UMA ufikelwa ukwesaba ngenxa yokuthi uzwa izindaba ezimbi njalo, awuwedwa. Ngo-2014, uBarack Obama, owayengumongameli waseMelika ngaleso sikhathi, wathi ngenxa yokuthi ziningi izinto ezimbi ezishiwo ezindabeni, abantu abaningi baphetha ngokuthi “akekho umuntu ongakwazi ukulungisa umonakalo owenzeka emhlabeni, ngenxa yokuthi awusalawuleki.”

Nokho, ngemva kokusho lawo mazwi wakhuluma ngokuqiniseka mayelana nezindlela zokulungisa izinkinga ezisemhlabeni. Wabiza ezinye izinhlelo zikahulumeni ngokuthi “ziyizindaba ezinhle” futhi wathi “unethemba lokuthi zizophumelela.” Ngamanye amazwi, wathi abantu banazo izindlela zokulungisa umhlaba, bavimbele umonakalo ongenzeka emhlabeni wonke.

Baningi abawusekelayo umbono wakhe. Ngokwesibonelo, abanye babeke ithemba labo kuyisayensi futhi bathi kuzoba nentuthuko kwezobuchwepheshe engalungisa umhlaba. Enye ingcweti kwezobuchwepheshe nasekusungulweni kwezinto, yasho ngokuqiniseka ukuthi ngonyaka ka-2030 “ezobuchwepheshe zizobe sezinamandla kakhulu, futhi ngo-2045 amandla azo azobe esephindwe ngesigidi.” Yanezela, “Indlela esenza ngayo ibonisa ukuthi lokho kuzofezeka. Nakuba izinkinga esibhekene nazo sezizimbi kakhulu, ikhono lethu lokuzilungisa lithuthuka ngokushesha ukudlula izinga ezenzeka ngalo.”

Libi kangakanani ngempela izwe? Kuyiqiniso yini ukuthi sekuseduze ukuba kwenzeke inhlekelele ezobhubhisa umhlaba wonke? Nakuba ososayensi nabezepolitiki bethi umhlaba uzolungiseka, abantu abaningi sebephelelwe ithemba. Kungani?

IZIKHALI ZEMBUBHISO. Imizamo yenhlangano yeZizwe Ezihlangene nezinye izinhlangano, ihlulekile ukuqeda izikhali zenuzi. Kunalokho, abanye abaholi bayenza ihlaya imithetho enqabela ukusetshenziswa kwalezi zikhali. Amazwe anomlando wokuba nezikhali zenuzi, ayazithuthukisa izikhali zawo futhi enza nezinye eziyingozi nakakhulu. Namazwe ayengenazo izikhali zembubhiso ngaphambili, asengakwazi ukubulala abantu abaningi.

Okwenza umhlaba ube indawo engaphephile ngisho noma kuthiwa “kunokuthula,” ukuthi izizwe sezikulungele kunanini ngaphambili ukuhlasela ngezikhali zenuzi. I-Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists ixwayisa ngokuthi, “Uma bekungaba khona izikhali eziyingozi ezikwazi ukubulala ngaphandle kokuqondiswa umuntu, lokho bekungenza abantu bahlalele ovalweni.”

 IMPILO YETHU ISENGCUPHENI. Kuncane kakhulu okungenziwa isayensi ukuze sibe nempilo enhle. Ziyanda izinkinga zempilo ezibangelwa ukunyuka komfutho wegazi, ukukhuluphala, ukungcoliswa komoya nokusetshenziswa kabi kwezidakamizwa. Abantu abaningi babulawa izifo ezingalapheki ezinjengomdlavuza, isifo senhliziyo kanye nesifo sikashukela. Bayanda nabantu abakhubazwa ezinye izifo, ezihlanganisa nokuphazamiseka kwengqondo. Eminyakeni yamuva, sibone izifo eziyingozi ezisabalala ngokushesha ezifana ne-Ebola kanye negciwane iZika. Kuyacaca ukuthi ayikho into engenziwa abantu ukuze baqede ukugula.

ABANTU BALIMAZA IMVELO. Amafemu ayaqhubeka engcolisa umoya. Minyaka yonke kufa izigidi zabantu ngenxa yokuhogela umoya ongcolile.

Abantu, imiphakathi, kanye nezinhlangano zikahulumeni bayaqhubeka nokuchitha olwandle indle, udoti olahlwa izibhedlela namakiliniki nabezolimo, amapulastiki nokunye. I-Encyclopedia of Marine Science ithi, “Lokhu kungcoliswa kwamanzi kulimaza izilwane nezitshalo zasolwandle kanye nabantu abadla lezo zilwane nezitshalo.”

Ayaphela amanzi ahlanzekile. URobin McKie waseBrithani obhala ngesayensi uyaxwayisa, “Umhlaba wonke ubhekene nenkinga yamanzi.” Abezepolitiki bayavuma ukuthi abantu yibona abayimbangela enkulu yokushoda kwamanzi futhi ukushoda kwawo kuyinkinga enkulu.

IMVELO IHLASELA ABANTU. Iziphepho nokuzamazama komhlaba kubangela izikhukhula nokudilika kwenhlabathi okulimazayo, kubangele nezinye izinkinga. Baningi kunanini ngaphambili abantu abafile noma bavelelwa yizinkinga ngenxa yalezi zinto. Ucwaningo olwenziwe inhlangano yezasemkhathini yaseMelika i-NASA, lubonise ukuthi kusengenzeka kube “nezinye iziphepho, ukushisa okubulalayo, kanye nezikhukhula nesomiso.” Imvelo izobabhubhisa ngempela yini abantu?

Kungenzeka zikhona nezinye izinto ozicabangayo ezingasibulala. Nokho, izimpendulo ezanelisayo ngokuthi ikusasa lisiphatheleni ngeke uzithole ngokuhlola zonke izinto ezimbi ezenzakayo namuhla. Abanye bathi ngeke uzithole ngisho noma ungalalela okushiwo abezepolitiki kanye nososayensi. Njengoba kubonisiwe esihlokweni esidlule, abaningi bazitholile izimpendulo ezanelisayo zemibuzo yabo emayelana nezinto ezenzekayo ezweni kanye nekusasa. Zitholakalaphi lezo zimpendulo?