Environmentalists are worried that the Maldive islands off the coast of India could be sinking as water levels rise because of global warming. Most of the land on the islands is just a metre above sea level, which means by the end of this century some of them may have disappeared.
The Maldivians aren't responsible for climate change, but it is their problem. That is why President Nasheed has set himself the task of solving this problem. Just like his idea to set up a public transport system between to ferry people between the various atolls that make up his country.
The Maldivians aren't responsible for climate change, but it is their problem. That is why President Nasheed has set himself the task of solving this problem. Just like his idea to set up a public transport system between to ferry people between the various atolls that make up his country.
It was Nasheed who had the idea to hold a cabinet meeting five meters below sea level to sign a declaration entitled "SOS from the Frontline" in the run-up to International Climate Action Day on Oct. 24. And he was the one who commissioned a TV commercial in which three men calmly chat about the weather as if they were sitting in a café rather than underwater. The advert was aired on state TV channel TVM on an hourly basis.
Speaking to reporters on the day of his underwater meeting, the president said, "If we can't save the Maldives today, we do not feel that there is much of a chance for the rest of the world," adding that London and Manhattan could one day experience the same problems the Maldives were facing today.
The ministers took their places behind the desks, each held still by a diving instructor to ensure they didn't whirl up the sand. The scene looked like a screensaver. Parrot fish swam slowly past the camera, big white air bubbles headed for the surface, and a stingray was briefly visible behind the aviation minister's shoulder.
"Climate change is happening and it threatens the rights and security of everyone on Earth," read the declaration. "We must unite in a global effort to halt further temperature rises by slashing carbon dioxide emissions to a safe level of 350 parts per million. Endorsed by the cabinet of the Republic of Maldives on Oct. 17, 2009."
The message was out. That evening, all the major news networks showed a man in a wetsuit signing something on a white plastic board. And perhaps the delegates in Copenhagen will now find it a little easier to nudge the world's main CO2 producers into donating some money.
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