Maldives Cabinent To Hold Climate Talks Underwater

jpo2's Flickr photostream/Creative Commons

Ministers from the Maldives took scuba diving lessons this past weekend to prepare for an upcoming underwater cabinet meeting aimed at highlighting the threat that climate change and rising sea levels pose to the low-lying islands.  You've got to hand it to Maldives' President Mohamed Nasheed for using publicity stunts and bold declarations like this to urge global action to combat climate change.

His recent proposals have included an environmental tax on tourists, carbon neutrality for the country, and a plan to relocate the island’s 400,000 inhabitants to another country.

For the underwater meeting cabinet members will communicate using whiteboards hand signals, and according to a spokesperson:

The cabinet will don wet suits and scuba equipment and dive to a depth of six metres (20 feet), where a special meeting of the cabinet will be convened.  They will then ratify a pledge calling on other nations to slash greenhouse gas emissions ahead of the Copenhagen meeting.

As a small island nation the Maldives is one of the first places to face such a direct threat from climate change, and while their size perhaps is what affords them the ability to make bold declarations, hopefully international leaders will heed their call. I admire them for taking such a strong, forward-thinking stance.

Watch a video of President Nasheed's call to action below and use the action link to find out what you can do to solve the climate crisis.