Enlightenment

I had to think about the timing on this post. Following my introduction post doesn't quite seem to fit, but i think it's important enough to let that slide.

In the midst of the excitement about the job, i've been interested in learning more about island life in the South Pacific, especially near the reef. I happened to be reading the news (as i do when i get to work in the mornings) and came across an article on an island nation that's slowly "sinking". Honestly, i had never heard of Tuvalu until this point. The country itself is the 4th smallest in the world, with somewhere around 12,000 inhabitants scattered through it's 9 islands. At it's highest point, the land sits about 3 meters (roughly 15-16 feet) above sea level.

I've read many stories about how global warming has been threatening our way of life for quite some time, and that if we don't do something soon we may lose a lot more than we can imagine. And i know there's truth to that, but being nestled in the middle of America, it just doesn't seem to have all that much impact. At least personally. And my family tries to help in any way we can. We recycle about everything we can, we're not driving huge SUV's, we're even buying "green" energy blocks from out electric company. So we're trying to contribute in ways we know how, but as i said, we're not seeing a lot of the effect. When i read about this country slowly starting to sink, i think something clicked in me. Knowing that the people of Tuvalu could essentially lose everything, and it won't take too long for that to happen. And it's not like the tsunami incident, that happened a few years ago, where people can clean up the mess and rebuild after the fact. Some of the children on these islands won't live their full lives there because the islands may not have enough land and natural resources left to support the community.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/asiapcf/01/26/eco.tuvalu/index.html

The link is attached for a series of photos of the island and it's people. There are only a few, but the captions make the point clear. I've gained a new appreciation just by reading up on this, i'm glad i stumbled across the original article. It will help me appreciate the experiences i'll have on the reef as i make my way from one island to the next. I'm looking forward to processing that and reflecting back on what i've learned here.

For more information on Tuvalu, and the issue of global warming affecting the islands, visit the following link.

http://www.tuvaluislands.com/warming.htm

For more information on practical and easy steps anyone can take to help cut back on warming, please consider some options at the following link.

http://globalwarming-facts.info/50-tips.html