Environmental refugees in the Pacific
by Sami Nikander
Just as a sidetrack regarding the purported mass movement of environmental refugees: A recent article published in The Guardian (November 10 2008) (http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2008/nov/10/maldives-climate-change) describes the newly elected president of Maldive Islands diverting funds to buying a new homeland. I am only bringing forth the fact that there seems to exist (at least one) Pacific nation seriously contemplating mass emigration as a kind of "insurance policy" against their home country vanishing into the waves. This is of course regardless of whether this is due to rising sea levels or sinking tectonic plates, or whatever the cause of rising sea levels (be it climate change or one of the other reasons). So - NO, there are no masses of eco-refugees on the shores of NZ, at least yet, no matter what Al Gore claims. But YES, there is concern among the nations of Pacific about the future of their homelands and it should be taken seriously, regardless of the cause.
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by Sami Nikander
Just as a sidetrack regarding the purported mass movement of environmental refugees: A recent article published in The Guardian (November 10 2008) (http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2008/nov/10/maldives-climate-change) describes the newly elected president of Maldive Islands diverting funds to buying a new homeland. I am only bringing forth the fact that there seems to exist (at least one) Pacific nation seriously contemplating mass emigration as a kind of "insurance policy" against their home country vanishing into the waves. This is of course regardless of whether this is due to rising sea levels or sinking tectonic plates, or whatever the cause of rising sea levels (be it climate change or one of the other reasons). So - NO, there are no masses of eco-refugees on the shores of NZ, at least yet, no matter what Al Gore claims. But YES, there is concern among the nations of Pacific about the future of their homelands and it should be taken seriously, regardless of the cause.
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