A piece I wrote for gair rhydd, the student newspaper, whichwas unfortunately returned as they'd already printed one a few weeks ago. That'll teach me to not read our student publications!!!
Maldives Under Water! (Well, the Government Anyway...)
The Maldives government have held the first underwater cabinet meeting in order to raise awareness about global warming. With the majority of its land being only 3 ft above sea level the Maldives is the lowest lying country in the world, making it one of the most susceptible to the effects of imminent rising sea levels.
The meeting took place to the north of the capital city, Male, with all members submerged at a depth of 20 ft. Extensive training was undertaken during the two months preceding the event, and each cabinet minister was accompanied by a diving instructor and a military minder to ensure health and safety measures were met. Of the fourteen cabinet members only two were not granted permission due to health issues. Communication problems were overcome with the use of hand signals and white-boards and a document was signed calling all nations to dramatically reduce their carbon emissions.
A United Nations conference to address the challenges of climate change is scheduled to take place in Copenhagen this December, with hopes of updating the 1997 Kyoto carbon emissions agreement which is due to expire in 2012. Scientific models have predicted that the country could become uninhabitable in less than a hundred years. At a follow-up press conference, also held in the water, President Mohamed Nasheed said that if no action is taken “we are going to die”.
Autographed wetsuits by each minister are to be auctioned online at www.protectthemaldives.com to raise money for coral reef protection programmes.
Words, Wildlife, Rock & Roll
Borneo, Wales, Infinity and Beyond...
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