela ulusu lwethu kwimitha yelanga ye-UV eyingozi. Isebe laseTexas lezamaHlathi liqikelele ukuba ukufa kwemithi yomthunzi kuya kubiza i-Texans amakhulu ezigidi zeedola ngaphezulu kwe-air-conditioning. Imithi, ngokuqinisekileyo, i-sequester carbon, igesi ye-greenhouse eyenza umhlaba ube shushu. Uphononongo lweCarnegie Institution for Science lukwafumanise ukuba umphunga wamanzi osuka emahlathini wehlisa amaqondo obushushu akwindawo engqongileyo.
Umbuzo omkhulu ngowokuba, yeyiphi imithi esifanele siyityala? Kwiminyaka elishumi edlulileyo, ndadibana nomfama womthi womthunzi ogama linguDavid Milarch, umseki weProjekthi yeChampion Tree othe wahlanganisa eyona mithi midala nenkulu ehlabathini ukukhusela imfuzo, ukusuka kwi-redwoods yaseCalifornia ukuya kwi-oki yase-Ireland. Uthi: “Le yimithi emikhulu, yaye iye yamelana novavanyo lwexesha.
Inzululwazi ayazi ukuba ezi zofuzo ziya kubaluleka kwiplanethi efudumeleyo, kodwa isaci esidala sibonakala sifanelekile. “Leliphi elona xesha lilungileyo lokutyala umthi?” Impendulo: “Kwiminyaka engamashumi amabini eyadlulayo. Ixesha lesibini-elilungileyo? Namhlanje.”
UJim Robbins ngumbhali wencwadi ezayo ethi "Indoda eyatyala Imithi."