And I don't mean the resort in the Bahamas.
I am, of course, referring to The Lost Island (or Continent) of Atlantis, which supposedly now lies some 20,000 (or however many) leagues under the sea (possibly the South China Sea).
And with sea levels on the rise, the Maldives (the world's lowest country, sea-level wise) could be next. Which is why the first democratically elected president of the Maldives is currently shopping for a new homeland for his people. (I wonder if he has considered California, Florida, or Nevada, all of which have warm climates and lots of available real estate, at very affordable prices!)
According to an article in today's Christian Science Monitor (which launched me on this rant), Pacific and Indian Ocean island nations are dropping like flies (or, I guess more accurately, drowning like flies). And "other low-lying Pacific islands that could disappear in this century include those in Tuvalu, Kiribati, the Marshall Islands, and Fiji." (Tip to tourists: Now would be a really good time to book that vacation to the Maldives and/or Fiji, ya know, while they're still above water.)
But don't just think this is some Asian problem. Oh no. Do the words Katrina and New Orleans not ring a (warning) bell? And let us not forget that Manhattan is pretty much at sea level and possibly one tsunami or Category 4 or 5 hurricane away from having its residents swimming with the fishes (though according to what I've been reading about the current financial crisis, there are a lot of people out there who think that wouldn't be such a bad thing).
Just some things to think about as you drive your SUV and wonder if there is really such a thing as global warming.
I just hope President Elect Barack Obama keeps his promises, so we all don't wind up permanently underwater...
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The weather started getting rough, the tiny islands-in-the-middle-of-the-Pacific Ocean were tossed. If not for the courage of Al Gore-and-Barack Obama-and-those-of-us-who-believe-in-global warming, the tiny islands would be lost. The tiny islands would be lost.
That Atlantis site is all kinds of awesome. From the intro page: "Atlantis was never found because we have all been looking in the wrong places." True in that we have confined our search to reality. This guy has slipped the surly bonds (as well as possibly a straitjacket) which allows for far greater latitude in drawing conclusions.
Global Warming (or climate change, or whatever you want to call it) is a real phenomenon. Unless you have been personally impacted by it, it's hard to think that it could greatly impact our generation. And our kids' generation(s) are too far away to think about - gives us a feeling of "I'll deal with it tomorrow."
Extreme changes in weather are becoming commonplce: remember the 20 feet of snow ALL winter in Upstate New York last winter (snow to the roof of most houses)? Do you think that's normal? What about the 90 degree temps NYC had last January? What about the flooding in the Midwest over the summer? Yes, flooding is precidented, but used to happen once every 5-10 years, not every year. And hurricanes in the South such as Katrina are becoming an almost yearly occurance (this year it was Western La. and Texas that were hit). The Gulf of Mexico is warming up, which gives the hurricanes their strength.
All it takes is one Atlantic hurricane such as the one in the 1940's (that wiped out much of Ct.) to say bye bye to lower Manhattan, parts of Long Island, and Coastal Ct. Many of these areas were not built up in the 40's so the loss of property and lives would be much, much greater.
What can we do? Elect officials who practice what they preach re: environmental policies, policies that will be implemented now or soon (not "by 2020.") People may laugh at Al Gore, but he predicted this in the early 80's. How different this country would have been (War-wise and environmentally) if not for the chads in Florida in 2000.
In the meantime, stop using plastic bags and bottled water, recycle (breaking down cardboard is a pain, but do it), drive a gas efficient car, use Craig's List to buy things that don't HAVE to be new (such as kids' clothes and toys) and tell people. They can laugh all they want, but when those people are running for higher ground when NYC gets hit and is underwater, things will become VERY clear.
Am amused at the thought that people from the Maldives (Maldivians?) would settle in sunny California. The Kuna Indians in Panama are also at risk; for the most part they live on islands that are genuinely apt to vanish in the next 15-20 years, so they’ll have to head for the hills.
Keep warm and dry – but without expending too much carboniferous energy.
uh, New Orleans has always had large portions of it below sea level.
Also, the idea that an American politician can do bupkis to stop Climate Change is hilarious. This is so even if human action contributes to the phenomenon if it exists.
J if you are going to be a leftie get the lingo down. Global Warming is too confining the buzz word is Climate Change so that everything can be blamed on it.
Thanks for the tips, JJV. I'm afraid I'm not a very good Lefty. A little too Centrist. But I will endeavor to substitute "climate change" for "global warming," so I'll sound hipper to the young folks. (Btw, I just love when you use the word "bupkis.")
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