Tuvalu Minister Delivers Speech Knee-Deep in Sea Water
“We Will Not Stand Idly By”
HAVANA TIMES – In news from COP26, the foreign minister of Tuvalu recorded a speech to delegates, delivered while standing knee-deep in seawater to highlight how the low-lying Pacific island nation is facing imminent danger from rising sea levels.
Simon Kofe: “We will not stand idly by as the water rises around us. We’re not just talking in Tuvalu. We are mobilizing collective action at home, in our region and on the international stage to secure our future. On the national level, we are pursuing bold legal avenues to ensure that Tuvalu’s existing maritime boundaries will remain intact and we will be recognized as sovereign, even if our land territory is lost to climate change.”
I was on the island base of Diego Garcia about 15 years ago when the highest elevation was the swimming pool constructed above ground at 3 meters (11ft). Today it is at 3 meters or about 11 feet. Standing offshore in a suit is just sensasionalism unless you record the same spot over a period of time.