Tuvalu is one of the many islands that are literally disappearing due to global warming. It is a small island, only 26 square miles, located between Hawaii and Australia. It is the second smallest sovereign state (behind Vatican City) with only 12,373 inhabitants.
But, those 12,000+ people are angry that their island home is disappearing. Oh sure, Tuvalu was small to begin with, but the changing climate is on the verge of claiming what is left. The highest part of Tuvalu is only 4.5 meters above sea level. The bad news is the sea level is rising, not only engulfing parts of the island, but also ruining the crops – coconut and taro – raised in Tuvalu.
A tide gauge was installed in the Tuvalu capital of Funafuti by the University of Hawaii in 1978. This gauge has shown that the sea level has risen about 1.2 mm per year since it was installed. While that may not seem like a lot, scientists predict that by the end of the century, Tuvalu could sink back into the ocean.
Tuvaluans are fighting for their very existence. Representatives from the country attended the United Nations Climate Change Conference, funded in part by money raised for selling the country’s .tv Internet domain name. But, when the conference failed to come up with any real binding agreement, Tuvalu’s reps left disgusted. The country’s representative Ian Fry said, “It looks like we are being offered 30 pieces of silver to betray our people and our future… Our future is not for sale. I regret to inform you that Tuvalu cannot accept this document.” Tuvalu was hoping the countries at the conference would all agree to greener measures that would allow only a 1.5 degree rise in global temperature to give their little island a little more time.
So what does Tuvalu do now? Sadly, some have already left the island and others are thinking that a mass exodus to another land is inevitable. This could mean a loss of beliefs and cultural identity for Tuvaluans.
I watched a documentary about Tuvalu titled King Tide and it was sad to see the country torn as to what the future holds for them.