A Call From the Deep: Lower Carbon Emissions

The Maldives government will hold a special cabinet meeting on October 17th to call on world governments to reduce carbon emissions.¹  The ministers will need scuba gear to participate in conjunction with plans to conduct the meeting underwater.  As the lowest-lying nation on earth, the Maldives have much at stake in the threat of global warming, which potentially can bring much of the nation below sea level.

In fact, as precursor to looming future disasters, this tiny nation in the North Indian Ocean, Southwest of Sri Lanka was hit hard by the 2004 tsunami causing 82 lives and significantly damaging its major industries.²  Fortunately, the Maldives have been spared of the catastrophic natural disasters that have recently struck Asia and the Pacific.

Hopefully, their important message does not land on philosophically waterlogged ears.  Regardless whether we caused global warming directly or not, it should not stop the world’s governments from addressing this very real issue.

1Associated Press, "Maldives: Bring the Waterproof Pens", The New York Times, Oct. 8, 2009
2U.S. Department of State, “Background Note: Maldives”