The ice is melting, the world is warming, and the oceans are rising. Richer countries bear most of the responsibility for global warming, but poorer island countries like the Maldives are the first to bear the brunt of rising waters.
The Maldives are a chain of islands famous for their natural beauty. Many rich foreigners vacation there, but it isn’t a rich country. Nasheed, a former president of the Maldives, estimates that 1/3 of his people are poor. These same people are the ones that are most vulnerable to rising sea levels.
Most places in the Maldives are only 1.5 meters above sea level. It is the lowest country in the world and is literally in danger of disappearing.
Before 1870, there had been little change in sea levels for 2000 years, but sea levels have risen 8 inches since then. The National Academy of Sciences has predicted that sea levels will rise between 16 and 56 inches by 2100. The future is not bright for the Maldives and other coastal countries.
In 2009, President Nasheed thought up an eye-catching stunt. He and his top ministers held a cabinet meeting under water to bring attention to the global problem of rising sea levels. He wanted the world to see the potential future of the Maldives, so he and all his cabinet members wore scuba gear and communicated with hand signals under water. They signed a document that called for decreasing worldwide carbon emissions. It said, “We must unite in a world war effort to halt further temperature rises….. If the Maldives can’t be saved today, we do not feel that there is much of a chance for the rest of the world.”
While Nasheed did make a splash with his underwater meeting, it’s hard to say whether his message hit home. The world has made some progress with reducing carbon emissions since 2009, but there is much work to be done. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, global sea levels are continuing to rise at an average of 1/8 of an inch a year.
The Maldives is one of the most vulnerable nations, but it is not alone. It is the canary in the coal mine, warning us all of our shared future if something isn’t done. Nasheed points out that 1/3 of the world lives in coastal areas. He says, “What happens to us today will happen to you tomorrow.”
Note: The origin of the expression ‘canary in the coal mine’ dates back to coal miners who would bring canaries with them into the coal mines. If there were deadly gases present, the bird would die first giving an early warning to the miner to escape the mine.
References:
https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/sealevel.html
https://www.businessinsider.com/islands-threatened-by-climate-change-2012-10?op=1#solomon-islands-6
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1221021/Maldives-underwater-cabinet-meeting-held-highlight-impact-climate-change.html
The ice is melting, the world is warming, and the oceans are rising.
Richer countries cause most global warming. But poorer countries like the Maldives are the first to bear the brunt of rising waters.
This nation is famous for its natural beauty. Many rich foreigners visit there every year, but it isn’t a rich country. Nasheed, a former president of the Maldives, says that 1/3 of his people are poor. These same people are the ones that are most in danger.
Most places in the Maldives are only 1.5 meters above sea level. It is the lowest country in the world and is in danger of disappearing.
Before 1870, there had been little change in sea levels for 2000 years. Since then sea levels have increased by 8 inches. Some say sea levels will rise between 16 and 56 inches by 2100. The future is not bright for the Maldives and other island countries.
In 2009, President Nasheed thought up an eye-catching event. He and his top advisors held a meeting under water. They wanted to bring attention to the problem of rising sea levels. He wanted the world to see the possible future of the Maldives. They talked with hand signals under water. They signed a paper that called for decreasing world carbon emissions. It said, “If the Maldives can’t be saved today, we do not feel that there is much of a chance for the rest of the world.”
While Nasheed did make a splash with his underwater meeting, it’s hard to say whether his message hit home. The world has made some progress since 2009, but there is much work to be done. Sea levels are continuing to rise at an average of 1/8 of an inch a year.
The Maldives is not alone. It is the canary in the coal mine, telling us all of our world’s future if something isn’t done. Nasheed points out that 1/3 of the world lives near the ocean. He says, “What happens to us today will happen to you tomorrow.”
Note: The origin of the expression ‘canary in the coal mine’ dates back to coal miners who would bring canaries with them into the coal mines. If there were deadly gases present, the bird would die first giving an early warning to the miner to escape the mine.
References:
https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/sealevel.html
https://www.businessinsider.com/islands-threatened-by-climate-change-2012-10?op=1#solomon-islands-6
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1221021/Maldives-underwater-cabinet-meeting-held-highlight-impact-climate-change.html
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