Inkunkuma Engaqhelekanga!

NGOLWESIHLANU, ngoMatshi 24, 1989 inqanawa ethwala ioli iExxon Valdez yantlitha ummango oselwandle kwiPrince William Sound eAlaska. Ngenxa yoko, izigidi ezingama-42 zeelitha zeoli ekrwada zachitheka emanzini. Le ntlekele yasongela indlela ababeziphilisa ngayo ababambisi beentlanzi bakuloo mmandla, yangcolisa amakhulu-khulu ekhilomitha zommandla ongaselunxwemeni, yaza yatshabalalisa amawakawaka eentaka nezilwanyana zaselwandle.

Isiganeko se-Exxon Valdez sisaqhubeka sichukumisa iimvakalelo zabantu abawuxhalabeleyo ummandla obangqongileyo. Noko ke, “ukuchithwa kweoli” okunobungozi ngokungaqondakaliyo kwenzeka imihla ngemihla. Yaye kusenokuba oku kwenzeka kufutshane nendawo ohlala kuyo!

Ngokutsho kweConsumer Reports, abantu abazitshintshela ngokwabo ioli yeenjini zeenqwelo-mafutha zabo bachitha iilitha zeoli esetyenzisiweyo eziphakathi kwama-750 ezigidi ne-1,5 lamawaka ezigidi nyaka ngamnye. Kunikelwa ingxelo yokuba, “li-10 ukusa kwi-14 ekhulwini kuphela laloo oli elichithwa ngendlela efanelekileyo.” Le oli incinane isetyenzisiweyo iphinda isetyenziswe, njengoko ngayo kunokuveliswa ezinye izinto ezisebenzisekayo. Kodwa kwenzeka ntoni kweninzi? Kusenokuba, abantu abaneenqwelo-mafutha basuka bayichithe njengayo nayiphi na into elahlwayo.

Nyaka ngamnye izigidi zeelitha zeoli esetyenzisiweyo zichithelwa emhlabeni, kwimijelo yamanzi, okanye kwiindawo zokuchitha amanzi amdaka. Ubuncinane kungafuneka kuchitheke ioli ethwelwe ziiExxon Valdez ezingama-25 ukuze kufikelelwe ioli engako! Kodwa ioli esetyenzisiweyo nezinye izinto ezisetyenziswa ziinqwelo-mafutha njengomchiza othintela amanzi angabi ngomkhenkce, ibrake fluid netransmission oil asiyonkunkuma engaqhelekanga. Yinkunkuma engcole ngakumbi.

IConsumer Reports ithi ukuba ioli ingena “kumanzi aselwayo, kunokubakho imiphumo eyintlekele: [Ilitha] enye yeoli esetyenzisiweyo inokwenza ukuba isigidi [seelitha] zamanzi acocekileyo singabi nakuselwa, yaye [isiqingatha selitha] yeoli sinokugubungela ummandla [osisi-0,4 seehektare] emanzini.”