Climate Change (Blog Action Day)

A tropical island vacation....Almost everyone has that dream.

Some dream of Tahiti, others Hawaii, maybe it's the Caribbean for you. Exotic Seychelles, Bali, or a namelss atoll deep in the South Pacific.

It's a dream of Corona beer, watching the sunset into the ocean and behind the palms.

Mine is the Maldives - a nation of atolls in the Indian ocean. Picture perfect in every way, the Maldives embody everything I could want. Clear water, palm tress, relaxing resorts, and no sign of work in sight. The Maldives are also the first on the hit list for global warming and climate change. Various reports peg the country at disappearing into the ocean anywhere from 50 to 100 years from now. The government is already working with other nations to secure a home for the people who will eventually be homeless and stateless.

The crisis facing the Maldives will escape the world population at large. It's hard to understand and comprehend the reality of a place so far away, that so few people have heard of. In terms of why we should care about climate change and how it impacts the Maldive is simple. The Maldives are simply the first to go. One sunk island chain chipping away on our dreams of that tropical sunset.

Global warming and climate change is real. The plight of the people of the Maldives is dire. If nothing else today, save some energy. If not for the Maldives or global warming but to ensure that your children and grandchildren can have tropical island dreams of their own.