I-Op-Ed yanamuhla evela ku- New York Times:
Kungani Izihlahla Zibalulekile
Ibhalwe nguJim Robbins
Kushicilelwe: Ephreli 11, 2012
Helena, Mont.
IZIHLAHLA zihamba phambili ekushintsheni kwesimo sezulu sethu. Futhi lapho izihlahla ezindala kunazo zonke emhlabeni ziqala ukufa ngokuzumayo, sekuyisikhathi sokunaka.
Amahlathi e-alpine bristlecone asendulo aseNyakatho Melika aba izisulu zebhungane elidla lubi kanye nokhunta lwase-Asia. E-Texas, isomiso esithathe isikhathi eside sabulala izihlahla zethunzi zasemadolobheni ezingaphezu kwezigidi ezinhlanu ngonyaka odlule kanye nezihlahla ezengeziwe eziyisigamu sebhiliyoni emapaki nasemahlathini. E-Amazon, isomiso esibi ezimbili siye sabulala izigidigidi ezengeziwe.
Isici esivamile kube sezulu esishisayo, esomile.
Asikubukeli phansi ukubaluleka kwezihlahla. Abayona nje imithombo emnandi yomthunzi kodwa impendulo engaba enkulu kwezinye zezinkinga zethu zemvelo ezicindezela kakhulu. Siwathatha kalula, kepha ayisimangaliso esiseduze. Endabeni ye-alchemy yemvelo ebizwa ngokuthi i-photosynthesis, isibonelo, izihlahla ziguqula enye yezinto ezibonakala zingenamandla kunazo zonke - ukukhanya kwelanga - zibe ukudla kwezinambuzane, izilwane zasendle nabantu, futhi zisebenzise ukudala umthunzi, ubuhle kanye nezinkuni zokubasa, ifenisha kanye nezindlu.
Kukho konke lokho, ihlathi elingaphukile elake lamboza ingxenye enkulu yezwekazi manje selidutshulwe ngezimbobo.
Abantu bagawule izihlahla ezinkulu nezingcono kakhulu futhi bashiya imigodi ngemuva. Kusho ukuthini lokho ngokufaneleka kwezakhi zofuzo zamahlathi ethu? Akekho owazi ngokuqinisekile, ngoba izihlahla namahlathi akuqondakali cishe kuwo wonke amazinga. “Kuyabangela amahloni ukuthi kuncane esikwaziyo,” kusho omunye umcwaningi odumile we-redwood.
Nokho, esikwaziyo kusikisela ukuthi okwenziwa yizihlahla kubalulekile nakuba ngokuvamile kungabonakali. Emashumini eminyaka adlule, uKatsuhiko Matsunaga, isazi samakhemikhali sasolwandle eNyuvesi yaseHokkaido eJapane, wathola ukuthi lapho amaqabunga esihlahla ebola, avundisa ama-asidi olwandle asiza ekuvundiseni i-plankton. Lapho ama-plankton echuma, kanjalo nalo lonke uchungechunge lokudla. Emkhankasweni obizwa ngokuthi Amahlathi Abathandi Bolwandle, abadobi baye batshala kabusha amahlathi ngasogwini nasemifuleni ukuze babuyise izinhlanzi nama-oyster stocks. Futhi sebebuyile.
Izihlahla ziyizihlungi zamanzi zemvelo, ezikwazi ukuhlanza imfucumfucu enobuthi kakhulu, okuhlanganisa iziqhumane, izincibilikisi kanye nemfucumfucu yemvelo, ikakhulukazi ngokusebenzisa umphakathi ominyene wamagciwane azungeze izimpande zesihlahla ahlanza amanzi ngokushintshanisa imisoco, inqubo eyaziwa ngokuthi i-phytoremediation. Amaqabunga ezihlahla nawo ahlunga ukungcoliswa komoya. Ucwaningo lwango-2008 olwenziwa abacwaningi base-Columbia University lwathola ukuthi izihlahla eziningi ezindaweni zasemadolobheni zihlobana nezinga eliphansi le-asthma.
EJapane, abacwaningi kudala befunda lokho abakubiza ngokuthi “ukugeza ihlathi.” Ukuhamba ehlathini, bathi, kunciphisa izinga lamakhemikhali okucindezeleka emzimbeni futhi kwandisa amangqamuzana abulalayo emvelo amasosha omzimba, alwa namathumba namagciwane. Ucwaningo olwenziwe emadolobheni angaphakathi lubonisa ukuthi ukukhathazeka, ukucindezeleka ngisho nobugebengu buphansi endaweni ezungezile.
Izihlahla ziphinde zikhiphe amafu amakhulu amakhemikhali anenzuzo. Ngezinga elikhulu, amanye alawa ma-aerosol abonakala esiza ekulawuleni isimo sezulu; ezinye ziyi-anti-bacterial, anti-fungal kanye ne-anti-viral. Kudingeka sifunde kabanzi mayelana neqhaza elidlalwa yila makhemikhali endalweni. Enye yalezi zinto, i-taxane, evela esihlahleni se-yew sasePacific, isiphenduke ukwelapha okunamandla kwebele neminye imidlavuza. Isithako esisebenzayo se-Aspirin sivela emingculuni.
Izihlahla zisetshenziswa kancane kakhulu njenge-eco-technology. “Izihlahla ezisebenzayo” zingamunca enye ye-phosphorus ne-nitrogen eyeqile ephuma emasimini futhi isize ekwelapheni indawo efile eGulf of Mexico. E-Afrika, izigidi zamahektha omhlaba owomile ziye zabuyiswa ngokukhula kwezihlahla okunesu elihle.
Izihlahla nazo ziyizivikelo zokushisa zeplanethi. Zigcina ukhonkolo netiyela lamadolobha nezindawo ezingaphansi kwedolobha lipholile ngama-degree angu-10 noma ngaphezulu futhi zivikela isikhumba sethu emisebeni yelanga eyingozi ye-UV. Umnyango Wezamahlathi waseTexas ulinganisele ukuthi ukufa kwezihlahla zomthunzi kuzobiza ama-Texans amakhulu ezigidi zamaRandi ngaphezulu kokupholisa umoya. Izihlahla, i-sequester carbon, igesi ebamba ukushisa eyenza iplanethi ifudumale. Ucwaningo olwenziwa yiCarnegie Institution for Science luphinde lwathola ukuthi umhwamuko wamanzi ovela emahlathini wehlisa amazinga okushisa asendaweni.
Umbuzo omkhulu uthi, yiziphi izihlahla okufanele ngabe sizitshala? Eminyakeni eyishumi edlule, ngahlangana nomlimi wezihlahla zomthunzi ogama lakhe lingu-David Milarch, umsunguli we-Champion Tree Project obelokhu ehlanganisa ezinye zezihlahla ezindala nezinkulu kunazo zonke emhlabeni ukuze kuvikelwe izakhi zazo zofuzo, kusukela e-California redwoods kuya ezihlahleni ze-oki zase-Ireland. Uthi: “Lezi izihlahla ezinkulu, futhi ziye zamelana novivinyo lwesikhathi.
Isayensi ayazi ukuthi lezi zakhi zofuzo zizobaluleka yini emhlabeni ofudumele, kodwa isaga esidala sibonakala sifanelekile. “Isiphi isikhathi esingcono kakhulu sokutshala isihlahla?” Impendulo: “Eminyakeni engamashumi amabili edlule. Isikhathi sesibili-esingcono kakhulu? Namuhla.”
UJim Robbins ungumbhali wencwadi ezayo ethi “Indoda Eyatshala Izihlahla.”