Ngexesha lenkulungwane yamashumi amabini, iSixeko sasixhomekeke kwinani leziza zokulahla inkunkuma. Kwathi ke, ngoDisemba 2001, indawo yokulahla inkunkuma yesixeko, iFresh Kills Landfill eStenen Island, yavalwa. Ukuphendula, samkela isicwangciso seminyaka engama-20 sokuthumela inkunkuma kwamanye amazwe.
Umthetho oyilwayo wesixeko wokuqokelela nokulahla inkunkuma yendawo yokuhlala utsibe malunga ne- $ 658 yezigidi ngonyaka ka-2000 ukuya kuthi ga kwi-1/4 yekota yeedola ngo-2008. Ngelixa enye yexabiso lentengo, uninzi lwayo lubangelwa lixabiso eliphezulu lokuhambisa kunye nokugcwalisa inkunkuma ngaphandle korhulumente. Isicwangciso sexesha elide seSixeko kukunciphisa iindleko ngokurisayikilisha ngakumbi, ukunciphisa inkunkuma kunye nokwakha inkqubo yokuhambisa inkunkuma ngasemanzini ingaxhomekeki kwiilori kwaye ikwazi ukusebenzisa izikhongozeli ukuhambisa inkunkuma ngebarge kunye nokuqeqesha kude kude kwiindawo zokulahla inkunkuma.
Kunzima ukucinga ngenkqubo yolawulo lwenkunkuma eyonakalisa indalo ngakumbi kunaleyo sinayo eNew York. Ngokwenyani, akunzima kangako ukucinga, ukuba ujonga ngasemva kwaye ukhumbule ixesha laxa sayilahla inkunkuma yethu elwandle, okanye sisebenzisa izitovu ezitshisayo kumagumbi angaphantsi kwezakhiwo zeeflethi ukutshisa inkunkuma ebusuku.
Namhlanje siqokelela inkunkuma eneelori ezisebenzisa idizili engcolisayo kwaye emva koko siyilahla phantsi kumgangatho wezitishi zokudlulisa inkunkuma ezihlala kwiindawo ezihlwempuzekileyo. Emva koko siyilahla phantsi inkunkuma siyilayishe kwiilori ezinkulu ezitshisa idizili engcolisayo kwaye siyithumele kwiindawo ekulahlwa kuzo inkunkuma nakwizitshisi zamandla ezikude neSixeko saseNew York.
Ngelixa yonke inkqubo yethu yamanzi ingokwethu, inkqubo yethu yenkunkuma isishiya nemfesane kwindawo yentengiso yabucala kunye neminqweno yeCongress nakwamanye amazwe. Inkqubo yangoku yenkunkuma yokuthumela ngaphandle ishiya isixeko sesichengeni ekuhambeni kwexesha. Kunzima ukugcwalisa inkunkuma kule ngingqi kunakuqala. Inkcaso yezopolitiko ekugcwaliseni umhlaba ngoku iyanda kwiindawo ezininzi zokulahla inkunkuma. Imithetho esayilwayo iziswa rhoqo phambi kweCongress eya kugunyazisa oorhulumente basekhaya, oorhulumente bamazwe, kunye neerhuluneli ukuba bathintele okanye bathintele ukufunyanwa kwenkunkuma ephuma kurhulumente.
Nangona ukudluliswa kwala mabhili kude nokuqinisekileyo, ukubakho kokudlula kule minyaka ingamashumi amabini izayo kubalulekile ngokwaneleyo ukuba kuqinisekiswe ngenkxalabo. Kwangokunjalo, imigaqo engqingqwa yokugcwaliswa komhlaba ngokutsha nguRhulumente kunye neeArhente zoKhuselo lokusiNgqongileyo zikarhulumente zinokunyusa iindleko zokugcwaliswa komhlaba ngokutsha kunye nokunciphisa amandla okulahla inkunkuma kwixesha elizayo. Okokugqibela, abaqhubi benkunkuma ngokuqinisekileyo baya kunyusa amaxabiso ngokuhamba kwexesha, kwaye urhulumente noorhulumente bakamasipala baya kuthi benze irhafu ekulahlweni kwenkunkuma.
Kutheni le nto abantu baseNew York benza inkunkuma engaka? Kulungile sibaninzi kwaye abantu baseNew York ngabantu abaxakekileyo- siyayilahla inkunkuma ngokungeyomfuneko kwaye asithandi ukuhlela inkunkuma yethu. Sikhetha ukungacingi ngenkunkuma okanye apho izakuphelela khona. Ndicinga ukuba sinale fantasy yokuba ezo nduli zeplastiki ziluhlaza zengxowa zenkunkuma ezitalatweni zihanjiswe ngomlingo zaya ezulwini.
Iinkokheli ezikhethiweyo zaseNew York ziyazi ukuba inkunkuma ayisiyompumelelo. Logama nje ukwanda kweendleko zokuthumela ngaphandle inkunkuma kuqhubeka ngokuthe ngcembe, akunakulindeleka ukuba kubekho ingxolo eyoneleyo yezopolitiko yokunyanzela usodolophu ohleliyo ukuba aphinde acinge ngenkunkuma ethunyelwa ngaphandle. Akukho sodolophu kwingqondo yakhe efanelekileyo oya kuzama ukwakha isitofu sokulahla inkunkuma okanye inkunkuma kwindawo ekufuphi nesixeko.
Okwangoku, iteknoloji yokutshiswa kwenkunkuma iqhubele phambili kakhulu ukusukela oko sayeka ukusebenzisa ezo ndawo zitshisayo zitshisayo kwi-1960's. EJapan, iipesenti ezingama-70 zayo yonke inkunkuma iyatshiswa kwaye ivelise umbane kule nkqubo. Ngelixa ukutshisa kungcolisa umoya, ukungcola okuncinci kunokuhambisa inkunkuma kwiilori ezisebenzisa idizili ukuya kwiindawo ekulahlwa kuzo umhlaba.
Sithini isisombululo? Ngo-2003 ndacebisa ukuba inkunkuma yethu ndiyibekele izityalo zokuchitha inkunkuma nezifumaneka kwezinye zeedolophu ezinengxaki yezoqoqosho kufutshane ne-Hudson River. Oku kunokubonelela ngemisebenzi kunye namandla aphantsi kwiidolophu ezinokuthi zizisebenzise ngokwenene. Ngelixa ndisawuthanda lo mbono, akekho omnye umntu owenzayo.
Uluvo olulandelayo ndingathanda ukulucebisa kukuphuhlisa izibonelelo zokulawulwa kwenkunkuma esekwe eluntwini. Mhlawumbi inkunkuma encinci kumandla ezityalo adityaniswa nezixhobo zokurisayikilisha kunye nee-anaerobic digesters (uhlobo lwesibonelelo sekhomputha esizenzekelayo) zinokufumaneka kuzo zonke izithili zebhodi yoluntu ezingama-59 esixekweni. Ewe, singaphulukana noqoqosho lwesikali ekulawuleni la maziko amancinci, kwaye ezinye iindawo ziya kuba nengxaki yokufumana indawo yokubeka. Okwangoku, isenokuba lixesha elifanelekileyo lokuphuhlisa itekhnoloji yokwenza indawo encinci, engabizi mali ininzi. Ukuba wonke umntu ebenokuphatha inkunkuma yakhe, mhlawumbi singafumana indlela yokwenza okuncinci.
