Ukuvundiswa kwe-iron olwandle: Ingabe ukwanda kwensimbi olwandle kuwukulungisa okusimeme ekushintsheni kwesimo sezulu?

• About the Author:
• Igama lomlobi

  I-Quantumrun Foresight
• October 3, 2022

Isifinyezo sokuqonda

Behlola indima yolwandle ekushintsheni kwesimo sezulu, ososayensi bahlola ukuthi ukwengeza i-iron emanzini olwandle kungathuthukisa yini izinto eziphilayo ezimunca isikhutha. Le ndlela, nakuba ivusa ilukuluku, ingase ingasebenzi ngendlela obekulindelwe ngayo ngenxa yebhalansi eyinkimbinkimbi yezinto eziphilayo zasolwandle kanye nama-microorganisms azilawulayo. Imithelela idlulela kunqubomgomo kanye nezimboni, kanye nezicelo zokucutshungulwa ngokucophelela komthelela kwezemvelo kanye nokuthuthukiswa kwezindlela ezingangeneleli kakhulu zokudliwa kwekhabhoni.

Ingqikithi yokuvundiswa kwensimbi yolwandle

Ososayensi benza ucwaningo olwandle ngokwandisa insimbi yalo ukuze bakhuthaze ukukhula kwezinto eziphilayo ezimunca isikhutha. Ngenkathi izifundo zithembisa ekuqaleni, abanye abacwaningi baphikisa ngokuthi ukuvundiswa kwensimbi yolwandle ngeke kube nomthelela omncane ekubuyiseleni ukuguquka kwesimo sezulu.

Izilwandle zomhlaba zinesibopho ngokwengxenye ekugcineni amazinga ekhabhoni yasemkhathini, ikakhulukazi ngomsebenzi we-phytoplankton. Lezi zinto eziphilayo zithatha i-carbon dioxide emkhathini ezitshalweni kanye ne-photosynthesis; lezo ezingadliwayo, zigcina ikhabhoni futhi zizike phansi olwandle. I-Phytoplankton ingalala phansi olwandle amakhulu noma izinkulungwane zeminyaka.

Nokho, i-phytoplankton idinga i-iron, i-phosphate, ne-nitrate ukuze ikhule. I-ayoni iyiminerali yesibili evamile eMhlabeni, futhi ingena olwandle isuka othulini emazwenikazi. Ngokufanayo, insimbi izika phansi olwandle, ngakho ezinye izingxenye zolwandle zinenani elincane lale mineral kunezinye. Isibonelo, i-Southern Ocean inezinga le-iron eliphansi kanye nenani le-phytoplankton kunezinye izilwandle, nakuba inothe ngezinye izinto ezimacronutrients.

Abanye ososayensi bakholelwa ukuthi ukukhuthaza ukuba khona kwensimbi ngaphansi kwamanzi kungaholela ezinambuzaneni eziningi zasolwandle ezingamunca isikhutha. Izifundo zokuvundisa insimbi yolwandle bezikhona kusukela ngeminyaka yawo-1980s lapho isazi sesayensi yezinto eziphilayo zasolwandle uJohn Martin enza izifundo ezisekelwe ebhodleleni ezibonisa ukuthi ukwengeza insimbi olwandle olunomsoco ophakeme kwandisa ngokushesha inani le-phytoplankton. Ezivivinyweni ezinkulu eziyi-13 zokuvundisa insimbi ezenziwa ngenxa yenkolelo-mbono kaMartin, ezimbili kuphela eziholele ekukhipheni ikhabhoni elahlekile ekukhuleni kolwelwe olujulile lolwandle. Okusele kuhlulekile ukubonisa umthelela noma kube nemiphumela engacacile.

Umthelela ophazamisayo

Ucwaningo oluvela e-Massachusetts Institute of Technology lugqamisa isici esibalulekile sendlela yokuvundisa insimbi yolwandle: ibhalansi ekhona phakathi kwamagciwane asolwandle kanye nokugcwala kwamaminerali olwandle. Lawa ma-microorganisms, abalulekile ekukhipheni ikhabhoni emkhathini, abonisa amandla okuzilawula, ashintsha amakhemikhali olwandle ukuze ahlangabezane nezidingo zawo. Lokhu okutholakele kuphakamisa ukuthi ukumane ukwandise i-iron olwandle kungase kungakhulisi kakhulu amandla alawa magciwane ukuze athathe ikhabhoni eningi njengoba esevele ekhulisa indawo yawo ukuze asebenze kahle kakhulu.

Ohulumeni nezinhlangano zezemvelo kudingeka bacabangele ubudlelwano obuyinkimbinkimbi ngaphakathi kwezinhlelo zolwandle ngaphambi kokwenza amaphrojekthi amakhulu we-geoengineering afana nokuvundisa insimbi. Nakuba i-hypothesis yokuqala iphakamisa ukuthi ukwengeza i-iron kungakhuphula kakhulu ukuchithwa kwe-carbon, iqiniso lihluke kakhulu. Leli qiniso lidinga indlela ebanzi yokunciphisa ukuguquguquka kwesimo sezulu, kucatshangelwa imiphumela eguquguqukayo ngokusebenzisa imvelo yasolwandle.

Ezinkampanini ezibheke kubuchwepheshe besikhathi esizayo kanye nezindlela zokulwa nokushintsha kwesimo sezulu, ucwaningo lugcizelela ukubaluleka kokuqonda okuphelele kwemvelo. Kubekela inselelo amabhizinisi ukuthi abheke ngale kwezixazululo eziqondile futhi atshale ezindleleni ezisekelwe kuhlelo lwendalo. Lo mbono ungakhuthaza ukuqamba okusha ekuthuthukiseni izixazululo zesimo sezulu ezingaphumeleli nje kuphela kodwa futhi ezisimeme.

Imithelela yokuvundisa okusansimbi olwandle

Imithelela ebanzi yokuvundiswa kwe-iron olwandle ingase ihlanganise: 

• Ososayensi bayaqhubeka nokwenza izivivinyo zokuvundisa insimbi ukuze bahlole ukuthi ingakwazi yini ukuvuselela izindawo zokudoba noma isebenze kwezinye izidalwa ezincane zasolwandle ezisengozini yokushabalala. 
• Ezinye izinkampani nezinhlangano zocwaningo ziyaqhubeka nokusebenzisana ocwaningweni oluzama ukwenza izinhlelo zokuvundisa insimbi yasolwandle ukuze kuqoqwe amakhredithi ekhabhoni.
• Ukuqwashisa umphakathi kanye nokukhathazeka ngezingozi zemvelo zokuhlolwa kokuvundisa okusansimbi olwandle (isb., ukuqhakaza kwe-algae).
• Ingcindezi evela kubalondolozi bemvelo yasolwandle yokuvimbela unomphela wonke amaphrojekthi amakhulu wokuvundisa insimbi.
• I-United Nations idala imihlahlandlela eqinile yokuthi yiziphi izivivinyo ezizovunyelwa olwandle kanye nobude besikhathi sazo.
• Ukwenyuka kokutshalwa kwezimali ohulumeni nezinkampani ezizimele ocwaningweni lwasolwandle, okuholela ekutholakaleni kwezinye izindlela, izindlela ezingangeneleli kakhulu zokuthathwa kwekhabhoni olwandle.
• Izinhlaka zokulawula ezithuthukisiwe yizinhlangano zamazwe ngamazwe, eziqinisekisa ukuthi imisebenzi yokuvundisa olwandle ihambisana namazinga omhlaba wokuvikela imvelo.
• Ukuthuthukiswa kwamathuba emakethe amasha obuchwepheshe bokuqapha imvelo, njengoba amabhizinisi efuna ukuhambisana nemithetho eqinile yokuhlolwa kolwandle.

Imibuzo okufanele icatshangelwe

• Imiphi eminye imiphumela engase ibe umphumela wokuvundisa okusansimbi olwandle oluhlukahlukene?
• Iyiphi enye indlela ukuvundiswa kwensimbi okungazithinta ngayo izilwane zasolwandle?