Small Island Nations Fighting for Survival Against Rising Sea Levels
a lost cause: a situation or fight that seems impossible to win
Is a country still a country if it has no land? Do its people become stateless? Small islands all over the world are facing these very real questions. The sea levels are rising, and the land they call home could vanish by the 22nd century.
Many of these islands are worried that their status as a nation might be lost if their land goes under the water.
Sea levels are rising because of climate change. Sadly, these island nations are the least to blame for this. Large industrial countries are responsible for most of the world’s carbon emissions.
Tuvalu, a small island nation, has started to ask other countries to continue to recognize them as a country, even if their physical land is gone. They have also begun to move their government online, which could make it easier for them to move if needed.
This isn’t a lost cause, and these countries aren’t giving up. Henry Puna, secretary general of the Pacific Islands Forum, said, “Ensuring that we keep [rises in] global temperatures below 1.5 degrees Celsius must always remain a top priority for us.”
Sample sentences
1. Some might think that saving the old building is a lost cause. But the community believes it’s worth the effort.
2. Eating healthy might seem like a lost cause during holiday seasons, but it’s possible with good planning.
3. Don’t give up on learning English. It’s not a lost cause.
Read More:
‘We could lose our status as a state’: what happens to a people when their land disappears