Amandla—Kutheni Efuneka Kangaka Nje?

UMICAH wazalwa ngoAgasti 2003. Yimoto ehamba ngepetroli eyabalekisela unina kwisibhedlele awabelekela kuso. Isibhedlele awazalelwa kuso sixhomekeke kumbane ophehlwa kwiziko elisebenza ngamalahle. Igumbi azalelwa kulo lifudunyezwa ngenkqubo esebenzisa igesi. Ukuba kwakunokusilela omnye kule mithombo yamandla, ubomi bemveku enguMicah babuya kuba sengozini.

Impucuko yanamhlanje awazalelwa kuyo uMicah ixhomekeke kwimithombo emininzi yamandla ukuze ihlale ikho. Enoba kungayiphi na indlela, mihla le sixhomekeke kumandla afumaneka kwizimbiwa—ukuya emsebenzini, ukupheka ukutya, okanye ukukhanyisa, ukufudumeza nokupholisa amakhaya ethu. IWorld Resources Institute ithi, “amandla amalunga nama-90 ekhulwini asetyenziswa kwezorhwebo ehlabathini lonke afumaneka kwizimbiwa.” Ingxelo eyapapashwa leli Ziko ngowama-2000 ithi: “Xa kuthethwa ngamandla, ioli ngowona mthombo wamandla uphambili kwasetyenziswa ehlabathini, kuba ingama-40 ekhulwini, ize ilandelwe ngamalahle, angama-26 ekhulwini ize yona igesi ibe malunga nama-24 ekhulwini.”a

Ulindixesha iBioscience uthi: “Ngonyaka, ngokomlinganiselo mntu ngamnye waseMerika usebenzisa amandla azii-kilowatt-hours ezingama-93 000 kuyo yonke into, kuquka ezothutho, ukufudumeza nokupholisa indlu, yaye loo mandla alingana neelitha zeoli ezingama-8 000.” EMzantsi Afrika, eOstreliya, ePoland naseTshayina, umbane ongaphezu kwama-75 ekhulwini uveliswa ngamalahle. I-Indiya ixhomekeke emalahleni ukuze iphehle umbane ongama-60 ekhulwini, ngoxa ngaphezu kwesiqingatha sombane waseUnited States naseJamani uveliswa ngamalahle.

Kwinqaku elithi “Life After Oil [Kwakuba Kusetyenziswa Ioli]” enye intatheli uJeremiah Creedon uthi: “Bambalwa abantu abayaziyo into yokuba ukuze kuveliswe ukutya okusehlabathini ngoku kusetyenziswa ioli. Ioli negesi ifuneka ngamandla kuyo nantoni na ephathelele ukulima namhlanje, kususela ekwenziweni kwezichumiso ukusa ekuthuthweni kwesivuno.” (Iphephancwadi iUtne Reader) Kodwa kunokuthenjelwa kangakanani kule mithombo yamandla obuxhomekeke kuyo ubomi babantu namhlanje? Ngaba ikho eminye imithombo yamandla enokusetyenziswa endaweni yayo?

[Umbhalo osemazantsi]