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ReefCourse at GeoBio-CenterLMU, ©
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Some additional Information on the Tuvalu Case
Position of Tuvalu:
Two typical Tuvalu Atolls. Greenish/darker spots are populated islands:
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| Endangered, populated coast at a Tuvalu atoll. See house to the right. Note that flooding does occur on a fair weather day, not during a storm. | Quarrying Tuvalu reefs for cement and building stone. | Typical saltwater to freshwater converter which are widely used also in Tuvalu. They create very dense salt water sewage brines which flows bottomwards due to its density and kills reef organisms. |
Press spotlights:
Kleinz, D. (2001): Dot.Atlantis. Tuvalu wird im Pazifik versinken - Vorbereitung zur Evakuierung läuft an.-
http://www.telepolis.de/deutsch/inhalt/te/11047/1.html , Hannover (Heise).
from the contents: Was passiert mit der dot.TV-Domain?? ('what will happen to the dot.TV-domain??')
Klimawandel: Inselstaat Tuvalu soll evakuiert werden.-
Ein Staat fällt der Erderwärmung zum Opfer: Wegen des steigenden Meeresspiegels
müssen die Bewohner des kleinen Südsee-Inselreichs Tuvalu ihre Heimat verlassen.
Der SPIEGEL, 16. 11. 2001.
http://www.spiegel.de/wissenschaft/mensch/0,1518,168002,00.html
Farewell Tuvalu
Andrew Simms
Monday October 29, 2001
The Guardian
http://www.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,3604,582445,00.html
from the contents:
'The world has just shifted on its axis, but not in the way you might first imagine. A group of nine islands, home to 11,000 people, is the first nation to pay the ultimate price for global warming.
For many years the most interesting thing to happen to the Pacific island state of Tuvalu was the sale of its internet domain name, .tv, for $50m (£35m). But, just as Tuvalu has traded in its virtual domain, it is about to lose its real one.
The authorities in Tuvalu have publicly conceded defeat to the sea rising around them. Appeals have gone out to the governments of New Zealand and Australia to help in the full-scale evacuation of Tuvalu's population. After an apparent rebuff from Australia, the first group of evacuees is due to leave for New Zealand next year. '
Some more statements:
From a public speach of state minister Sopoanga: „Fifty years from now, if nothing is done, the people of Tuvalu will just be... there won't be any Tuvalu left on the face of the earth.“ ......
A small island, Tepuka Savilivili, has turned into a sand split during the storms of 1997....
Every month, two or three families leave Tuvalu. The say they would visit relatives in Australia or Newzealand, but never come back again....
The government of Tuvalu already takes measures to evacuate the 11.000 inhabitants. The state is building up reserves from its tax income...
Both Australia and Newzealand have stricly refused acceptance of climate refugees from Tuvalu...
based on internet investigations from Tuvalu school project by Christa Maaßen, used with permission.
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