Dec

5

Indonesian islands in danger of being wiped out due to climate change

Posted by Michael Sciannamea

December 5, 2007 |

Courtesy of ReutersOne of the more startling relevations coming from this week’s conference on climate change in Bali is that some Indonesian scientists believe that some of the 17,000 islands in the region could be completely swept up by the sea by the year 2035 if steps aren’t taken to reduce rising sea levels that are caused by climate change.

Although a situation that may take place 27 years down the road may not mean much to us, at least for the near future, another thought that was brought up by the same group of scientists was that the presidential palace in the Indonesian captial of Jakarta could be surrounded by water. What makes it so frightening is that the palace is situated six miles(!) from the sea.

The Bali confab is designed to discuss ways on developing a follow-up to the Kyoto Protocol, which was designed to reduce greenhouse gases that cause climate change. The protocol expires in 2012, and many believe that if factors such as greenhouse gases and carbon emissions continue to escalate, islands like those in Indonesia as well as in other regions could literally be swallowed by the rising sea levels.

It goes without saying that at the very least the takeaway from this conference is to begin establishing parameters for real guidelines to prevent these dire situations from happening. In addition, governments need to pay attention now, and not in 2030 when it could be too late.


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