Cartoon courtesy of Funny and Jokes
To know if it’s true love, they say, you have to have patience. It’s too bad the same cannot be said of climate change.
When I found out that this year’s Blog Action Day title was climate change, my interest was piqued.
Coming from the Maldives, anything related to environment is something that is close to the heart. With deep interest, I considered on a topic to write about. Though I knew what I write may not be considered as great, I had hopes that somehow it will make people think.
At first, I contemplated writing about the underwater cabinet meeting Maldives will hold on 17 October 2009, where my President and Ministers will use hand signals and slates to communicate to ratify a statement calling for rapid greenhouse gas reductions which will be submitted at the UN climate summit, COP15, which is being held in Copenhagen from 7 to 18 December 2009. But, I am sure someone else will probably cover it.
I could mention numerous activities that is being held across the world on 24 October 2009, to bring awareness that 350 parts per million CO2 in the atmosphere is the safe limit for humanity, rather than the current amount of 387 parts per million. But it’s not statistics that is stopping people from taking action.
I could write about the 10:10 project that is aimed at uniting every sector of British society behind the idea that by working together, a 10% cut in the UK’s carbon emissions in 2010 can be achieved. Their ultimate goal is that other countries will follow pursuit, of course. But again, it is not the lack of activities and projects that are holding people back from making a difference.
I pondered about it some more and wondered if I should post an exhaustive list of tips on how to cut down carbon emissions, throw in a whole lot of jargon, paraphrase what I have read and heard on the news. Or even something I’ve read on someone else’s blog, for that matter. But what real purpose will it meet? Let’s be honest here, even the people who are aware of the adverse effects of global warming are doing nothing much about it themselves.
For a change from all the usual discussions on climate change, I’ve decided to relate a short narrative based on what I have seen with my own naked eyes, touched with my own bare hands instead. Some may call it moronic. At best, others will say this is trivial.
While growing up, every year, I used to visit an island in Alif Atoll called Feridhoo. I remember that the island had quite high sand dunes on the east side of the island. Even back then, this was the only island where I have seen such expansive sand dunes. The sand dunes were a sight to behold. Two decades later, I can still recall clearly, how soft and fine the sand was, how much my sisters and I loved to slide down them. How I used to lean against it and look up, amazed at the height, and feeling small next to the power of nature.
I visited the island every year during school holidays for many years. A decade down the line, there was no trace of the dunes left. The dunes and the beach was totally washed away by erosion and what was left was a narrow strip of beach, where earlier was a wide sandbank.
Today, this is the story of all islands in the Maldives. Considering the rate of beach erosion, it is hard to say if the islands will be washed away by waves first or drowned by the rising sea levels. Whichever comes first, the result is final and explicit. If a change to our behaviour isn’t made, the country will really cease to exist.
I shall sign off by inserting a quote from my President, for you to contemplate. There is no other way to put the enormity of it all this eloquently, I am sure.
“In our minds, if you cannot save the Maldives today, you will not be able to save yourselves tomorrow. Maldives is a frontline state.
I would like to remind here, it is not a faraway country. In 1938 the British Prime Minister pointed out – in reference to Poland – mentioned that it is a coral in a faraway country with people who we know nothing about. There is no faraway country. And if you did not protect Poland then, you wouldn’t have defended yourselves now. And if you cannot defend the Maldives today, it is going to be very difficult for you to defend yourselves tomorrow.”
Excerpt from the speech by His Excellency Mohamed Nasheed, President of the Republic of Maldives, at the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association’s Conference on Climate Change on 6 July 2009
Tags: #BAD09, 17 october 2009 cabinet meeting, 24 october 2009, 24 october 2009 climate, anni, Blog Action Day, climate action, climate change, climate change maldives action, cop15, copenhagen, greenhouse gas, islands, low lying islands, maldives, maldives president, mohamed nasheed, save maldives, save poland, save the maldives to save the world, sea level rise, small island nations, to save the world, un climate summit, underwater cabinet meeting
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