Who is he?

Senior Researcher, Biodiversity Assessment and Projection Section, Center for Environmental Biology and Ecosystem Studies.

Did we speak with him?

No.

Nationality:

Japanese.

Important Publications/Articles on Tuvalu:

Paper “Atoll island vulnerability to flooding and inundation revealed by historical reconstruction: Fongafale Islet, Funafuti Atoll, Tuvalu”, click here.

What methods does he use?

In his study of Tuvalu, Yamano reconstructed the topography of the islands using aerial photography and maps as well as population censuses and historical literature. To fully understand the vulnerability of the islands, he believes it is necessary to establish how they have changed over history. Only then can the possibility of useful action be explored.

His take on the controversy:

Yamano believes that reefs islands such as Tuvalu are highly vulnerable to elevated sea levels. He maintains that this vulnerability is linked to the changes to its original landform characteristics that were prompted by human activity (population increase, irresponsible construction, mining, etc).

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What is it?

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change was created in 1988 by the initiative of the United Nations Environment Programme and the World Meteorological Organization in response to an awareness of a global issue. Scientists from all over the world post their reviews and the IPCC publishes and synthesize articles and evaluate the consequences of climate change in order to inform the decisions-makers on political, social and economical measures to take. Together with Al Gore, the IPCC received the Peace Nobel Prize for raising awareness around this dramatic problem. Once in 5 years, a consensus report is released.

Did we speak with someone from this international organization ?

No.

Important Publications/Articles on Tuvalu:

Contribution of Working Group II to the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, 2007, click here.

IPCC Third Assessment Report, click here.

What methods are used?

The IPCC uses the IPCC Common Methodology, here, as well as numerous climate change models.

Its take on the controversy:

The IPCC expects Tuvalu to be the first nation state to disappear due to rising sea levels brought on by climate change.

Quotations:

Jim Salinger: “As you heat up the atmosphere, it rains harder when it rains; but when it doesn’t, things dry out faster because it’s hotter. You get more flooding and more drought.”

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Who are they?

Bikenibeu Paeniu: 1996-1999

Koloa Talake: 2001-2002

Saufatu Sopoanga: 2002-2004

Maatia Toafa: 2004-2006

Willy Telavi: 2010-present

Did we speak with them?

No.

Important speeches on the controversy:

Speech of Bikenibeu Paeniu at the Kyoto conference, 8 december 1997, click here.

Speech of Saufatu Sopoanga in New York at the 58th Session of the UN General Assembly, 24 September 2003, click here.

Speech of Maatia Toafa at the 59th Session of the UN General Assembly, New York 24 September 2004, click here.

Their take on the controversy:

The Prime Ministers of Tuvalu have actively been involved in promoting awareness of their country’s vulnerability in the face of global warming. They have been vocal in their belief that their country is in danger of disappearing due to rising sea levels caused by the greenhouse effect. In 2002, Koloa Talake planned to sue the United States and Australia for damages to Tuvalu due to their high production of carbon dioxide. The case was ultimately not pursued by Prime Minister Sopoanga.

Quotations:

“For the people of low-lying small island states of the world, however, and certainly of my small island country of Tuvalu in the Pacific, this is no longer a debatable argument. The impacts of global warming on our islands are real, and are already threatening our very survival and existence.” Prime Minister Paeniu at Kyoto Convention on Climate Change.

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Did we speak with them?

No.

Their take on the controversy:

The government advises citizens to leave the island; people are divided between those who wish to stay (especially when they are over 40, with a stronger attachment to their home lands and no expectation for the future) and those who feel the urge to leave, facilitated by the migration schemes and the Tuvaluan community already present in New Zealand.

Tuvaluans appear to be aware of the gravity of the situation and are worried about the children of the islands. They blame developed countries’ disproportionate carbon dioxide emissions that are directly impacting developing countries.

God and faith remain very present; the belief that God will save Tuvalu was strong, however the Church sent missionaries to explain what is likely to happen.

Tuvalu is perceived as a symbol of climate change ; they have the impression that the media wants their country to drown in order to sell their story.

Quotations:

“Flooding is already coming right into the middle of the islands, destroying food crops and trees, which were there when I was born 60 years ago. These things are gone” (Paani Laupepa)

 “There is certainly a noticeable erosion effect. If you go to Funafala [a nearby islet] you will see. The biggest thatched building was in the center of the village, now it’s on the edge… Now during high tides, the water comes right across the ground, where the houses are, and it never happened before, and a couple years ago it began,” (Elia Tauita, President of the Funafuti Town Council)

“This is my country; I’m ready to die here.’’ (interview conducted by François Gemmene)

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Who is he?

Eschenbach is an amateur scientific from Honiara, Solomon Islands.

Did we speak with him?

No.

Important Publications/Articles on Tuvalu:

Article Tuvalu Not Experiencing Increased Sea Level Rise.

Post “Floating islands”, click here.

What methods does he use?

Eschenbach criticizes those who claim sea level rise is threatening islands in the Pacific ; his main argument to validate his thesis is stating that an atoll floats, thus when the sea level rises, the atoll rises too, based on the discovery of Darwin.

His take on the controversy:

Climate change is not the problem. He explains that the body of an atoll, because it is made of sand and coral rubble, is constantly modified due to erosion, human activities. He blames human beings for risking their own lives by destroying the balance of islands : they overpopulate the area, wasting fresh water when they should use rain or sea water, and destroy flaura and fauna.

Quotations:

“Since atolls go up and down with the sea level as Darwin discovered, the idea that atolls will be buried by sea level rises is totally unfounded”.

“Coral atolls cannot survive an unlimited population increase, or unrestricted overfishing, or overpumping the water lens, or unrestrained coral mining”.

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Who is she?

Farbotko is an Assistant Research Fellow at the School of Earth and Environmental Sciences at the University of Wollongong. She completed her PhD at the University of Tasmania. Her dissertation is entitled: Representing climate change space: islographs of Tuvalu.

Did we speak with him/her?

No

Nationality:

Australian

Important Publications/Articles on Tuvalu:

‘The first climate refugees? Contesting global narratives of climate change in Tuvalu’

‘Wishful sinking: Disappearing islands, climate refugees and cosmopolitan experimentation’

What methods does she use?

She used reviews from Australian newspapers; she believes adaptation rather than migration.

Her take on the controversy:

Tuvalu is treated as a “canary in the coal mine” a disposable pawn that falls victim to the devastation caused by climate change. The international community idly watches to see what will become of the islands because Tuvalu is seen as a metaphor/prophecy of what awaits the rest of us.

Quotations:

“Only after they disappear will the islands become an absolute truth of the urgency of climate change, and thus act as a prompt towards saving the rest of the planet”.

“Tuvalu becomes a space where the fate of the planet is brought forward in time and miniaturised in space, reduced to a performance of rising seas and climate refugees played out for those with most control over the current and future uses of fossil fuels”.

Who is he?

Research Fellow at the Institute for Sustainable Development and International Relations (IDDRI). He specializes in climate change geopolitic and environmental migrations. He teaches at Sciences Po Paris, University of Paris 13 and the Free University of Brussels. He traveled to Tuvalu in 2007.

Did we speak with him?

Yes

Nationality:

French

Important Publications/Articles on Tuvalu:

Click here to access François Gemmenne’s blog on Tuvalu.

Paper “Tuvalu, un laboratoire du changement climatique ?”, click here.

 How did he get involved in Tuvalu?

He got stuck into an elevator with the then ambassador of the Tuvaluan nation, Enele Sopoaga, at the UN building in New York when he was an intern.

His take on the controversy:

It is impossible to be sure that Tuvalu will disappear, however the likelihood that a large part of the islands will be flooded is important.

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Who is he/she?

Ollier is a geologist and Honorary Research Follower at the School of Earth and Geographical Sciences University of Western Australia.

Did we speak with him?

No.

 Nationality:

Australian

Important Publications/Articles on Tuvalu:

Article “Tuvalu- the touchstone of global warming and rising sea level” (2010) , click here.

Article “No cause for alarm” (2010), click here.

What methods does he use?

Ollier based his conclusions on the data records collected by the National Tidal Facility tidal gauges.

 His take on the controversy:

Ollier believes that Tuvalu is in no danger of disappearing. In his numerous publications, he maintains that the sea level surrounding the islands remains stable. Moreover, Ollier is active member of the Lavoisier group, an Australian based organization of climate change skeptics.

Quotations:

“The IPCC and CSIRO try to alarm the world with stories of the drowning of low islands, such as Tuvalu. But detailed mapping has shown that Tuvalu, and many other coral islands, have actually grown during the past 20 years.”

(Regarding Tuvalu): “For about the past eight years the sea level seems to be virtually constant.”

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Who is he/she?

He is a marine geologist at the Quingdao Institute of Marine Geology.

Did we speak with him/her?

No.

Nationality:

Chinese.

Important Publications/Articles on Tuvalu:

Coastal Erosion and Management of Amatuku Island, Funafuti Atoll, Tuvalu (book).

Causes of land loss in Tuvalu, a small island nation in the Pacific. (Research paper)

Coastal sedimentation and coastal management of Fongafale, Funafuti, Tuvalu, SOPAC Technical Report 22

What methods does he use?

In his study of Tuvalu, Xue used geological surveys and augering techniques in order to study the effects of rising sea levels and coastal erosion.

 His take on the controversy:

Xue believes that the physical changes occurring in Tuvalu are the direct result of coastal erosion, particularly human-induced erosion.

Quotations:

“The coastal geological events in Tuvalu islands do not accord with the features resulted from sea level rise but do accord with the features resulted from coastal erosion, particularly from human-induced erosion. The land loss in Tuvalu is mainly caused by inappropriate human activities including coastal engineering and aggregate mining, and partly caused by cyclones. Moreover, all recent measurements (satellite altimetry, thermosteric sea level data and tide observations) so far have not been able to verify any sea level rise around Tuvalu islands.”

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Who is he/she?

Hilia Vavae is the head of Tuvalu’s Meteorological Office. Since 1981, she has carefully observed and depicted the changes in the islands’ weather and ocean.

Did we speak with him/her?

No

Nationality:

Tuvaluan

How did he get involved in Tuvalu?

Tuvaluan resident

His take on the controversy:

The main threat Tuvalu is threatening is rising sea levels. Tuvaluans need to take practical actions such as planting trees to prevent soil erosion and the need of garbage shredders.

Quotations:

“It’s just that we are so low, and so vulnerable, that problems are showing up here first”.

(After Copenhagen) “People who we don’t know us, from all different parts of the world were supporting Tuvalu. But their leaders are not listening.”