Subscribe to Dollars & Sense magazine. Recent articles related to the financial crisis. Words Can't Describe How Wacky This IsThere's an absolutely devastating critique of corporate-led globalization hidden (only a little) in this story somewhere. From today's Guardian:Paradise almost lost: Maldives seek to buy a new homeland The Guardian, November 10, 2008 Randeep Ramesh in Male The Maldives will begin to divert a portion of the country's billion-dollar annual tourist revenue into buying a new homeland--as an insurance policy against climate change that threatens to turn the 300,000 islanders into environmental refugees, the country's first democratically elected president has told the Guardian. Mohamed Nasheed, who takes power officially tomorrow in the island's capital, Male, said the chain of 1,200 island and coral atolls dotted 500 miles from the tip of India is likely to disappear under the waves if the current pace of climate change continues to raise sea levels. The UN forecasts that the seas are likely to rise by up to 59cm by 2100, due to global warming. Most parts of the Maldives are just 1.5m above water. The president said even a "small rise" in sea levels would inundate large parts of the archipelago. "We can do nothing to stop climate change on our own and so we have to buy land elsewhere. It's an insurance policy for the worst possible outcome. After all, the Israelis [began by buying] land in Palestine," said Nasheed, also known as Anni. The president, a human rights activist who swept to power in elections last month after ousting Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, the man who once imprisoned him, said he had already broached the idea with a number of countries and found them to be "receptive". Read the rest of the article Labels: climate change, globalization, Maldives Please consider donating to Dollars & Sense and/or subscribing to the magazine (both print and e-subscriptions now available!). |
