No evidence Pacific rising to engulf Tuvalu, scientists say

AUCKLAND (AFP) Mar 27, 2002 The continued existence of the Pacific nation of Tuvalu is not threatened as the Pacific Ocean is not rising, a regional scientific study revealed Wednesday. Tuvalu, north of Fiji, claims it is sinking under rising sea-levels which have resulted from global warming.

Last month Tuvalu told the Commonwealth Heads of Government summit in Australia that it was planning to take western nations to international courts to sue them for their failure to curb so-called greenhouse gases.

But Australias National Tidal Facility (NTF) at Flinders University in South Australia, which is contracted under Australian aid to monitor sea levels across the Pacific, said in a statement that it had seen no significant rise.

NTF have had a sophisticated tidal gauge on Funafuti, Tuvalu's capital, since 1993 measuring the rise and fall of the sea level.

"As at February 2002, based on short term sea level rise analyses ... for the nearly nine years of data return show a rate plus 0.9 millimetresinch) per year," the statement said.

They also examined the historical record going back to 1978 which indicated a sea level rise since then of 0.07 mm (0.002 inch).

"The historical record shows no visual evidence of any acceleration in sea level trends."

Last month Tuvalu told the Commonwealth Heads of Government summit in Australia that it was planning to take western nations to international courts to sue them for their failure to curb so-called greenhouse gases.

They haven't been paying attention. China is the fastest growing producer of greenhouse gases. Take them to court first. Morons.

From the Junkscience.com site:

"Some Tuvaluans wish that the environmentalists would stop trying to do them any favours. Elisala Pita, the assistant cabinet secretary at the Ministry of Natural Resources, Energy and Environment, says his country isn't sinking. Reached this week at his office on the main island of Funafuti, he lashes out at those who say they are trying to help Tuvalu in the name of environmentalism. "Things are getting out of hand," he fumes. "Tuvalu is being used for the issue of climate change. There is a lot of misleading information. People are writing books or articles saying Farewell to Tuvalu, saying Tuvalu is sinking, telling all these lies, just using Tuvalu to prove their point. As a Tuvaluan, I am extremely disappointed and deeply hurt because those are not facts. No island is sinking. Tuvalu is not sinking. It is still floating."
Pita continues, "Climate change is important to us, but it's not an issue we would use to justify our policies on migration or foreign aid. That's totally not right, it's unjustified and scientifically not based on findings. There is vulnerability to climate change everywhere. In India, the problem is on a much bigger scale. There are coastal erosions on Tuvalu, of course, but that doesn't mean the island is sinking. This erosion is caused by man-made infrastructure." Beachhead erosion has been increasing for years because the Tuvaluans use sand -- one of the only natural resources they have -- for construction materials. Pita pleads for the truth to be heard around the world. "I'm sorry, my friend, I can't help you," he says. "We do not entertain people doing news based on rumours."

I'm betting we see lots more "Tuvalu is sinking!!" reports in the popular media. Scientific accuracy doesn't count for much when there are agendas to be pursued.

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