Ngo-2050, kulindeleke ukuba kubekho abantu abangama-10 ezigidi. Oku kuthetha ukuba iplanethi yoMhlaba kuya kufuneka yokondla kwaye ibonelele ngazo zonke izibonelelo ezifunekayo kuluntu ngamnye. Sicinga ukuba unako, kodwa into ebuhlungu kukuba ukutya, amanzi, i-oyile, nezinye izinto ezininzi esinazo ngoku zimbalwa.
Ukuba kude kube ngoku bekusiliwa iimfazwe ukoyisa imimandla emitsha, kumaxesha akutshanje sibona ezinye iintlobo zongquzulwano, kwaye imeko ibonakala ngathi ayifuni kutshintsha. Ngapha koko, ayitsho nje into yokuba iMfazwe yesiThathu yeHlabathi iya kuba malunga namanzi, kodwa imeko-bume iya kwahluka kakhulu, yahluke kakhulu ukuba siyaqhubeka nokuzibandakanya ekugubungeleni iindawo eziluhlaza ngesamente kunye netela endaweni yokunyamekela iplanethi. Yonke into ingatshintsha ukuya kuthi ga kwinqanaba lokuba sibange nexesha elitsha lejoloji: iPlutocene.
Yintoni iPlutocene?
I-Plutocene ligama eliqulunqwe ngu-paleoclimatologist u-Andrew Glikson, osuka kwiYunivesithi yeSizwe yase-Australia, ngubani ichaza ixesha emva kweAnthropocene, eya kuphawulwa ngendawo yolwandle kulwandle olutyebileyo kwi-plutonium.
Babuza kuba njani ubomi eMhlabeni?
Inzima kakhulu. Ngokuka-Glikson, iqondo lobushushu eliqhelekileyo lomhlaba liza kunyuka liye I-4 isidanga esiphakathi ngaphezulu kwamaxesha angaphambi kokushishina, kwaye inqanaba lolwandle liza kunyuka phakathi 10 kunye ne-40 yeemitha ngaphezulu kwale ikhoyo ngoku.
Ukuba bekukho umntu, oku baya kunyanzelwa ukuba bafudukele kwiindawo eziphakamileyo kunye nobubanzi ukuze baphile. Kodwa, njengoko isazinzulu sichaza, ubuntu buya kubeka umngcipheko wokunyamalala.
Iza kuthatha ixesha elingakanani?
I-paleoclimatologist ivakalise ukuba ubude be-Plutocene buya kuxhomekeka kwizinto ezimbini: kwisiqingatha sobomi be-radioactive plutonium 239 - esetyenziselwa ukuvelisa izixhobo zenyukliya- kunye nexesha elinokuthi i-carbon dioxide ihlale emoyeni. Lilonke, ucinga ukuba ingahlala phakathi Iminyaka ye-20.000 kunye ne-24.100.
Ukuthintela oku, kuya kunceda kakhulu ukuba kungaqhubeki nokwakha okanye ukwenza izixhobo zenyukliya okanye ukungcolisa umhlaba. Akufanele silibale ukuba, ubuncinci okwangoku, kuphela kwekhaya esinalo.
Ukuba ufuna ulwazi oluthe kratya, nqakraza apha.