Eli bali lipapashwe ngentsebenziswano neZiko loBulungisa boLuntu, igumbi leendaba elingenzi nzuzo elihlola ukungalingani.
ibhafu. umaleko. ibhayisekile. UKevin Hartley, uDrew Wynn, kunye noJoshua Atkins babesebenza imisebenzi eyahlukeneyo xa bafa ngaphantsi kweenyanga ezili-10, kodwa unobangela wokunciphisa ubomi babo wawufana: ikhemikhali kwi-paint thinner kunye nezinye iimveliso ezithengiswa kwiivenkile kulo lonke ilizwe.
Ngenxa yentlungu noloyiko lwabo, usapho lwafunga ukuba luza kwenza konke okusemandleni alo ukuthintela ukubulala i-methylene chloride kwakhona.
Kodwa e-US, ngembali yayo engacacanga yokukhuselwa kakubi kwabasebenzi nabathengi, ngokumangalisayo zimbalwa iikhemikhali eziye zafumana eso siphelo. Le yindlela i-methylene chloride eyaba ngumbulali obulalayo, nangona kwabakho izilumkiso malunga neengozi zomsi wayo kudala ngaphambi kokuba kuzalwe uHartley, uWynn, no-Atkins. Amashumi amaninzi, ukuba angaphezulu, abulewe kwiminyaka emininzi edlulileyo ngaphandle kokungenelela kwe-arhente.
Emva kophando olwenziwe yiZiko loBulungisa boLuntu kunye nezicelo ezivela kubameli bokhuseleko, i-US Environmental Protection Agency ekugqibeleni icebise ukuba ithintelwe ukusetyenziswa kwayo kwiindlela zokususa ipeyinti.
KwakungoJanuwari 2017, imihla yokugqibela yolawulo luka-Obama. UHartley wasweleka ngo-Epreli waloo nyaka, uWynn ngo-Okthobha waloo nyaka, uAtkins ngoFebruwari waloo nyaka olandelayo phakathi kokungalawuleki kolawulo lukaTrump, kwaye ulawulo lukaTrump lufuna ukuyilahla imithetho, lungayongezi, ingakumbi kwi-Environmental Protection Agency. Isiphakamiso se-methylene chloride saphela.
Nangona kunjalo, kwiinyanga ezili-13 emva kokusweleka kuka-Atkins, i-Trump Environmental Protection Agency, phantsi koxinzelelo, yagqiba ekubeni iyeke ukuthengiswa kwezinto zokucoca ipeyinti ezine-methylene chloride. Ngo-Epreli, i-Biden's Environmental Protection Agency yacebisa ukuba le khemikhali ithintelwe kuzo zonke iimveliso zabathengi nakwiindawo ezininzi zokusebenza.
“Asisoloko sikwenza oku eMelika,” utshilo uGqr. Robert Harrison, uprofesa wezonyango lwezonyango zomsebenzi kunye nokusingqongileyo kwiYunivesithi yaseCalifornia, eSan Francisco. “Ezi ntsapho ziiqhawe zam.”
Nantsi indlela abaphumelela ngayo ukuze bafumane ezi ziphumo, kunye neengcebiso zabo ukuba ukwindlela efanayo enzima, nokuba imeko ibandakanya iimveliso eziyingozi, iimeko zokusebenza ezingakhuselekanga, ungcoliseko, okanye ezinye iingozi.
“Khangela yonke into kuGoogle,” utshilo uBrian Wynn, umnakwabo oneminyaka engama-31 ubudala uDrew othenge imveliso ye-dichloromethane ukuze ahlaziye ivenkile yakhe yekofu ebandayo eSouth Carolina. “Kwaye inomtsalane ebantwini.”
Nantsi indlela awafunda ngayo ngophando lukawonke-wonke olwapapashwa kwiminyaka emibini ngaphambi kokuba umntakwabo asweleke, eqhagamshelana neengcali aze afunde yonke into ukususela apho angazithenga khona ukutya ukuya kwisizathu sokuba kunzima kangaka ukufumana oku kufa. (Umsi we-methylene chloride uyabulala xa uqokelelana ngaphakathi endlwini, kwaye amandla awo okubangela ukuhlaselwa yintliziyo abonakala ngathi kukufa kwendalo ukuba akukho mntu wenza uvavanyo lwetyhefu.)
Icebiso elivela kumama kaKevin, uWendy Hartley: “I-Academic” ligama eliphambili ekukhangelweni. Kusenokubakho uphando oluninzi olukulindeleyo. “Oku kuya kunceda ukwahlula uluvo kwinyani,” wabhala kwi-imeyile.
ULauren Atkins, umama kaJoshua, oneminyaka engama-31 ubudala, owasweleka ezama ukulungisa ifolokhwe engaphambili yebhayisekile yakhe ye-BMX, uthethe ne-UCSF Harrison izihlandlo ezininzi. NgoFebruwari 2018, wafumana unyana wakhe efile ecaleni kwebhotile yelitha yepeyinti.
Ulwazi lukaHarrison nge-methylene chloride lwamnceda ukuba aguqulele iingxelo zetyhefu kunye nokuhlolwa kwesidumbu sonyana wakhe zibe sisizathu esiqinisekileyo sokufa. Oku kucaca sisiseko esiqinileyo sokwenza okuthile.
Amaxesha amaninzi, ukuvezwa ziikhemikhali kuyalibazisa ukwenzakala ebantwini, nto leyo ebangela iziphumo zempilo ezisenokungabonakali kangangeminyaka. Ungcoliseko lunokuba yindaba efanayo. Kodwa uphando lwezemfundo luseyindawo elungileyo yokuqala ukuba ufuna oorhulumente benze into ngezi ngozi.
Umthombo ophambili wempumelelo yabo kukuba ezi ntsapho ziqhagamshelwe kumaqela asele esebenza kukhuseleko lweekhemikhali kwaye aqhagamshelwe omnye komnye.
Umzekelo, uLauren Atkins wafumana isicelo kwiChange.org malunga neemveliso ze-methylene chloride ezivela kwiqela elilwela amalungelo abantu iSafer Chemicals Healthy Families, ngoku eliyinxalenye yeToxin-Free Future, waza wasisayina ukuhlonipha unyana wakhe osandul’ ukusweleka. UBrian Wynn wolula isandla sakhe ngokukhawuleza.
Ukusebenzisana kusebenzisa amandla abo. Ukuba akukho manyathelo e-EPA, ezi ntsapho azinyanzelekanga ukuba ziqale phantsi ukunyanzela abathengisi ukuba bakhuphe iimveliso kwiishelufu zabo: I-Safer Chemicals Healthy Families iqalise iphulo elithi “Think Store” ukuphendula loo mibuzo.
Kwaye akufuneki bafumanise indlela esebenza ngayo imithetho yamasebe okanye ukuphembelela iCapitol Hill ngokwabo. I-Safer Chemicals Healthy Families kunye ne-Environmental Defense Fund zinolwazi kweli candelo.
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Ukufumana ulwimi ngotshintsho lwemozulu uHeather McTeer UToney ulwela ubulungisa bendalo eMzantsi
“Xa unokwakha iqela elinje… unamandla okwenyani,” utshilo uBrian Wynn, ephawula iBhunga loKhuselo lweMithombo yeNdalo, elinye iqela elisebenzayo kule ngxaki.
Ayingabo bonke abantu abanomdla kulo mzabalazo abaya kukwazi ukudlala indima yoluntu kuwo. Umzekelo, abafuduki abangenazo iimvume ezisemthethweni ezisisigxina basengozini enkulu yokuba semsebenzini, kwaye ukungabi nazo iimvume kunokwenza kube nzima okanye kungenzeki ukuba bathethe.
Okumangalisayo kukuba, ukuba ezi ntsapho zigxila ingqalelo yazo yonke kwi-Arhente yoKhuseleko lweNdalo, i-arhente isenokungasebenzi, ingakumbi ngexesha lolawulo lukaTrump.
Ngokusebenzisa iMind the Store, bacela abathengisi ukuba basindise ubomi ngokungathengisi iipeyinti ezisusa ipeyinti ezine-methylene chloride. Izicelo kunye nemibhikisho zisebenze. Ngayinye emva kwenye, iinkampani ezifana neHome Depot kunye neWalmart zavuma ukuyeka.
Ngoncedo lweeSafer Chemicals, Healthy Families kunye neEnvironmental Defense Fund, bamema amalungu eCongress ukuba athathe inyathelo. Baye eWashington bephethe umfanekiso wosapho. Bathethe neentatheli, kwaye iindaba zabakhuthaza nangakumbi.
IiSenator ezivela eSouth Carolina kunye nelungu elinye leCongress babhalele uScott Pruitt, owayengumlawuli we-Environmental Protection Agency ngelo xesha. Elinye ilungu leCongress lacela uPruitt ukuba arhoxe ekuxoxeni ngalo mba ngexesha lendibano ka-Epreli 2018. Konke oku, ngokutsho kukaBrian Wynn, kuncede iintsapho ukuba zilungiselele intlanganiso noPruitt ngoMeyi 2018.
“Ukhuseleko lothukile kuba akukho mntu waya kumbona,” utshilo uBrian Wynn. “Kufana kakhulu nokudibana no-Oz omkhulu nonamandla.”
Endleleni, iintsapho zajika zaya kwiinkundla. Zasebenzisa imidiya yoluntu ukulumkisa abantu ukuba bangazibeki emngciphekweni. ULauren Atkins waya kwivenkile yezixhobo ukuze azibonele ukuba benze ngokwenene na oko bathi bakwenza ukuze bakhuphe iimveliso ze-methylene chloride ezishelufini. (Ngamanye amaxesha ewe, ngamanye amaxesha hayi.)
Ukuba konke oku kuvakala kudinisa, awuphazamanga. Kodwa iintsapho zicacisile ukuba kuza kwenzeka ntoni ukuba azingeneleli.
“Akukho nto iza kwenziwa,” utshilo uLauren Atkins, “njengoko kungekho nto yenziweyo ngaphambili.”
Ukuphumelela okuncinci kuyaphindaphindeka. Into enye ikhokelela kwenye njengoko usapho lungayeki. Ngokuqhelekileyo kufuneka isivumelwano sexesha elide: ukwenziwa kwemithetho karhulumente kuhamba kancinci.
Kungathatha iminyaka eliqela nangaphezulu ukuba iarhente igqibe uphando olufunekayo ukuze kuphuhliswe umthetho. Esi siphakamiso kwafuneka sidlule kwimiqobo ngaphambi kokuba sigqitywe. Nangona kunjalo, nayiphi na imiqathango okanye iimfuno ezintsha ziya kubonakala kancinci kancinci ngokuhamba kwexesha.
Okwavumela iintsapho ukuba zifumane ukuvalwa okungaphelelanga kwe-EPA ngokukhawuleza kukuba i-arhente yakhupha esi siphakamiso ngaphambi kokuba isibeke ecaleni. Kodwa uthintelo lwe-EPA aluzange lusebenze de kwaba yiminyaka eyi-2.5 emva kokusweleka kukaKevin Hartley. Kwaye abagubungeli ukusetyenziswa emsebenzini - njengoKevin oneminyaka engama-21 ubudala odlala ngendlu yangasese emsebenzini.
Nangona kunjalo, iarhente inokwenza izigqibo ezahlukeneyo kuxhomekeke ekubeni ngubani ophetheyo. Isiphakamiso samva nje se-EPA, esicwangciselwe u-Agasti 2024, siza kuthintela ukusetyenziswa kwe-methylene chloride kwiindawo ezininzi zokusebenza, kuquka nokuhlaziya iibhafu.
“Kufuneka ube nomonde. Kufuneka uzingise,” utshilo uLauren Atkins. “Xa oko kusenzeka ebomini bomntu, ingakumbi xa kungabantwana bakho, uyakufumana. Kuyenzeka ngoku.”
Ukutshintsha izinto kunzima. Ukufuna utshintsho kuba wena okanye umntu omthandayo enziwe buhlungu kunokuba nzima ngakumbi, nokuba oko kunokunika intuthuzelo engenakufumaneka nakweyiphi na enye into.
Zibophe kuba oku kuza kuba yingxaki enkulu, ulumkisa uLauren Atkins. “Abantu bahlala bendibuza ukuba kutheni ndiqhubeka ndisenza oku, nangona kunzima kwaye kundenza ndibe nemvakalelo? Impendulo yam ibisoloko isithi: “Ngoko ke akufuneki uhlale endaweni yam. Akufuneki ndibe apho ndikhoyo.”
“Uziva njani xa ulahlekelwa sisiqingatha sakho? Ngamanye amaxesha kubonakala kum ukuba intliziyo yakhe yema ngosuku olunye nolwam,” utshilo. “Kodwa ekubeni ndingafuni mntu udlule koku, andifuni mntu uphulukane noko uJoshua wakulahlekelwa kuko, kwaye yiloo nto ndiyifuna. Ndikulungele ukwenza nantoni na.”
UBrian Wynn, naye okhuthazekileyo, unikezela ngeseshoni yokunciphisa uxinzelelo ukukunceda ugqibezele i-marathon yakho. Ijimu yeyakhe. “Kufuneka ufumane indlela yokukhulula iimvakalelo zakho,” utshilo.
UWendy Hartley ukholelwa ukuba ubutshantliziyo buyaziphilisa ngokwabo ngenkxaso yezinye iintsapho kunye neziphumo abazifezekisayo kunye.
Njengomnikeli wezitho zomzimba, unyana wakhe waba nefuthe elithe ngqo kubomi babanye abantu. Kumnandi ukubona ilifa lakhe lisasazeka ngakumbi kwiishelufu zeevenkile nakwiiofisi zikarhulumente.
“UKevin usindise ubomi obuninzi,” wabhala, “kwaye uza kuqhubeka nokusindisa ubomi kwiminyaka ezayo.”
Ukuba unyanzelisa utshintsho, kulula ukucinga ukuba abantu abalwela amalungelo abantu abahlawulayo ukugcina imeko injalo baya kuhlala bephumelela. Kodwa amava akho obomi anzima kakhulu.
“Ukuba uyazi indlela yokubalisa ibali lakho, ngoko ke yinxalenye yobomi bakho, ngoko ke ungakwenza – kwaye xa unako ukubalisa elo bali, ndikunqwenelela ithamsanqa, mququzeleli wemicimbi,” utshilo uBrian Wayne. “Size nothando olungenakuthelekiswa nanto.”
Icebiso likaWendy Hartley: “Musa ukoyika ukubonisa iimvakalelo zakho.” Thetha ngempembelelo enokuba nayo kuwe nakusapho lwakho. “Babonise impembelelo yobuqu ngeefoto.”
“Kwiminyaka emithandathu eyadlulayo, ukuba umntu wayethe, ‘Ukuba ukhwaza kangaka, urhulumente uza kukuphulaphula,’ bendiya kuhleka,” utshilo uLauren Atkins. “Uyazi ukuba yintoni? Ivoti enye inokwenza umahluko. Ndicinga ukuba yinxalenye yelifa lonyana wam.”
UJamie Smith Hopkins yintatheli yeCenter for Public Integrity, igumbi leendaba elingenzi nzuzo eliphanda ukungalingani.