How Much Longer Will You Be Able To Take A Holiday In The Maldives
The group of islands that form the Maldives number roughly 1200 and cover a region of about 800 kilometers in length in the Indian Ocean. They are renowned the world over for their outstanding natural beauty. Because most of them are only a couple of meters above sea level however, they are at great risk from sea level rise.
A rise of half a metre in the Indian Ocean would render pretty much all of them uninhabitable. Popular island resorts such as Filitheyo island, Baros island and Bandos island may be lost to the sea within the next 50 years.
As well as the threat from sea-level change the islands are also under a very real threat from an increase in ocean temperature. Increases in water temperature could destroy the coral reefs that play a large part in protecting these islands from waves.
Global warming has always been a point of conjecture among many environmental scientists, however, the unprecedented rapid melting of Arctic sea ice in 2007 has turned the view of many and now many agree that there is a definate warming and it is happening more rapidly than was originally thought.
Last year cimatologist James Hansen, presented his research paper which supported the view that the actual safe limit for carbon dioxide in the atmosphere was around 350 parts per million. Levels higher than this would have considerable negative envrionmental impacts globally. We have already reached that level at 390 ppm and the concentration is still rising.
It isnt only the Maldives who are rightfully on the verge of panic, countries like Bangladesh are already suffering saltwater flooding as sea levels rise and engulf low-lying land; Australia is experiencing severe droughts year after year as its climate changes, and forests across western North America and suffering from to pest insects that are multiplying in the warmer climate.
The recent pledge of the G8 nations to take measures to try and counteract temperature increase to only 2 degrees and atmospheric concentration of Carbon Dioxide to 450 parts per million hasnt placated many environmentalists. The fact that we are already seeing the negative effects of warming is has alarmed many who claim the figures are now out of date.
Later this month, over 100 world leaders will meet at New York for the United Nations Climate Change Summit. On 24th October 2009, the Maldives will hold the largest underwater political demonstration in history with snorkelers and divers taking banners down to the coral reefs as a reminder to everyone of what is at stake. We cannot be really how long it will be but it seems inevitable that holidays to the Maldives may be over in the future.
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