“There are developing countries and there are endangered species. The republic of Kiribati is an endangered country” This is how Julien Blanc- Gras’ book – Paradise (before clearance), begins. Lost in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, these nation-islands will be engulfed by the rise of water level due to global warming. It so happens that one of them, Christmas Island (so called because it was discovered on Christmas day) is now a weekly direct flight from Hawaii. This has liberated Kiribati from its isolation, but it is the climatic threat that has brought this whole nation out of its anonymity.
The strange thing with global warming is that even though the responsibility of humans is now proven by the international scientific community (the IPCC – Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change is upfront about it) there are still some people in denial. The French ex-Secretary of Education Claude Allegre, also known as a “serial blunderer” is at the head of this party. As a surfer, hence fascinated by waves, I was especially amazed and astonished when, asked about his denial of global warming, he said: “ why worry about a rise in water level of 1 meter on a global scale, when waves 10 meters high unfold every year…” Fabulous, isn’t it ? And to say he was responsible for the country’s education… A rise in sea level of 1 meter on a global scale would lead to the exodus of over one million people. Tarawa, the capital of Kiribati is eerily prescient as it’s inhabitants’ exodus already started.
