Rising seas create first climate refugees

           When the sharks started showing up in her garden, Ursula Rakova knew her home and native island of Cartarat off the coast of Papua New Guniea were doomed. Her along with 1 700 other residents of the island are forced to find higher ground in an attempt to get away from the death grip of the rising ocean. Many people like Ursula are not taking this well, and feel very strongly that they have been sabotaged by the rest of the world, and are the first official "climate change refugees". The residents did all they can to stop the overwhelming rain that has come this past year by building several barricades and mangroves, but unfortunately the storms that came this past year were just too powerful. The island has recently started to develop a more modern outlook on architecture and style and had recently built many houses along the coastline. Every single one of the 100 houses were demolished in the several violent storms over the course of the year. "It is especially hard for the older people. Many of them are refusing to leave. We don't want to force them. None of us want to go. But the saltwater is spoiling our ability to grow food. So there is no choice," said Rakova. Many of the older citizens as well as the more educated of the younger population are questioning why this happened. Many believe it is the modern world, and climate change caused by global warming is to blame. They are blaming the industrial world for thier misfortunes, because they contribute little to global warming. This is the first alarming incident of global warming affecting our people.

              I feel that the people of this island do have a right to feel that they have been taken advantage of and have been written off by the industrial countries. Their way of life and home has been destroyed because of the acts of a small amount of people on our earth. The many people who have disregarded global warming as a non-serious issue, and have chosen not to change their ways, have essentially ruined the life of the people on this island. This is the first true warning of how serious climate change is and how we need to change it very soon, or more of us will end up like the people of this island, lost and without a home wondering why people didn't change their ways earlier. They must also feel so powerless because the people of this region have little technology that contributes to climate change, and therefore they had no partaking in the demise of their homes and their current lives. I feel that these people have a good reason to be angry and should vocalize their thoughts to the entire world to show how much trouble we are all in.