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In the last 100 years, with the development of industry, it has led to a total global temperature increase of 0.8℃, and at this rate of development the global temperature will continue to increase by 1.4~5.8℃ in the next 100 years. As global temperatures rise, snow and ice begin to melt.
The coast is also retreating at a rate of 0.5 meters per year. This phenomenon has been going on for more than 90 years, and if another 50 years pass, this island nation will be sunk forever in the middle of the sea, and people can no longer find the location of this country.
This country is Tuvalu, located in the South Pacific, with a total population of only 10,690 and a land area of 26 square kilometers, making it the fourth smallest country in the world.
In the 20 years from 1990 to 2010, Tuvalu's sea level rose by a total of 11.4 centimeters, shrinking its land area by 2.5 percent. At this rate, Tuvalu's sea level will rise by 37.6 cm in the next 50 years.
This also means that 60% of the country will be completely submerged in the sea. In other words, if there is a high tide, all of Tuvalu will sink into the sea and the country will be unsuitable for human life.
With the salinization of the land, Tuvalu will not be able to grow food and vegetables. Therefore, Tuvalu's supplies are basically imported, so the prices here are also very expensive.
A towel in the supermarket costs US$17 and a bottle of mineral water costs US$2. The local people have no economic resources at all and basically rely on remittances from their relatives who work outside the country. The local people's food mix is also very bad, basically relying on sea fish for food.
Faced with this situation, Tuvalu sent an urgent distress signal to the United Nations, hoping to migrate to other countries. The first countries they considered were Australia and New Zealand, which are adjacent to their country and are sparsely populated.
But this is awkward for Australia, if agree to migrate, is an admission of global warming. If they don't, they will be criticized. On balance, the Australian government finally rejected Tuvalu's request.
But Australia has also said that if Tuvalu is ever submerged, it will not be left to die. In recent years, the people of Tuvalu are also undergoing a population transfer, with nearly 5,000 nationals having gone to New Zealand, where policies are relatively relaxed. The Tuvalu tragedy has made us realize the importance of the environment, and if we don't take action, we will be the ones who are submerged!
