NationStates Jolt Archive

Dozens of small island nations opened talks in the Maldives Tuesday to draft a strategy to combat rising water levels in the world's oceans, which are threatening their very existence.

Delegates from 26 low-lying nations at risk -- including Tonga, Micronesia and Kiribati -- are meeting to craft a proposal ahead of global climate change talks on the Indonesian resort island of Bali in December.

"Time is running out for us to ensure the survival of our future generation," Maldivian President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom said in a speech to open the two-day meeting.

The low-lying nations fear not enough is being done to cut the greenhouse gases that are said to cause global warming, which experts warn could melt glaciers and polar ice caps, leading to a sharp increase in sea levels before the end of the century.

[...] With millions of lives at stake, Gayoom warned that climate change was about much more than the environment, science or politics, telling delegates: "It is fundamentally an issue about people."

He said the tidal surges experienced on 80 of the Maldives' 200 inhabited islands earlier this year were "a grim reminder of the devastating tsunami of 2004 and a clear warning of future disasters."

"There is no greater problem in the world today than climate change," added Maldivian Foreign Minister Abdulla Shahid.

"The problem is getting worse -- there seems to be a lack of political will by world leaders to address this issue."

The summit is expected to produce a declaration saying that climate change threatens the rights of individuals to live safe and sustainable lives.

Gayoom, who has ruled the Maldives since 1978, has warned that a one-metre rise in sea levels could prove the "death of a nation," making the inhabitants of his country's 1,192 coral islands the first environmental refugees.

[...] The global climate change summit in Bali aims to secure the agreement of nations to negotiate a new regime to combat climate change when the current phase of the Kyoto Protocol ends in 2012.


(link (http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5ghtZo7BHcIS-e_som1hCWwBW857Q))

Good luck to them. Unfortunately, the combined diplomatic weight of countries such as the Maldives, Kiribati, Nauru, St Lucia and Tuvalu isn't likely to achieve very much. :( The only members of the Alliance of Small Island States (http://www.sidsnet.org/aosis/members.html) with some genuine international influence may be Cuba and Singapore. Which isn't saying much.

This post is useless without pics..... ;)

In before "Global warming is a lie perpetuated by liberals to destroy America."

I think this calls for an invasion of 26 unnamed nations for their insubordination.

"Global warming is a lie perpetuated by godless immoral liberals to destroy America and her values."

Has anyone hear read The Mouse Who Roared? That's what this reminds me of.

I am more worried about pollution than global warming.
But yay to those nations. All we need now is the totality of Micronesia.

"Global warming is a lie perpetuated by godless immoral liberals to destroy America and her values."

What values?

What values?

Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.

no ones going to take you seriously if you have the word "micro" in your country's name. Unless you have nukes. But I applaud them.

It must really suck to live in a small island nation...

Global warming IS REAL. The Market has spoken.

What values?

Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.

And invading countries that have too many brown people and/or m0sl3mz.

Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.

Sorry, off-topic I know, but those are shitty values, life is taken for granted and the pursuit of happiness leaves open the option for you to fail utterly and get no help.

Why is Suriname a member? Afaik it's not an island.

Why is Suriname a member? Afaik it's not an island.
This is distinctly possible. Unfortunately, not even the people of Suriname can be fucked to waste the time required to locate their tiny strip of nothing on a map, so the question will remain forever unanswered, and they figured it was best just to attend the meeting in case.

Why is Suriname a member? Afaik it's not an island.

Actually looking at the nation, most of population live on the coast so they might be forced to move inland to the more hostile interior should climate change send their coastal settlements under water.

no ones going to take you seriously if you have the word "micro" in your country's name. Unless you have nukes. But I applaud them.What if they changed their name to Macronesia- would you take them seriously then? :D

Climate has ALWAYS been changing. There have been hot and cold cycles. I always thought the "the earth will just keep getting hotter and hotter" idea to be a bit too simplistic.

What if they changed their name to Macronesia- would you take them seriously then? :D

No. But if it was Macronesia and Cheese, the world might.

Has anyone hear read The Mouse Who Roared? That's what this reminds me of.

I was just reading about it.

Actually looking at the nation, most of population live on the coast so they might be forced to move inland to the more hostile interior should climate change send their coastal settlements under water.

I know :) And I also know that half of the surinamese population live in the netherlands :p And that many of us also live on the coast, below sea level even (but we have money and technology). Oh, and we're not hostile inland ;) (except at football matches)

But here comes the question: In what way should rich countries who are in similar situations(eg. Netherlands) help the small island alliance?

no ones going to take you seriously if you have the word "micro" in your country's name. Unless you have nukes. But I applaud them.

They're just not insecure, like in certain other countries that blast the populace with irritating commercials about giant gas-guzzling trucks having shit dumped into the bed while a couple of cowboy-wannabe hicks look on lovingly.

But here comes the question: In what way should rich countries who are in similar situations(eg. Netherlands) help the small island alliance?

Meet targets in terms of environmental policies? And, when climate refugees are inevitably left homeless, welcome them and rehouse them.

On the same topic:


World's first rising seas' refugees

INHABITANTS of the Caterets Island in the autonomous region of Bougainville will become the world's first refugees and victims of climate change threatening small island nations around the world.

Autonomous Bougainville Government (ABG) president Joseph Kabui told reporters at a media conference recently that the rising sea level was now getting worse in the atolls of Caterets which was rapidly ''eating'' away the island's shoreline and many have moved inland.

''The situation on Caterets Island is becoming very devastating to its inhabitants, leaving the islanders homeless with nothing to survive on,'' reports The National in a Pacnews bulletin.

He said his government had developed a comprehensive resettlement policy to assist the people.

[...] ''The people of Caterets island must accept the fact that their island home is now sinking and there is nothing they can do but the only option left for them is to move out,'' Mr Kabui said.

He said his government would support the people living in the island and try to negotiate for relocation as soon as possible.

Next month's Bali conference on climate change is expected to discuss resettlement of people affected by rising sea levels.


(link (http://www.fijitimes.com/story.aspx?id=75262))

I'm not sure they're the first. I seem to recall inhabited islands belonging to India having become uninhabitable.

In b4 global warming deniers, oddly enough. What's taking them so long?

This should be all the motivation many of us will need to turn around global warming:

If we don't, 140-year-old Fred Phelps will be out on a raft holding up signs that say "THANK GOD FOR GLOBAL WARMING" and his idiot daughter will be plastered all over Faux News blaming global warming on homosexuals.

They'd be more accurate blaming it on the other kind of "fags." Not much more. But closer.

Yes, now the world may be saved!!! :rolleyes:

Yes, now the world may be saved!!! :rolleyes:

Are you mocking Charles, Crown Prince of Tuvalu? :p

Are you mocking Charles, Crown Prince of Tuvalu? :p

That is a good point. He in fact has some tiny bit of influence.
Provided he resists the temptation to state he is a tampon.

Wow, just like the minds of those who endeavor to do the same.

Unfortunately for them even if every country cut their greenhouse gas emissions down to zero by tomorrow global warming won't stop for at least a century.

It will take decades for CO2 levels in the atmosphere to decrease enough to lower the greenhouse effect. At best you can slowdown the process but it is going to continue for a long while.

This doesn't mean we should do nothing just that you shouldn't expect some sort of miraculous change in the environment.

Unfortunately for them even if every country cut their greenhouse gas emissions down to zero by tomorrow global warming won't stop for at least a century.

It will take decades for CO2 levels in the atmosphere to decrease enough to lower the greenhouse effect. At best you can slowdown the process but it is going to continue for a long while.

This doesn't mean we should do nothing just that you shouldn't expect some sort of miraculous change in the environment.

If we can't do something then we can't do anything. If we can't do anything then why bother. Let the good times roll.

If we can't do something then we can't do anything. If we can't do anything then why bother. Let the good times roll.
Agreed. I want a new car. Something that's really expensive and get';s really shotty gas milage. How about the 6000 SUX? Yeah. It get's an amazing 8.2 MPG.