Voice 1
Thank you for joining us for today’s Spotlight program. I’m Joshua Leo.
Voice 2
And I’m Rebekah Schipper. Spotlight uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand, no matter where in the world they live.
Voice 1
In 2005, scientists with NASA, the United States space program, took a picture of the earth from space. What they saw shocked them.
Voice 2
The picture showed that the Arctic’s thick ice is shrinking. You see, the scientist compared their picture with another picture taken in 2004. It was very clear that there was less ice in 2005.
Voice 1
In fact, in just one year, seven hundred and thirty thousand [730,000] square kilometres of the Arctic’s thick ice melted. Dr. Nghiem is one scientist who studied the pictures.
Voice 3
“...The change we see between 2004 and 2005 is enormous. What we have here is fourteen [14] percent loss in one year. This is eighteen [18] times greater than the previous rate.”
Voice 2
Scientists have reason to believe that the earth’s temperature is rising. They have studied many affects of warmer weather. This is the third and last program in a series about the physical signs of global warming. People all over the world are seeing evidence of climate change. Take a look around. Do you see any of these signs where you live?
Voice 1
Today’s sign: Climate Refugees
Voice 2
Tuvalu is a small Pacific Island nation. Many areas of the islands sit just a metre above sea-level. Many people believe that one day Tuvalu will disappear. Why? Well, thousands of kilometres away, melting Arctic ice causes sea levels to rise. Many Tuvaluans are moving away from their beloved islands. They are moving to higher ground. Many now live in New Zealand. Here, many Tuvaluans worry that their culture and their traditions are slowly starting to change.
Voice 1
Telaki Taniela is a Tuvaluan now living in New Zealand. Telaki remembers being a child on the island.
Voice 4
“As a child I used to play on the beach. I saw the ocean’s high tide...But in recent years high tide has gone over and above what it used to be. I said to myself, yes, the scientists really are telling the truth. I built two houses in Tuvalu. But, I just got up and...left them behind...I do not want to rise from sleep in the morning and find myself under water.”
Voice 2
Many scientists are saying that within fifty [50] to one hundred [100] years much of Tuvalu will be under water. There are other opinions. Some scientists believe that the earth will shift and change. The land will rise. The islands will survive. But, measuring sea levels shows the water raises an average of five and a half [5.5] millimetres each year. That may not seem like much. However, five and a half millimetres over many years equals a lot of water!
Voice 1
Tuvaluans now living in New Zealand call themselves “climate refugees.” They are trying to make new lives in New Zealand. They like their new lives. But, they fear losing their island and their culture. Fala is a climate refugee.
Voice 5
“I am living in New Zealand. But hey, people will still look at my colour and go, ‘Hey, where are you from? Which island?’ And I will say, ‘Oh, I am from Tuvalu.’ They will say ‘Where is that?’ What shall I say then? ‘Oh, it has disappeared or drowned under the sea because of global warming?’ That is our identity, our culture. Everything will disappear. We may get together here as a community and celebrate Tuvalu holidays...but it is different here in New Zealand. It is going to be really hard for us to accept that we are no longer on the map.”
Voice 2
Rising sea levels do not just threaten Tuvalu. In the coming years, rising water will affect most coastal areas around the world. And sadly, many of these areas are among the poorest areas in the world.
Voice 1
Most of Bangladesh is just above sea level. Millions of Bangladeshis live in areas that may one day disappear under water. But many of them do not know it.
Voice 6
“In my case, since I am quite educated, I can go to Dhaka and live quite happily. But what will happen to my neighbours and family who are really uneducated, who do not even know what climate is? For them the climate disaster will be unexpected so they are going to die.”
Voice 2
That was Mohon Mondal. He works for a local group called “Working for Coastal People.” Mohon and his group are teaching coastal Bangladeshis about climate change. They do this by performing plays for the people.
Voice 6
“To the village people, plays are a great source of entertainment and joy. They do not really have access to films. So whatever you say in a drama or play, people remember it better.”
Voice 1
But is information about climate change enough? Many people believe that it is not. Many people are hoping the government will create a plan for the people of Bangladesh. But, how will the government move millions of people? And how can they worry about a problem like climate change? The government already must provide for millions of poor people. The government must worry about educating them and providing health care for them. So, what should be done?
Voice 2
Well, many people in Bangladesh believe that they can survive rising water and climate change. If the climate changes, then the people will just change too. The people have experienced hard times before. And they have survived.
Voice 1
Ismail Hossain is a farmer. Already, Ismail changed his life to survive the rising water. He learned to grow vegetables on the water. He created floating gardens. He has thirteen [13] vegetable gardens resting on the surface of the water. But, will his floating gardens be enough? Can Ismail and millions of other people survive rising water? Only time will tell.
Voice 2
Climate change is affecting many parts of our world. We can find signs in the mountains, deep in the waters, in the behaviour of animals, and in the lives of people. Look for these signs where you live. And, let them remind you that the earth is ours to care for.
Voice 7
“Let the sea resound, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it. Let the rivers clap their hands, let the mountains sing together for joy.” [Psalm 98]
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