But it usually takes a long, long time.
So Kyoto went into effect this week. And with it came more denouncements of the US for not ratifying it and stories of how, because we didn�t ratify it, WE�RE ALL GOING TO DIE!
Like this one, found at Ravenwood�s Universe.
Sinking Islands Cling to Kyoto Lifebuoy
Islanders on tiny Tuvalu in the South Pacific last week saw the future of global warming and rising sea levels, as extreme high tides caused waves to crash over crumbling sea-walls and flood their homes. “Our island is sinking together with our hearts,” wrote Silafaga Lalua in Tuvalu News.
Tuvalu is a remote island nation consisting of a fringe of atolls covering just 10 sq miles, with the highest point no more than 17 ft above sea level, but most a mere 6.5 ft.
Global warming from greenhouse gas pollution is regarded as the main reason for higher sea levels, now rising about 2mm (0.08 in) a year, which could swamp low-lying nations such as Tuvalu and the Maldives in the Indian Ocean if temperatures keep rising.
Sounds bad, doesn�t it?
But if you do the math, like Ravenwood did, this story and the islanders tale becomes almost laughable.
“If the sea continues rising at 0.08 inch a year, that means Tuvalu will be mostly submerged in 975 years, and will disappear entirely in 2,550 years.”
My aching sides! The Pain!
975 years? I have heard of drastic changes and that doesn�t sound very much like it.
Which, I�m pretty sure, is why Ravenwood came up with his next line,
�So in the year 4555 we can expect to read headlines like: “Tuvalu Disappears, Bush to Blame.”
As an added bonus, in the comments of the post, Acidman puts up a link debunking the entire story of the sea rising to claim Tuvalu.
The island is actually sinking into the sea, not the other way around.