Facing Oblivion, Island Nation Makes Big Sacrifice

Damien1972 writes "Kiribati, a small nation consisting of 33 Pacific island atolls, is forecast to be among the first countries swamped by rising sea levels. Nevertheless, the country recently made an astounding commitment: it closed over 150,000 square miles of its territory to fishing, an activity that accounts for nearly half the government's tax revenue. What moved the tiny country to take this monumental action? President Anote Tong, says Kiribati is sending a message to the world: 'We need to make sacrifices to provide a future for our children and grandchildren.'"

Comments

Never thought I'd hear that name again...

[Tragek]

Quite enjoyed J. Maarten Troost's The Sex Lives of Cannibals which takes place on the island of Kiribati. A great beach book.

It's interesting to hear the government making a commitment like this. As the article has the president saying: "One million is 1+1+1 and so on. Every person and every action is important." Too often forgotten methinks. The cynic in me is losing out today; facing extinction of their islands, I can hope enough that they're sincere, and they others will listen.

dont bother with google maps

[FudRucker]

as far as google maps is concerned the islands have already sank in to the pacific

Re:Atol Growth

[maeka]

Studies show that atols and coral islands maintain their height above sealevel. The coral grows upwards as sealevel rises.

I'm not sure I understand how the dead skeletons of corals past, which are what makes up coral islands, are going to maintain their height above sea level by growing. Perhaps if they get covered by water for a few millennium new corals will attach themselves and grow upon the old? ;)
 

the final solution

[commodore64_love]

>>>They're gonna feel like fools when the doom and gloom prophesies don't pan out.

Not really. Even if 2100 arrives and nothing terrible has happened, they'll still benefit from a smaller population and abundant food supply. So it's a win-win solution.

In fact I think population control, like China's 1 baby per family, will eventually become necessary... especially after oil becomes scarce and skyrockets to $1000/barrel (~$30/gallon of gasoline). Simply put either WE will impose population limits, or nature will do it for us (via starvation in the cities).

Re:the final solution

[backslashdot]

Under the following achievable assumptions, I would actually like to see someone prove that we cannot sustain 100 billion humans for 100,000 years.

1. We build enough solar panels to produce all the Earth's energy. Every home shall have solar panel roofs .. this would provide more than 7 times the world's current enrgy consumption. I can't find the link that proves this .. but if you google it you will find a site that shows covering an area in a desert the size of Rhode Island will provide all the Earth's energy needs (including the energy extracted from oil).

2. We recycle all materials in solar or hopefully nuclear fusion power plants. Though for some minerals it's plain ridiculous to claim we'll run out .. for example .. 10% of the Earth's crust is Aluminum, claiming we will run out of Aluminum is like saying we will run out of sand or Silicon. Same thing with carbon with which we can make plastics .. though it may be cheaper to recycle.

3. Nobody consumes more than 30 kilowatts of electricity a day (I consumed 15 in the winter when I lived in NY ..so 30 is generous)

4. We set up solar or hopefully nuclear fusion powered desalination plants and pipe the water inland. All the salt form the water is saved and then remixed with the waste run off water and put back in the ocean .. this ensures there is no change in ocean salinity (even locally because it will be spread out in distro points).

5. We setup up solar or hopefully nuclear fusion powered waste treatment plants that break up via incineration poisons into the constituent elements which can safely be returning remixed into the soil and mines from whence the original elements came.

6. We produce the twelve essential proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins, and other nutrients artificially using energy .. the same way plants do it but without the toxins that plants use to prevent themselves from being eaten.

7. On average we live in 3500 square foot homes with a 6000 square foot yard (or vice versa depending on preference).

Re:They're gonna feel like...

[timeOday]

They're gonna feel like fools when the doom and gloom prophesies don't pan out.

It's not a "prophesy," it's a measurement. (Unless you think that trend will suddenly reverse for some unexplained reason?)

Re:Sounds like simple government oppression

[Apuleius]

Do you even know anything about Kiribati? The country is so small that in New England towns that size still use town meetings for most government decisions. He is closing the fishery to protect fish stocks and to make a point for the world at large. As for sea walls, those would do nothing against the salinization of groundwater on those islands. When your well draws sea water, you have to leave the island anyway, which is what is happening in those islands.

Big Fish

[tomhath]

This reminds me of a study I read about a year ago, The author pointed out that most reefs were dying, obviously because of global warming. The only ones that are still healthy are the ones where the large predators (sharks, groupers, etc) are still present to control the smaller fish that eat the coral. But the conclusion was that removing the large predators wasn't the problem, it is obviously global warming. Obvious to that scientist anyway.