Hungarian filmmaker Arpad Bogdan sets out to discover what's behind the…
Life 8 - The President's Dilemma
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The islands of Kiribati in the Pacific have been inhabited continuously for 4,000 years. Now climate change and rising sea levels mean they may be the first to be abandoned. Elected in 2003, President Anote Tong must decide the fate of his people. Should he plan for an orderly evacuation of the islands? Or should he persuade his people to tough it out instead? Tong believes that it's ordinary people like the Kiribati islanders who are too often forgotten as countries negotiate measures to combat climate change. Life looks at the challenges Tong faces from the climate, the wider world and from his own people.
'The President's Dilemma is another triumph for the makers of the Life series. It is inspiring and tragic, uplifting and aggravating. One applauds President Tong for his forward thinking and determination, but one cannot help but feel sad for the loss of another diasporic people, who at best will be flung around the globe. Surely the plight of the Kiribitians reminds us all to think globally--and not to act as locally as we usually do. Level/Use: Suitable for high school and for college courses in cultural anthropology, environmental anthropology, development anthropology, and Pacific Island studies, as well as general audiences.' Jack David Eller, Community College of Denver, Anthropology Reviews Database
'There is a continuous challenge of trying to strike a balance in the film[s]...[The films] can be used successfully in stimulating a discussion amongst the youth about the negative aspects of such a life as well as an exploration of alternatives.' Teboho Moja, Clinical Professor of Higher Education, New York University
Citation
Main credits
Heer, James (Producer)
Heer, James (Director)
Bradshaw, Steve (Narrator)
Other credits
Music, Ken Myhr; camera, Prospero Bozzo; editor, Declan McCormak.
Distributor subjects
Anthropology; Climate Change/Global Warming; Developing World; Environment; Environmental Justice; Ethics; Geography; Global Issues; Human Rights; Indigenous Peoples; Migration and Refugees; Oceans and Coasts; Pacific Studies; Social Psychology; SociologyKeywords
WEBVTT
00:00:01.166 --> 00:00:03.166
Bradshaw:
Wars, climate change,
00:00:03.167 --> 00:00:04.934
finance and famine
dominate the news.
00:00:04.968 --> 00:00:06.667
Every day,
we hear from the heroes,
00:00:06.701 --> 00:00:08.400
the villains,
and the victims.
00:00:08.434 --> 00:00:11.767
But people on the edge
of the news have stories too,
00:00:11.801 --> 00:00:14.901
people like the president
of one small island country
00:00:14.934 --> 00:00:19.701
that\'s on the edge of the world
and the edge of existence.
00:00:19.734 --> 00:00:50.701
[dramatic music]
00:00:50.800 --> 00:00:59.834
♪ ♪
00:01:00.340 --> 00:01:01.374
- I\'ll show you.
00:01:01.380 --> 00:01:03.414
I had the wall here initially,
00:01:04.340 --> 00:01:10.374
and so that was destroyed
by the very high tides in 2005.
00:01:10.934 --> 00:01:12.968
And I had I built this
00:01:10.934 --> 00:01:12.968
quite some time back
over the years,
00:01:13.000 --> 00:01:16.300
and that was destroyed,
so I rebuilt it,
00:01:16.334 --> 00:01:19.033
and this one was destroyed
in 2005.
00:01:19.067 --> 00:01:22.767
Bradshaw: Anote Tong
is obsessed with the sea.
00:01:22.801 --> 00:01:26.200
He\'s the man in charge
of a vanishing nation.
00:01:26.234 --> 00:01:30.501
The seas that have supported
life here for 4,000 years
00:01:30.534 --> 00:01:33.968
are rising because of
global climate change.
00:01:34.000 --> 00:01:37.000
It\'s Tong\'s job
as president of his country
00:01:37.033 --> 00:01:39.667
to decide what to do.
00:01:39.701 --> 00:01:42.300
- For quite some time,
I did not sleep,
00:01:42.334 --> 00:01:44.701
because I had no solution
to a problem
00:01:44.734 --> 00:01:47.133
that nobody has a solution to.
00:01:47.167 --> 00:01:50.000
What happens to us
as a people in the future?
00:01:50.033 --> 00:01:52.234
Do we disappear as a culture?
00:01:52.267 --> 00:01:55.901
And so these are the issues
that keep me awake.
00:02:03.167 --> 00:02:06.400
Bradshaw: Tong must decide
the fate of his people.
00:02:06.434 --> 00:02:11.934
Should they stay and fight
or evacuate their island home?
00:02:11.968 --> 00:02:14.467
Tong\'s nation
is called Kiribati,
00:02:14.501 --> 00:02:19.100
33 atoll islands stretching
across the Pacific Ocean.
00:02:19.133 --> 00:02:21.234
7 hours\' flight from Australia,
00:02:21.267 --> 00:02:24.033
10 hours
from the United States.
00:02:24.067 --> 00:02:26.968
They are strips of land
on the edge of the world
00:02:27.000 --> 00:02:29.167
so low that from the water,
00:02:29.200 --> 00:02:33.067
they seem to vanish
against the blue sea.
00:02:33.100 --> 00:02:36.033
- In Kiribati, it\'s very hard
to see the next island.
00:02:36.067 --> 00:02:38.901
10 kilometers out
or even 15 kilometers out,
00:02:38.934 --> 00:02:40.801
you can no longer see land.
00:02:40.834 --> 00:02:42.634
So how we locate it is,
00:02:42.667 --> 00:02:45.667
we use the reflection
from the clouds.
00:02:45.701 --> 00:02:47.868
So that\'s how we navigate.
00:02:47.901 --> 00:02:50.534
Over there is Maiana,
the next most immediate-
00:02:50.567 --> 00:02:51.868
in other words,
it\'s my island.
00:02:51.901 --> 00:02:55.367
So that\'s where I go fishing
when I go trolling.
00:02:56.901 --> 00:02:59.133
Bradshaw: During an evening
spent at his family home
00:02:59.167 --> 00:03:01.801
on the island of Tarawa,
the country\'s capital,
00:03:01.834 --> 00:03:06.167
Tong admits he has little time
to fish these days.
00:03:06.200 --> 00:03:10.734
He was first elected president
in 2003.
00:03:10.767 --> 00:03:12.934
Since then,
he\'s spent much of his time
00:03:12.968 --> 00:03:14.801
sounding the alarm
internationally
00:03:14.834 --> 00:03:19.033
that his country
is disappearing.
00:03:19.067 --> 00:03:22.868
- Already, we have
whole villages being washed out.
00:03:22.901 --> 00:03:25.467
There is no running away
from the reality
00:03:25.501 --> 00:03:28.834
that the sea is rising.
00:03:28.868 --> 00:03:31.901
There is no running away
from that reality.
00:03:31.934 --> 00:03:33.133
Bradshaw:
It\'s a reality
00:03:33.167 --> 00:03:36.334
that appears
to be getting worse by the day.
00:03:36.367 --> 00:03:39.801
A recent study
from the University of Colorado
00:03:39.834 --> 00:03:42.300
estimates that even if
carbon dioxide emissions
00:03:42.334 --> 00:03:43.634
are stabilized,
00:03:43.667 --> 00:03:47.167
sea levels will continue to rise
as much as 2 meters
00:03:47.200 --> 00:03:50.767
by the end of this century.
00:03:50.801 --> 00:03:52.434
It\'s a trend
that would spell disaster
00:03:52.467 --> 00:03:55.434
for his country\'s
108,000 residents,
00:03:55.467 --> 00:03:57.601
who live on narrow strips
of land
00:03:57.634 --> 00:04:01.868
just two meters above sea level.
00:04:01.901 --> 00:04:05.934
- Regardless of what measures
are taken
00:04:05.968 --> 00:04:09.100
in regard to the reduction
of emissions,
00:04:09.133 --> 00:04:12.067
the momentum of what\'s already
in the atmosphere
00:04:12.100 --> 00:04:15.534
will carry on to the point
that it will put us underwater.
00:04:18.100 --> 00:04:21.334
Bradshaw: The Intergovernmental
Panel on Climate Change
00:04:21.367 --> 00:04:25.734
warns that as greenhouse gases
warm the planet, water expands,
00:04:25.767 --> 00:04:29.868
tides rise,
and waves grow stronger.
00:04:29.901 --> 00:04:33.567
These images,
shot during a storm in 2005,
00:04:33.601 --> 00:04:38.267
show what Tong and his people
are fighting against.
00:04:45.467 --> 00:04:50.133
- [speaking native language]
00:04:50.167 --> 00:04:51.901
- If I didn\'t build
this seawall,
00:04:51.934 --> 00:04:56.534
my house would be wiped out.
00:04:56.567 --> 00:04:58.467
Bradshaw:
Over the last ten years,
00:04:58.501 --> 00:05:01.901
Bob Tioram says he\'s had
two houses destroyed,
00:05:01.934 --> 00:05:04.434
and each time,
he\'s moved further inland
00:05:04.467 --> 00:05:05.868
to rebuild them,
00:05:05.901 --> 00:05:11.100
holding ground
when others have fled.
00:05:11.133 --> 00:05:14.267
- For now, I believe
I can hold the sea back,
00:05:14.300 --> 00:05:18.801
but if it gets much worse,
I\'ll have to move again.
00:05:21.534 --> 00:05:24.667
- The problem has no boundary;
it has no border,
00:05:24.701 --> 00:05:27.300
because the land
doesn\'t get any higher.
00:05:27.334 --> 00:05:31.701
50 meters from where it was,
he\'s as vulnerable
00:05:31.734 --> 00:05:34.801
as the 50 meters today.
00:05:34.834 --> 00:05:37.434
We really are not protected
00:05:37.467 --> 00:05:42.033
in any sustainable way
at the moment.
00:05:44.501 --> 00:05:49.501
Bradshaw: Even so, the fight
to protect land continues.
00:05:49.534 --> 00:05:54.267
Seawalls of every description
dot the coastline.
00:05:54.300 --> 00:05:55.701
- If we had one single
large island,
00:05:55.734 --> 00:05:58.634
I think it might be possible
to put seawalls around it,
00:05:58.667 --> 00:06:01.234
but it\'s virtually
an impossibility
00:06:01.267 --> 00:06:02.567
given the geography,
structure,
00:06:02.601 --> 00:06:04.100
and the scatteredness
of our islands.
00:06:04.133 --> 00:06:07.667
And so where does that leave us?
00:06:07.701 --> 00:06:09.601
We have to face
the reality of it,
00:06:09.634 --> 00:06:13.267
and the reality seems to be
that we have to relocate.
00:06:13.300 --> 00:06:16.767
The question is,
how do we relocate?
00:06:16.801 --> 00:06:18.667
Bradshaw:
Relocate, evacuate,
00:06:18.701 --> 00:06:22.868
but will his nation buy it,
and will the world help?
00:06:24.868 --> 00:06:27.334
Tong takes his country\'s fight
for survival
00:06:27.367 --> 00:06:30.000
to the United Nations.
00:06:30.033 --> 00:06:34.167
- Mr. President,
on climate change:
00:06:34.200 --> 00:06:36.801
while the international
community continues
00:06:36.834 --> 00:06:41.400
to point fingers at each other
regarding responsibility for
00:06:41.434 --> 00:06:43.167
and leadership on this issue,
00:06:43.200 --> 00:06:45.901
our people continue
to experience the impact
00:06:45.934 --> 00:06:49.868
of climate change
and sea level rise.
00:06:49.901 --> 00:06:52.834
Bradshaw:
Many nations continue to argue
00:06:52.868 --> 00:06:54.534
against immediate action.
00:06:54.567 --> 00:06:58.100
It\'s Tong\'s
greatest frustration.
00:06:58.133 --> 00:07:00.400
- Here we were confronted
with a number of countries
00:07:00.434 --> 00:07:03.267
wanting to achieve
more economic growth
00:07:03.300 --> 00:07:04.868
and arguing the case
that, of course,
00:07:04.901 --> 00:07:08.834
they must not be tied down
to these stringent obligations.
00:07:08.868 --> 00:07:10.934
To me, it\'s offensive;
it\'s insulting,
00:07:11.485 --> 00:07:17.140
because it\'s so insensitive
about the fate of -- of people.
00:07:17.160 --> 00:07:22.160
[people singing
in native language]
00:07:22.700 --> 00:07:25.200
♪ ♪
00:07:25.300 --> 00:07:28.301
Bradshaw: The people, says Tong,
who are often forgotten
00:07:28.400 --> 00:07:30.400
when countries
negotiate measures
00:07:30.500 --> 00:07:32.567
meant to combat climate change.
00:07:32.901 --> 00:07:35.234
- Even today,
the world community
00:07:35.267 --> 00:07:38.534
has never made any commitment
to deal with this issue,
00:07:38.567 --> 00:07:44.000
and this is the point
of every speech that I make.
00:07:44.033 --> 00:07:46.667
You know, we talk about
the carbon trading.
00:07:46.701 --> 00:07:48.601
We\'re talking
about everything else
00:07:48.634 --> 00:07:51.901
but dealing with the people
that will be affected.
00:07:51.934 --> 00:07:53.934
Even the polar bears
are being considered
00:07:53.968 --> 00:07:56.434
but not the people
that will be affected,
00:07:56.467 --> 00:08:01.434
and so I think there needs to be
this refocus of attention
00:08:01.467 --> 00:08:02.834
by the world community.
00:08:09.934 --> 00:08:11.501
Bradshaw:
The people of Kiribati
00:08:11.534 --> 00:08:15.367
arrived on these islands
4,000 years ago,
00:08:15.400 --> 00:08:18.100
one of the last stops
in humanity\'s migration
00:08:18.133 --> 00:08:20.234
out of Africa.
00:08:20.267 --> 00:08:23.400
The islands they settled
stretch over an expanse of ocean
00:08:23.434 --> 00:08:26.334
the size of India.
00:08:26.367 --> 00:08:29.000
It\'s here at the most
southern tip that fishermen,
00:08:29.033 --> 00:08:31.567
like 23-year-old Ribita Iobete,
00:08:31.601 --> 00:08:35.734
feel the threat
of global climate change most.
00:08:35.767 --> 00:08:37.701
And it\'s here
their president faces
00:08:37.734 --> 00:08:40.667
some of his greatest challenges.
00:08:40.701 --> 00:08:41.901
- [speaking native language]
00:08:41.934 --> 00:08:44.167
- The temperatures
are getting hotter,
00:08:44.200 --> 00:08:46.133
and there is a change
in the level of the sea.
00:08:46.167 --> 00:08:49.300
It\'s getting higher.
00:08:49.334 --> 00:08:52.367
These changes are affecting
the food we grow.
00:08:52.400 --> 00:08:55.167
Before,
our coconuts were big,
00:08:55.200 --> 00:08:57.901
but now they\'re as small
as our fists.
00:09:02.200 --> 00:09:04.467
Bradshaw:
Ribita says seawater
00:09:04.501 --> 00:09:07.033
has begun seeping
into the water table.
00:09:07.067 --> 00:09:09.834
It gives the well water
his mother draws each day
00:09:09.868 --> 00:09:13.534
a salty taste.
00:09:13.567 --> 00:09:16.067
The frequency and size
of his catch
00:09:16.100 --> 00:09:19.501
has also become
less predictable.
00:09:19.534 --> 00:09:24.334
And then there is
his 83-year-old father, Iobete.
00:09:24.367 --> 00:09:27.434
He\'s declared war
against the rising tide
00:09:27.467 --> 00:09:30.634
building a seawall
and then standing guard over it
00:09:30.667 --> 00:09:32.634
every evening.
00:09:32.667 --> 00:09:33.968
- [speaking native language]
00:09:34.000 --> 00:09:36.334
- I don\'t know why the waves
are getting higher.
00:09:36.367 --> 00:09:40.000
All I know is that I can see
that they are getting higher,
00:09:40.033 --> 00:09:43.701
and my trees are dying.
00:09:46.734 --> 00:09:49.634
Bradshaw: Iobete is typical
of Tong\'s constituents.
00:09:49.667 --> 00:09:52.334
He knows little about
the science and politics
00:09:52.367 --> 00:09:53.934
of climate change,
00:09:53.968 --> 00:09:57.701
just what he sees happening
around him.
00:09:57.734 --> 00:10:01.234
He\'s heard that his island
may soon be underwater
00:10:01.267 --> 00:10:04.868
and that his president says
his family will have to leave,
00:10:04.901 --> 00:10:07.701
yet he doesn\'t seem worried.
00:10:12.734 --> 00:10:16.133
Later, when his sons
discuss the dilemma,
00:10:16.167 --> 00:10:21.100
it becomes apparent why.
00:10:21.133 --> 00:10:24.033
- The scientists say Kiribati
will be under the ocean
00:10:24.067 --> 00:10:26.334
in 30 years\' time.
00:10:26.367 --> 00:10:28.534
The big problem is that
the seas are getting higher.
00:10:28.567 --> 00:10:30.167
So what do you think?
00:10:30.200 --> 00:10:31.601
Will we have to leave?
00:10:31.634 --> 00:10:34.734
- What does Father say?
00:10:34.767 --> 00:10:36.701
- He says he didn\'t believe it.
00:10:36.734 --> 00:10:38.467
There is a promise
from God to Noah
00:10:38.501 --> 00:10:40.801
that the last flood
was the last one,
00:10:40.834 --> 00:10:42.934
and there will not be another.
00:10:42.968 --> 00:10:45.767
And that\'s the truth
that Father told them yesterday,
00:10:45.801 --> 00:10:48.567
that God has promised.
00:10:48.601 --> 00:10:51.033
[people singing
in native language]
00:10:51.067 --> 00:10:54.300
Bradshaw: Kiribati is
a highly religious society,
00:10:54.334 --> 00:10:57.400
and Tong\'s claim
that the country is disappearing
00:10:57.434 --> 00:10:59.868
has generated a backlash.
00:10:59.901 --> 00:11:01.601
- For some time,
there was debate.
00:11:01.634 --> 00:11:03.234
Politically,
in Parliament, they say,
00:11:03.267 --> 00:11:06.367
\"Oh, this president
doesn\'t believe in God,
00:11:06.400 --> 00:11:10.334
because God has said
there shall be no more flood.\"
00:11:10.367 --> 00:11:14.167
Nobody would ever believe
that what God created
00:11:14.200 --> 00:11:16.467
God would take away,
and that-
00:11:16.501 --> 00:11:18.300
we had to talk to people
to tell them
00:11:18.334 --> 00:11:20.467
that the science is there.
00:11:20.501 --> 00:11:25.033
Regardless of whatever
our religious beliefs might be,
00:11:25.067 --> 00:11:29.534
we have to take some-
take into consideration
00:11:29.567 --> 00:11:32.033
some of the science
coming forward.
00:11:32.067 --> 00:11:34.801
Bradshaw: There is more
understanding of the science,
00:11:34.834 --> 00:11:38.601
but many here still believe
it is God who will save them.
00:11:38.634 --> 00:11:41.667
- [speaking native language]
00:11:41.701 --> 00:11:43.300
- My strong belief in God
00:11:43.334 --> 00:11:45.434
and understanding
of the scripture
00:11:45.467 --> 00:11:47.901
is that there will be no flood.
00:11:47.934 --> 00:11:50.634
I believe everyone
on the islands will be safe
00:11:50.667 --> 00:11:52.934
but with the help of others,
00:11:52.968 --> 00:11:57.934
and it is through God\'s hands
that the others will come.
00:12:01.167 --> 00:12:03.033
Bradshaw:
Tong has been invited to Geneva
00:12:03.067 --> 00:12:05.634
to take part in a forum
on climate change
00:12:05.667 --> 00:12:10.100
organized by former U.N.
Secretary General Kofi Annan.
00:12:12.534 --> 00:12:15.100
Although Tong holds
a master\'s degree
00:12:15.133 --> 00:12:17.133
from the London School
of Economics,
00:12:17.167 --> 00:12:19.234
this is his first opportunity
00:12:19.267 --> 00:12:22.934
to speak as president
of Kiribati in Europe.
00:12:22.968 --> 00:12:25.901
So far,
his speeches abroad
00:12:25.934 --> 00:12:29.567
have not generated
the response he\'s hoped for,
00:12:29.601 --> 00:12:31.834
and back home,
his Permanent Secretary
00:12:31.868 --> 00:12:37.167
says they can no longer wait
for the world to act.
00:12:37.200 --> 00:12:38.501
- Now we can see,
00:12:38.534 --> 00:12:41.801
because there is little response
from the outside world,
00:12:41.834 --> 00:12:46.801
that our president tries
to switch the approach.
00:12:46.834 --> 00:12:50.033
Rather than continuing
in appealing,
00:12:50.067 --> 00:12:54.367
now he decides to focus
on a challenge.
00:12:54.400 --> 00:12:57.667
Bradshaw: The challenge
is to make those countries
00:12:57.701 --> 00:12:59.634
contributing to climate change
00:12:59.667 --> 00:13:03.701
take responsibility
for its effects.
00:13:03.734 --> 00:13:04.801
Across the island,
00:13:04.834 --> 00:13:06.501
the real impact
of climate change,
00:13:06.534 --> 00:13:08.434
Tong believes,
has been to make
00:13:08.467 --> 00:13:11.834
an already poor country
even poorer.
00:13:11.868 --> 00:13:14.667
So before shutting
the country down altogether,
00:13:14.701 --> 00:13:16.801
Tong needs to build up
the economy.
00:13:16.834 --> 00:13:21.267
Otherwise, his people will
suffer even greater hardships.
00:13:21.300 --> 00:13:23.868
- The reality is that
there is the short-term issue
00:13:23.901 --> 00:13:25.267
and there\'s the long-term issue.
00:13:25.300 --> 00:13:26.868
The confusion
that a lot of people make
00:13:26.901 --> 00:13:28.534
is to put these two together.
00:13:28.567 --> 00:13:30.767
For the next
30, 40 years,
00:13:30.801 --> 00:13:33.434
we still have to deal
with our daily problems,
00:13:33.467 --> 00:13:37.467
our yearly problems,
and so that must carry on.
00:13:39.067 --> 00:13:41.300
The idea is to encourage
00:13:41.334 --> 00:13:43.367
the development
of the out islands.
00:13:43.400 --> 00:13:45.033
There are people
with more time to do it.
00:13:45.067 --> 00:13:46.567
We just need to be able
to provide them
00:13:46.601 --> 00:13:49.033
with the opportunity,
the skill,
00:13:49.067 --> 00:13:53.801
and whatever equipment
they need.
00:13:53.834 --> 00:13:55.901
Bradshaw: Convincing
development organizations
00:13:55.934 --> 00:13:58.968
to invest in a country
that won\'t be around in 50 years
00:13:59.000 --> 00:14:00.300
is not easy,
00:14:00.334 --> 00:14:03.667
but Kiribati
still has to feed itself.
00:14:03.701 --> 00:14:05.234
For the first time,
the U.N. agency
00:14:05.267 --> 00:14:08.367
specializing in
agricultural development, IFAD,
00:14:08.400 --> 00:14:11.000
sends a team
to assess the situation
00:14:11.033 --> 00:14:14.834
on Kiribati\'s most remote
southern island, Arorae.
00:14:19.467 --> 00:14:22.234
- We would like to understand
some of the challenges
00:14:22.267 --> 00:14:24.901
that you face
with the environment,
00:14:24.934 --> 00:14:29.133
and is there any change
that people have noticed
00:14:29.167 --> 00:14:33.501
in weather, in the sea?
00:14:33.534 --> 00:14:35.734
- Over the last few years,
00:14:35.767 --> 00:14:38.901
we\'ve seen extreme changes
in the environment.
00:14:38.934 --> 00:14:41.234
There has been
a lot of damage to trees.
00:14:41.267 --> 00:14:42.834
Wells are salty.
00:14:42.868 --> 00:14:45.167
There is erosion
along the coastline.
00:14:45.200 --> 00:14:46.734
And because we\'ve had
such little rain
00:14:46.767 --> 00:14:49.300
over the last few years,
our crops are dying,
00:14:49.334 --> 00:14:51.801
and there is no fruit
on the trees.
00:14:51.834 --> 00:14:56.000
These are things
we can\'t fix ourselves.
00:14:56.033 --> 00:15:00.334
- Can I ask, how are you dealing
with these problems?
00:15:00.367 --> 00:15:03.133
What is your strategy
for coping
00:15:03.167 --> 00:15:05.033
with these changes
in environment?
00:15:05.067 --> 00:15:08.067
- [speaking native language]
00:15:10.300 --> 00:15:12.467
- If we think of what
the president of the country
00:15:12.501 --> 00:15:14.767
is saying, that the whole
survival of the islands
00:15:14.801 --> 00:15:17.567
over the next 50 years
is in question,
00:15:17.601 --> 00:15:19.100
a challenge that we face is,
00:15:19.133 --> 00:15:22.000
what happens in the course
of these 50 years?
00:15:22.033 --> 00:15:24.434
We\'ve heard from
the communities themselves
00:15:24.467 --> 00:15:27.934
that they\'re struggling
to feed themselves,
00:15:27.968 --> 00:15:31.067
so how we respond to this
is an enormous challenge,
00:15:31.100 --> 00:15:35.334
and I don\'t think
there is an easy answer.
00:15:35.367 --> 00:15:37.501
Bradshaw: Tong still wants
to develop the island
00:15:37.534 --> 00:15:41.334
and slow the impact
of climate change.
00:15:41.367 --> 00:15:45.634
Hartman\'s group helps islanders
develop a plan,
00:15:45.667 --> 00:15:48.767
one that tackles some of
their most immediate problems,
00:15:48.801 --> 00:15:51.467
like the intrusion of seawater,
00:15:51.501 --> 00:15:53.467
but also breaks new ground
for those living
00:15:53.501 --> 00:15:57.234
on the front lines
of climate change.
00:15:57.267 --> 00:15:58.868
- Agricultural research,
for instance,
00:15:58.901 --> 00:16:02.033
could contribute
to improving soil fertility.
00:16:02.067 --> 00:16:04.200
Agricultural research
could also contribute
00:16:04.234 --> 00:16:07.667
to developing crop varieties
that they can grow
00:16:07.701 --> 00:16:10.334
in these areas
that may increase productivity,
00:16:10.367 --> 00:16:11.734
so they move from subsistence
00:16:11.767 --> 00:16:13.734
to having
just a little bit of surplus
00:16:13.767 --> 00:16:16.501
that they can sell
for income generation.
00:16:16.534 --> 00:16:18.834
So food security
is a critical issue here.
00:16:22.267 --> 00:16:23.601
Bradshaw:
In the last few months,
00:16:23.634 --> 00:16:26.234
this agriculture research center
has been set up
00:16:26.267 --> 00:16:28.567
to help islanders
produce food locally
00:16:28.601 --> 00:16:31.801
and buy time
as conditions worsen.
00:16:31.834 --> 00:16:34.734
The aim is to identify
food crop varieties
00:16:34.767 --> 00:16:37.000
able to tolerate
rising temperatures
00:16:37.033 --> 00:16:41.033
and grow in salty water.
00:16:41.067 --> 00:16:46.868
- The overall goal
is to enable people to produce
00:16:46.901 --> 00:16:50.234
their own grown food
00:16:50.267 --> 00:16:53.000
using locally available material
00:16:53.033 --> 00:16:55.467
and also to be able to
00:16:55.501 --> 00:16:57.334
produce yields given
00:16:57.367 --> 00:17:00.000
all these climate change impacts
00:17:00.033 --> 00:17:02.334
that we are coping with.
00:17:02.367 --> 00:17:04.834
Once these people
in the community
00:17:04.868 --> 00:17:09.434
actually take part
in all these coping strategies,
00:17:09.467 --> 00:17:13.801
I think the impact will be
very, very minimal.
00:17:15.667 --> 00:17:19.334
Bradshaw: It\'s Tong\'s goal
to turn islands like Arorae
00:17:19.367 --> 00:17:21.667
into centers
for food production,
00:17:21.701 --> 00:17:24.667
growing crops that
could help feed populations
00:17:24.701 --> 00:17:25.868
on other islands,
00:17:25.901 --> 00:17:28.300
where the impact
of climate change is advancing
00:17:28.334 --> 00:17:30.868
much more quickly.
00:17:30.901 --> 00:17:34.734
- The battle against
climate change is not lost,
00:17:34.767 --> 00:17:38.801
and small Pacific remote islands
such as this one
00:17:38.834 --> 00:17:41.300
may in fact hold
valuable lessons
00:17:41.334 --> 00:17:42.801
that have global importance
00:17:42.834 --> 00:17:46.601
as the whole world tries to deal
with the changes to our planet.
00:17:46.634 --> 00:17:49.400
- And she asked everybody to...
00:17:49.434 --> 00:17:51.834
Bradshaw: It\'s investments like
this that Tong is looking for
00:17:51.868 --> 00:17:54.200
at the conference in Geneva.
00:17:54.234 --> 00:17:57.067
But while he needs help
easing hardship on his islands,
00:17:57.100 --> 00:18:02.267
he also needs help
moving people off them.
00:18:02.300 --> 00:18:03.767
- The clock is ticking.
00:18:03.801 --> 00:18:07.634
Every year we delay,
the greater the damage,
00:18:07.667 --> 00:18:10.133
the more extensive
the human misery.
00:18:10.167 --> 00:18:12.100
[applause]
00:18:12.133 --> 00:18:14.000
Bradshaw: The conference
is about the impact
00:18:14.033 --> 00:18:16.667
of climate change on people.
00:18:16.701 --> 00:18:20.834
It\'s a perfect opportunity
for Tong to discuss when and how
00:18:20.868 --> 00:18:24.367
he should evacuate his country.
00:18:24.400 --> 00:18:25.834
- I\'m very happy to be here.
00:18:25.868 --> 00:18:28.801
The long-term scenario
according to the projections
00:18:28.834 --> 00:18:32.801
is that we will at some time
have to leave our islands.
00:18:32.834 --> 00:18:36.467
Bradshaw: Tong sounds the alarm
prompting a fellow panelist
00:18:36.501 --> 00:18:39.634
to raise the issue
of climate justice.
00:18:39.667 --> 00:18:41.634
- That\'s exactly
what we need today.
00:18:41.667 --> 00:18:44.234
It\'s climate justice
for the climate refugees,
00:18:44.267 --> 00:18:48.767
who will be lost all
because of industrialization
00:18:48.801 --> 00:18:52.300
and the over-exploitation,
which is not their own doing.
00:18:52.334 --> 00:18:56.200
Bradshaw: It\'s the chance
Tong has been hoping for.
00:18:56.234 --> 00:18:59.200
- President Tong, could you pick
up on that particular point?
00:18:59.234 --> 00:19:01.467
Give us some ideas;
put them on the table here.
00:19:01.501 --> 00:19:03.200
- Okay,
I\'ve got some ideas.
00:19:03.234 --> 00:19:05.200
In fact,
we\'ve already started programs
00:19:05.234 --> 00:19:07.667
in collaboration with
the governments of Australia
00:19:07.701 --> 00:19:08.901
and New Zealand.
00:19:08.934 --> 00:19:12.200
New Zealand currently takes in
75 of our people
00:19:12.234 --> 00:19:14.868
on an annual basis as migrants.
00:19:14.901 --> 00:19:16.868
They are picked at random.
00:19:16.901 --> 00:19:19.968
If each country of this world
would do that,
00:19:20.000 --> 00:19:21.767
I think we would solve
our problem.
00:19:21.801 --> 00:19:23.634
- All right, let\'s pick up
on more ideas from...
00:19:23.667 --> 00:19:27.400
Bradshaw: This is exactly
what Tong hopes will happen.
00:19:27.434 --> 00:19:29.634
Tong\'s strategy
is to offer his people
00:19:29.667 --> 00:19:32.000
as skilled workers abroad,
00:19:32.033 --> 00:19:36.133
a unique, slow evacuation
one person at a time.
00:19:36.167 --> 00:19:38.634
He\'s started by approaching
his closest neighbors,
00:19:38.667 --> 00:19:41.300
New Zealand and Australia.
00:19:41.334 --> 00:19:43.267
- If you\'re going to ask
somebody, you know,
00:19:43.300 --> 00:19:46.033
\"Would you take
a couple of hundred people
00:19:46.067 --> 00:19:47.167
on your front lawn?\"
00:19:47.200 --> 00:19:49.100
And the answer is no.
00:19:49.133 --> 00:19:52.801
But if a couple of thousand
00:19:52.834 --> 00:19:55.300
are going to slip through
a work scheme,
00:19:55.334 --> 00:19:56.801
and they will contribute
00:19:56.834 --> 00:19:59.167
to the companies
that they work for,
00:19:59.200 --> 00:20:00.701
nobody is going to bother,
00:20:00.734 --> 00:20:02.934
and I think it\'s a mutual-
it\'s a win-win situation,
00:20:02.968 --> 00:20:04.934
and this is where
it\'s more attractive.
00:20:09.067 --> 00:20:10.267
Bradshaw: Training centers
00:20:10.300 --> 00:20:12.634
like the Kiribati Institute
of Technology
00:20:12.667 --> 00:20:14.133
are now aligning
their curriculum
00:20:14.167 --> 00:20:17.167
with countries looking
for skilled labor,
00:20:17.200 --> 00:20:21.467
but so far, the only real deal
has been struck with Australia.
00:20:21.501 --> 00:20:24.300
These nursing students
will be trained up,
00:20:24.334 --> 00:20:27.634
then eventually offered jobs
in Australia.
00:20:30.200 --> 00:20:33.000
- And Australia is going to be
a big place for us also.
00:20:33.033 --> 00:20:35.534
It\'s going to be
a big adjustment as well for us.
00:20:35.567 --> 00:20:36.901
- No, that\'s true.
00:20:36.934 --> 00:20:40.534
- I\'ll miss my culture,
of course, my country,
00:20:40.567 --> 00:20:43.167
or the language,
you know,
00:20:43.200 --> 00:20:48.501
and maybe the food
and the ocean.
00:20:48.534 --> 00:20:50.167
I think this is
a good opportunity for me,
00:20:50.200 --> 00:20:56.100
not just for me but also
the future of my family.
00:20:56.133 --> 00:20:58.033
Bradshaw:
Only 80 will go this year,
00:20:58.067 --> 00:21:00.834
just a fraction of the thousands
who will need to be trained
00:21:00.868 --> 00:21:06.067
and move away in the future.
00:21:06.100 --> 00:21:08.234
Even so,
Tong believes it\'s better
00:21:08.267 --> 00:21:11.100
than evacuating the islands
all at once
00:21:11.133 --> 00:21:16.100
and creating a nation
of climate change refugees.
00:21:16.133 --> 00:21:18.167
- This is the last thing
that I want to put forward
00:21:18.200 --> 00:21:19.767
as an option for our people,
00:21:19.801 --> 00:21:23.667
because having lost
our homeland,
00:21:23.701 --> 00:21:27.400
having lost
our cultural identity,
00:21:27.434 --> 00:21:31.400
I don\'t think we want to lose
our dignity,
00:21:31.434 --> 00:21:35.934
and so in trying
to put together options
00:21:35.968 --> 00:21:38.234
for putting this forward,
00:21:38.267 --> 00:21:41.434
we are proposing that
we deal with the issue now.
00:21:41.467 --> 00:21:43.901
We don\'t wait
until the 50 years\' time
00:21:43.934 --> 00:21:45.501
when we have to move,
00:21:45.534 --> 00:21:48.901
but begin
to get directly involved
00:21:48.934 --> 00:21:54.234
in policy schemes
and systems already in place.
00:21:54.267 --> 00:21:57.968
- How can we get
the powerful and rich people
00:21:58.000 --> 00:22:02.367
commit themselves also for
the weak and the poor people?
00:22:02.400 --> 00:22:04.601
Bradshaw: Back in Geneva,
the discussion moves on
00:22:04.634 --> 00:22:07.100
to other ways
in which the global community
00:22:07.133 --> 00:22:10.267
can help vanishing states
like Kiribati,
00:22:10.300 --> 00:22:13.801
and for a moment,
Tong has a chance to dream.
00:22:13.834 --> 00:22:16.167
- I was in Japan quite recently,
00:22:16.200 --> 00:22:18.467
and they were talking,
00:22:18.501 --> 00:22:24.534
and they showed me models
of floating islands, hmm?
00:22:24.567 --> 00:22:27.767
And they cost about $2 billion.
00:22:27.801 --> 00:22:30.200
We would accept one
of those islands for $2 billion,
00:22:30.234 --> 00:22:32.601
but can you find us
the $2 billion?
00:22:32.634 --> 00:22:33.868
These are the questions,
but-
00:22:33.901 --> 00:22:35.367
- Maybe you\'ll get a discount.
00:22:35.400 --> 00:22:39.501
- But...maybe, but also the
question of building up islands:
00:22:39.534 --> 00:22:43.067
that is an expensive exercise,
and...
00:22:43.100 --> 00:22:44.868
Bradshaw: Tong hopes
that in some form,
00:22:44.901 --> 00:22:48.901
even if it\'s just one island,
his nation will live on.
00:22:48.934 --> 00:22:52.834
Most people
would have to be evacuated,
00:22:52.868 --> 00:22:55.100
but in the middle
of the Pacific Ocean,
00:22:55.133 --> 00:22:59.033
there would still be
a place called Kiribati.
00:22:59.067 --> 00:23:01.501
- I think-I hope in our hearts
there will always be
00:23:01.534 --> 00:23:02.901
this place called Kiribati.
00:23:02.934 --> 00:23:05.100
In physical terms,
in geographical terms,
00:23:05.133 --> 00:23:07.901
I would like to be able to ask
of the international community
00:23:07.934 --> 00:23:11.267
that yes, we maintain
some of these islands at least
00:23:11.300 --> 00:23:13.901
to build them up so that
there continues to be
00:23:13.934 --> 00:23:17.300
that place called Kiribati.
00:23:20.133 --> 00:23:22.501
The last thing we want to do
is leave the islands,
00:23:22.534 --> 00:23:25.067
where we were born
and where we wish to die,
00:23:25.100 --> 00:23:28.501
but given the option,
what are those options?
00:23:28.534 --> 00:23:30.267
- I\'m gonna get to
as many voices as possible.
00:23:30.300 --> 00:23:31.767
Aubrey Mayor.
00:23:31.801 --> 00:23:35.300
- You responded to the gentleman
from Kiribati
00:23:35.334 --> 00:23:39.133
suggesting
that he might get a discount.
00:23:39.167 --> 00:23:41.200
I know it was a flip remark,
00:23:41.234 --> 00:23:43.701
but that actually speaks
to the heart of the tragedy
00:23:43.734 --> 00:23:45.267
that we are already involved in.
00:23:45.300 --> 00:23:50.100
It is they who are providing
the discount of their lives
00:23:50.133 --> 00:23:52.400
being lost to climate change.
00:23:52.434 --> 00:23:55.434
[applause]
00:24:02.334 --> 00:24:04.801
- We must present a package,
a credible package.
00:24:04.834 --> 00:24:07.467
Bradshaw:
The session in Geneva is over.
00:24:07.501 --> 00:24:10.067
Tong has played his cards.
00:24:10.100 --> 00:24:12.567
He\'s challenged the world
to help him give his people
00:24:12.601 --> 00:24:15.734
the chance to leave their home
with dignity.
00:24:15.767 --> 00:24:18.033
How does he feel he\'s done?
00:24:18.067 --> 00:24:21.634
- It\'s the commitment that
I think we are still awaiting
00:24:21.667 --> 00:24:23.100
from the international
community.
00:24:23.133 --> 00:24:26.200
We don\'t have that as yet,
and so we need to have that.
00:24:26.234 --> 00:24:27.834
Bradshaw:
Without such a commitment,
00:24:27.868 --> 00:24:31.167
Tong says others
are bound to suffer too.
00:24:31.200 --> 00:24:35.167
- We\'re gone, but somebody else
is going to be gone next.
00:24:37.000 --> 00:24:39.567
We will be victims
regardless of what happens,
00:24:39.601 --> 00:24:42.634
and we\'re just the ones
on the front line now,
00:24:42.667 --> 00:24:45.000
and I think the point is,
if nothing is done,
00:24:45.033 --> 00:24:47.334
then other countries
and other people will be next
00:24:47.367 --> 00:24:49.834
on the front line.
00:24:49.868 --> 00:24:54.033
When do we start to sacrifice
our standards of living
00:24:54.067 --> 00:24:57.534
for the sake of the future
of this planet?
00:24:57.567 --> 00:24:59.734
The biggest challenge
that I want to throw is,
00:24:59.767 --> 00:25:01.400
what are you going to do
about the people
00:25:01.434 --> 00:25:04.167
that have become victims?
00:25:04.200 --> 00:25:07.133
This represents...
00:25:07.167 --> 00:25:11.868
the single biggest
moral challenge to humankind,
00:25:11.901 --> 00:25:13.834
and if it doesn\'t respond
to this,
00:25:13.868 --> 00:25:17.200
then there is no credibility
to anything.
00:25:17.234 --> 00:25:19.501
Bradshaw:
On the edge of the world,
00:25:19.534 --> 00:25:22.367
a nation\'s people wait.
00:25:22.400 --> 00:25:23.601
In just a few decades,
00:25:23.634 --> 00:25:26.534
they may have to leave
these islands for good,
00:25:26.567 --> 00:25:28.934
and what was 4,000 years ago
00:25:28.968 --> 00:25:31.033
the end of humanity\'s
global migration
00:25:31.067 --> 00:25:35.167
could see the start
of its retreat.
Distributor: Bullfrog Films
Length: 26 minutes
Date: 2011
Genre: Expository
Language: English
Grade: 10-12, College, Adult
Color/BW:
Closed Captioning: Available
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