Slashdot Mirror
As Seas Rise, Maldives Seek To Buy a New Homeland
Peace Corps Online writes "The Maldives will begin to divert a portion of the country's billion-dollar annual tourist revenue to buy a new homeland as insurance against climate change. Rising sea levels threaten to turn the 300,000 islanders into environmental refugees as the chain of 1,200 island and coral atolls dotted 500 miles from the tip of India is likely to disappear under the waves if the current pace of climate change continues to raise sea levels. The UN forecasts that the seas are likely to rise by up to 59 cm by the year 2100. Most parts of the Maldives are just 150 cm above water so even a 'small rise' in sea levels would inundate large parts of the archipelago. 'We can do nothing to stop climate change on our own and so we have to buy land elsewhere. It's an insurance policy for the worst possible outcome,' says the Muslim country's first democratically elected president, Mohamed Nasheed, adding that he has already broached the subject with a number of countries and found them to be 'receptive.' India and Sri Lanka are targets because they have similar cultures and climates; Australia is worth looking at because of the immense amount of unoccupied land in that country. 'We do not want to leave the Maldives, but we also do not want to be climate refugees living in tents for decades.'"
As tourism takes a hit from the economic crisis, this is a great piece of advertising. "Visit the beautiful Maldives while you still can!"
"Australia is worth looking at because of the immense amount of unoccupied land in that country. "
There are very good reasons why we have an immense amount of unoccupied land in Australia...
Picture Fallout 3, minus the radiation and ruins. And water. And trees. And people. Feel free to leave in the giant bugs and mutants though...
Contrary to popular oppinion, London is not burning. It is, in fact, quite nippy.
only 150 centimeters
Obviously the islamists are helping their librul friends with their global warming scam by scraping the top off the island so that they can claim it is disappearing!
A little more suitable I think than home underwater...
Methinks there's a big group of Dutch architects & builders trying to get themselves on an all-expenses paid "fact finding mission" to the Maldives here...
Gentoo Linux - another day, another USE flag.
Not only will he lower sea levels in the long run, ;)
but in the short term, he can teach them to walk on water.
Nah, they would be declared a terrorist nation, invaded, and all its citizens would be shipped off to Guantanamo. This would be a lot cheaper...
But at least they wouldn't be drowning.
(I'm going to Hell...)
Apparently residents from Manhattan will be watching closely and anxiously taking notes on how this gets resolved.
I've met Phil - he's the sort of guy to go out to his back and throw an extra gallon of engine oil on his tire fire just to spite the Maldivians.
and then used the tried and true "print money day and night till inflation is under control".
Isn't that as likely to be successful as a heroin addict who keeps shooting up until his addiction is under control?
I want peace on earth and goodwill toward man.
We are the United States Government! We don't do that sort of thing.