The Pacific is the most dispersed and isolated region of the world, and one of the most vulnerable to climate change, but it’s also full of stories of hope and awesomeness. I have to share these stories with you – they make me so happy, and so resolute that we have to do everything we can to get back to that most important number – 350ppm.
Tonga has big problems with rubbish, and it has big problems with climate change. The Tongan National Youth Congress is taking on both of these with and sending ripples around the whole country as they do. Just this weekend gone, they picked up so much rubbish from beaches that they ran out of rubbish bags, and they covered themselves with mud as they planted hundreds of mangroves. Just check out these photos will ya!
Meanwhile on Koro Island, Fiji, both Navaga Village & Nasau Village are putting the whole village to work on 10/10/10 to strengthen their community resilience to climate change. Navaga’s Environmental Group’s chairman, Ananaisa Tavaga explains that “After cyclone Tomas hit Koro Island we decided we needed to take action. We will be planting mangrove along the sea side of our seawall, and cyclone resistant trees on the village side. We are building three washing areas so our people can stop washing our laundry in the river, which we discovered was killing our local reef. The children will be gathering all the trash and helping to build recycling and compost centers in the morning. While in the afternoon there will be a children’s carnival with games, crafts, and book readings. There will also be both a children’s and an adult film festival. The day will end with a lovo feast and meke.”
Bicycles are few and far between in Papua New Guinea, but locals in the nation’s capital, Port Moresby, hope to change that. Local environment group, CELCOR are inviting locals to join them in ‘Bike Riding for Solutions’ down the main streets of Port Moresby to show that cycling is a healthy and climate friendly way of getting about the city.
As the World’s smallest nation, local artists in Niue are making a sculpture park dedicated to showing Niue’s vulnerability to climate change and their connection with planet Earth. The sculptures, which will be made out of unwanted materials and rubbish, are hoped to stimulate discussion with locals and tourist about climate change and the impacts of a consumerism.
