“Global Warming and its Effects on Small Islands”

By Anonymous 3

            Global warming’s effects reach the entire world, but its influence can be stronger in certain places.  Small islands are very venerable.  A drastic climate change can take a huge toll on an island nation, and even small changes can cause big problems.  Many islands, especially in the South Pacific, are experiencing disasters such as; earthquakes, tsunamis, floods, droughts, and cyclones.  Some of the smaller changes include; erosion, damage to coral reefs, the sea level rising, and increasingly intense and frequent storms.  The effects of these changes are three fold.  They put pressure environmentally, socially, and politically on these small islands.  It is also important to remember that many of these tropical destination base their economy of tourism, and these sever climate changes may hurt that industry.

            In an article by Susanne Becken, she mentions a presentation at the IPCC Outreach Workshop of Mitigation that stressed the issue of many islands vulnerability.  Many are developing countries with limited government controls, little access to technologies, and lack of financing.  Therefore, these climate changes are issues that more capable countries need to help the small islands address.  It is a global problem because everyone causes what is happening to these islands, and these Pacific islands are ports of call for many tourists in Australia, New Zealand, the United States, and United Kingdom.

            Then, on the other hand, tourism is also causing a lot of the climate changes and adding to Global Warming.  Tourist accommodations and transport use a great deal of energy sources.  Electricity is mainly generated by hydropower or diesel, the latter being more prevalent.  Only ten out of the twenty-five businesses polled in Becken’s article reported using some kind of renewable energy source. 

The two factors that go into determining a business’s energy consumption are the standard of the accommodation and the location.  Resorts consume considerably more energy than low-budget motels and hotels.  This is completely expected with the different levels of service provided.  Resorts have swimming pools to heat, multiple bars and restaurants, and large common areas to air condition.  And high paying customers expect to be comfortable.  The geographical location of the accommodation also plays a key role in energy consumption.  For example, businesses on the island of Viti Levu have a lower consumption rate based on their access to renewable energy sources.  They use hydropower and bagasse.  In comparison, the Mamanuca Islands use diesel energy and have a much high consumption rates. 

            Transport energy is also a key contributor to greenhouse gas emissions.  Diesel and gas are used on the planes that provide tourists with the means to get to these remote islands, along with planes that carry food and supplies.  Some islands are self sustaining, which cause more energy consumption on the island.  But most have to bring in products from outside sources, and that consumes a lot too.  There is really no way to win with this issue.  People and products will always need transporting.  It is just important that a new method is found that does not have such a great contribution to Global Warming.  

            Luckily, the use of fossil fuels, such as diesel, is very costly, so more business operators like to keep electricity consumption as low as possible.  But another issue, is that there is a sever lack of raw data to fully assess and prove this situation.  Neither energy nor the greenhouse gas statistics are strong enough to show a specific cause or major users.  Therefore, little has been done to raise awareness about these little islands’ problems.  Not to mention, most of these island nations do not have the funds or resources to truly mitigate any of the climate changes.  Even Hawaii is feeling the effects of Global Warming on its shores.  So if nothing else, the United States should worry because these disasters are occurring on its own soil.

Bibliography

Becken, Susanne. “Harmonising Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation: The Case of

          Tourist Resorts in Fiji.” Global Environmental Change 15 (2005): 381-393.

Earthjustice: Because the Earth Needs a Good Lawyer. Galen Rowell. 1971. Earthjustice.

          13 Nov. 2007 <http://www.earthjustice.org/index.html>.

Strapp, Paul.  “New Records of Mammals on Small Islands in the Central Gulf of

          California, Mexico.” Southern California Academy of Science 101 (2002): 131-136.

Xie, Shang-Ping, W. Timothy Lui, Qinyu Liu, and Masami Nonaka.  “Far-Reaching Effects

          of the Pacific Ocean-Atmosphere System.”  Science 292 (2001): 2057-60.