My Country Will Be Underwater Soon -- Unless We Work Together | Anote Tong | TED Talks

For the people of Kiribati, climate change isn't something to be debated, denied or legislated against - it's an everyday reality. The low-lying Pacific island nation may soon be underwater, thanks to rising sea levels. In a personal conversation with TED Curator Chris Anderson, Kiribati President Anote Tong discusses his country's present climate catastrophe and its imperiled future. "In order to deal with climate change, there's got to be sacrifice. There's got to be commitment," he says. "We've got to tell people that the world has changed."
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[@celestinegs3204]

I was born in Kiribati, and it's really hard for me to see that it will be under water soon.

[@-.._.-_...-_.._-..__..._.-.-.-]

What if it's all a hoax and we create a better world for nothing?

[@rafeeeefar]

it's still a better world isn't it?

[@SangoProductions213]

That's the point of the comment.

[@davidwardrop9214]

+David S. Sounds like you have a novel or short story to write.

[@victoriapark6926]

Then it wouldn't be called a better world. Just a changed world if it was for nothing. Your statement contradicts itself.

[@japanimated9683]

+David S. Ha ha that was awesome well said.

[@jamguanzon8445]

I rarely listen to an interview more than 7 - 15 mins. But this is different. .my heart was listening the whole time. People now are blinded focusing on self-interest more and wasting time on temporary craziness, instead of being aware of the global dstruction killing us all slowly. We need to spread real education of lifE And humanity. Unite!! Thnx 4 this.

[@jetaime8941]

What a committed president! I greatly appreciate his extraordinary effort in leading his country. When will be the day when countries all over the world join hands to deal with climate change globally?! It is a GLOBAL issue. Global citizens are suffering... I do hope the sacrifice this nation makes will be valued 😐

[@kupseDVkk]

cant believe people are still arguing these problems arent real. feel sorry for you

[@Jay-mc7vq]

tbh

[@DaveWraptastic]

+Diana Kupse Right, his country is literally drowning but that problem isn't real....

[@neiltutty186]

The global warming deniers are basing there arguments on facts were as the advocates are basing it on theory!

[@kupseDVkk]

Neil Tutty both are theories and both have proof. stop denying reality.

[@CrankingAllDay]

+HandjesBreda It is a real problem but it can't be solved. If humans didn't make any pollution at all, the earth is still naturally warming up and this country will still drown.

[@lukasschagerstrom8009]

best Ted in a long time, this gentleman had something worth sharing.

[@MickeyD2012]

I feel bad. I've never heard off Kiribati.

[@juliusgabayaran2605]

I'm Filipino , Always God bless Kiribati country

[@rBJ817]

President Tong is my idol

[@Bozewani]

I wrote my book on this subject Swept by the Waves

[@jasonpeterson9362]

It's 2018 of October and he could not have been more right but more aware.

[@SexualPotatoes]

What a great man

[@Chamelionroses]

Good that people are trying to adapt for survival instead of being ignorant, stubbornly arrogant, and full of fear and hopelessness.

[@61shirley]

There is still a great deal of uncertainty about climate theory, It is not clear that the rise in co2 is anthropogenic, and the climate hasn't warmed in the 20 years according to RSS satellite data, the very satellite designed to measure changes in climate, Or that atmospheric co2 has anything like the effects postulated by the IPCC, Nor is it clear that the climate policies we are pursuing will have any material effect on atmospheric co2 or the climate, It is very clear that we are unable to predict future changes, All the predictions so far have been falsified by the data, It is clear that our climate policy will do far more economic damage than climate change it's self. The scientific evidence does not support the great floods and droughts, famine and pestilence from global warming which the Climate Cult has been demanding from their priests.

[@sagnorm1863]

+Daniel Bostock 1. Experts and scientists disagree with you 2. If you watched the TED video, the guy said his country is already beginning to get submerged and severe weather is more common. I don't believe anything you are saying

[@61shirley]

There is no basis for the claim that 97% of scientists believe that man-made climate change is a dangerous problem. The "97 percent" figure represents the views of only 79 respondents who listed climate science as an area of expertise and said they published more than half of their recent peer-reviewed papers on climate change. 79 scientists of the 3,146 who responded to the survey does not make a consensus. Nor did it include solar scientists, space scientists, cosmologists, physicists, meteorologists or astronomers, who are the scientists most likely to be aware of natural causes of climate change.

[@61shirley]

If there is one scientist who knows more about sea levels than anyone else in the world it is the Swedish geologist and physicist Nils-Axel Morner, formerly chairman of the INQUA International Commission on Sea Level Change. And the uncompromising verdict of Dr Mörner, who for 35 years has been using every known scientific method to study sea levels all over the globe, is that all this talk about the sea rising is nothing but a colossal scare story. Despite fluctuations down as well as up, "the sea is not rising," he says. "It hasn't risen in 50 years." If there is any rise this century it will "not be more than 10cm (four inches), with an uncertainty of plus or minus 10cm". And quite apart from examining the hard evidence, he says, the elementary laws of physics (latent heat needed to melt ice) tell us that the apocalypse conjured up by Al Gore and Co could not possibly come about.

[@Anita-md9ze]

Farmers don't need scientists to tell them what grows and what doesn't- it's called experience. Just go into your room, lock yourself away and don't forget to leave the air con on, you'll never experience any change in weather that way.

[@BinhNguyen-zh3cd]

When I first watched this I thought everybody have the same feeling like me that we need to face with climate change seriously. But when I read the comments, I was surprise because so many people think this is lies and stupid. Can anyone explain why???

[@IdunDied]

2 years late reply but I'll go anyway for people who read and watch vid in future. In countries not feeling the effects it is very easy for people to dismiss claims of extreme things happening. A big reason is it requires us to change our lifestyles and just as people living on the island their whole life will not want to move even in face of these dnagers, people living in countries less affected would rather not change their lifestyle because they don't think outside of their world. Even people who do care fall for this. A lot of people's jobs rely on industries that would have to be changed or destroyed to help, and they would rather ignore the problem and stay the same than deal with uncertainty of changing job or place they live. But the main issue has been industries making the most money from this like oil and gas, and governments that rely on this, have spread mass disinformation and denied a lot of the claims. This has also happened in the news in richer countries [rupert murdoch who owns or is involved with most big news in the USA, UK and Australia for example]. Unfortunately this means the people who are most able to change the course of climate change, and the people causing it, are the most resistent to doing things. Luckily this is becoming a much bigger and more widely accepted issue but as Anote said in the video it is probably too late for their island. Hopefully it will change soon. I think it's really nice seeing movements like Greta Thurnberg fridays for future and Tesla pushing electric cars [though they have bad points]. There is hope still so we just have to do what we can!

[@leonhh677]

@@IdunDied I guess it´s not that easy. Eventhough I support your standpoints regarding Fridays For Future and Climate-Justice movements, there is a bit more to say. According to Webb and Kench in their 2010 published article "The dynamic response of reef islands to sea-level rise" there has been no real country-loss on the atoll-islands of Kiribati. The coral-atolls have the ability to grow a lot faster (10mm-15mm/year), than the worse-case scenarios published f.e. in the IPCC-Reports (around 5mm/year). Within the time of 1984 and 2003 most islands have gained land rather than loosing. In 35 years Betio gained around 89 acres of landmass, which is +30%. Eventhough this study does not discuss the appearence of extreme whether conditions which also make life on Kiribati a lot more dangerous, that work is not recipated that much in public - espaccially of Anote Tong. Don´t get me wrong. Climate change AND sea-level rise is a major thread for this planet. The whole study of Webb and Kench might be irrelevant for I-Kiribati if their corals die of changing water temperature. But read the study, it´s quite easy to find online and super interesting!! Btw sorry for english skills lol

[@IdunDied]

@@leonhh677 So you are using a 2010 article to counter point a 2015 video about the situation. Idk about you but I think the info in the 5 years newer ted talk is more up to date. As of 2018 sea level continued rising vs 1990's at average of 3.2mm a year. Also comparing to worst case IPCC report is disingenuous because obviously that is WORST case. As in it is likely to be less than that impact.

[@stndrdshubham]

More power to the friends at Kiribati ❤️

[@megustapescar1]

cuanto será el dolor ,al pasar el tiempo esperando que yegue la solución .y la solución estaba dentro , pero al estar todo el día viendo fuera no sabiendo no siquiera quien mira . podría continuar pero ....

[@VULCAN1135]

What a beautiful shirt.

[@user-wp8yx]

this guy's shirt rocks!

[@Pfromm007]

"Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds." - Albert Einstein

[@davidtaylor351]

So was Hitler one of these great minds then? Because he certainly encountered a lot of violent opposition! So you see. In this world things are rarely that clear cut!

[@Pfromm007]

@@davidtaylor351 Great spirits, my friend, not just great minds. And no, Hitler might've had great military minds around him, but neither he nor them possessed great spirit enough to see the evil they were committing. Besides, how poor and mediocre a mind which must rob the spirit of others.

[@davidtaylor351]

@@Pfromm007Ok fair enough. Thats a typo. I actually meant spirit. Anyway, in reality mind and spirit are closely linked. Both are associated with thinking. Which is linked to emotions and attitudes, good bad or neutral. A persons spirit and the particular attitudes any of us might take are linked to our thoughts. In some instances, those thoughts might be perfectly valid. While in others they are not! The point is. All these things involve the mind. For sure. We as individuals might deduce that Hitler was evil. But of course he...And many of those involved, at the time with Nazism. Didn't see it as evil! Or at the very least didn't want to admit that it was! Life is complex and swings much more towards being messy than ordered. Cheers.

[@paraglidingnut26]

Better start swimming.

[@kiky.mp4]

problem solved!

[@bzsgzs]

+paraglidingnut26 swimming school businesses will boom

[@celestineyankova98]

i was born in tarawa and when i was adopted everyone in tarawa knew who me and my new parents were, the president used to invite us to go with them somewhere and he used to kiss me when i was a baby and now im really sad its sinking

[@ceaderf]

He should ask China to build him a new one.

[@davidwardrop9214]

And yet we (myself included) waste so many things food, energy, resources such as paper. A number of times we are not greatful for clean water, a certain level of security, high life expectancy and I don't know if I justify all this.

[@QuantityEngineers]

I worked in downtown LA in 1969 when it was believed that smog wasn't caused by car exhaust. But I saw after every 3 day weekend how clean the air was and how bad it got after one week of traffic.

[@robbhays8077]

Kiribati has been doomed since the end of the Ice Age. Sucks for them, but them's the facts. It's like building your house on bog and then getting mad when it starts sinking.

[@BroCactus]

+Robb Hays Except the people who built that house died hundreds of years ago. Do we blame those who were born there?

[@robbhays8077]

+Eric O We don't need to blame anyone. It is what it is. It's sad, but that's life sometimes. Crippling Western economies isn't going to do a dang thing for Kiribati. I hope they have a good emigration plan in place.

[@BroCactus]

Robb Hays I didn't watch the video. How exactly will western economics be crippled? And you realize there is much more at stake than Kiribati? There are trillions of dollars worth of global real estate within several meters of sea level.

[@SuperFickster]

They have a 100% evacuation plan for the whole country

[@b2stparadise]

Robb Hays we have been on here for more than 4000 years... You must know that emigration normally is because of need. Our ancestors probably faced something that made them emigrate to there. Needs changes and now we need to survive... There's no one to blame but people can't also blame us because our ancestors decided to emigrate to there 4000 years ago lol

[@Texan1939]

+yellow king maybe they could relocate to New Orleans

[@runecscapeman]

I was just thinking of when all the people that flooded Texas after Katrina. Fighting climate changes whether they be natural for man-made seems like an uphill losing battle. Indeed floating islands is quite a progressive approach.

[@Texan1939]

+A Ric All the many volcanoes of the world ,past present and future, have and will continue spew way,way more climate effecting crap into the atmosphere than mankind ever will.

[@brotekaai7124]

Ahahaha I can't belive my eyes I saw him here in New Zealand I don't belive my country will be go down it just a rumour I belive it develope it self creating a better future as long as the people of the local create it own building so the people can be happy

[@coralofyt]

WHAT IS REAL IS IT IS POLITICAL INCORRECT TO SAY THE REAL PROBLEM!!! THAT IS PEOPLE ARE LIVING IS PLACES THEY WERE NEVER MEANT TO LIVE!! PEOPLE ARE NOW LIVING IN LOW AREAS & IN SWAMP LANDS! TOO MAY PEOPLE LIVE IN PLACES THEY ARE NOT NOR SHOULD NOT BE!!!

[@pabloo.o1912]

+kimxxxyyy WTF DUDE WHY CANT THEY LIVE THERE??!?! DID GOD TOLD YOU HE NEVER WANTED PEOPLE TO LIVE THERE OR SOMETHING?!?!?! LMAO #SMARTASS

[@HiAdrian]

*+Thunder Cat* People living on coasts, along fault lines, near volcanoes, in dry climates, etc. are putting themselves at permanent risk. They are the creators of the crises they later find themselves in. That's what OP is saying; no need for your hyperbole.

[@iluan_]

+kimxxxyyy First of all its "why" not "what", write in proper English. Second people have been living on those islands for over 700 years, and it's only now that water starts to rise, and not by their fault, but basically because people in the developed world are irresponsible jerks, so shut up and stop throwing your arrogant blaming on them.

[@coralofyt]

FIRST YOU ACCUSE ME OF BLAME THEN YOU ARE THE FUCKTARD THAT DOES THE BLAMING!! WHAT IS YOUR IQ A SINGLE DIGIT!!!

[@sfar024]

You should arrange for them to move to where you live. Sounds like you're in a good place.

[@faza553]

Governments & citizens remain unprepared. We in northern climes take our food supply for granted. We also dismiss the obvious costs of corporate pollution of the Environment eg increasing serious illness & early death of young people.

[@maxten]

fight back . get more dirt and sand, elevate it.

[@LeonidasGGG]

Let's just keep saying that there is no climate change until the water comes in thru our front door. :/

[@epicbeardface2981]

The earth lives and breaths, sea levels rise and fall( just look at all the civilization under water), earth quakes destroy, ice sheets melt and reform and the sun has a huge say in all of this probably more than anything else. For god sake continents are as you know moving as we speak. How are we responsible for climate change.

[@hannahmontoya7309]

climate change at work! #voteforbernie

[@neiltutty186]

Socialism based on climate change sounds like that will sort America out! Pffftt OJ

[@IgBtac0]

+Neil Tutty Better than Trump bud

[@realmetatron]

The worst thing about saving the world is that all the deniers never get to see how wrong they were.

[@shehrima]

:) you know

[@mastermoralitymaster1171]

These people need to find God for power

[@xapemanx]

Atlantis INC

[@ktiger32698k]

All these comments saying climate change is a hoax... at this point I can no longer tell if they are serious or trolling.

[@talmatityaho4810]

wow , the comment section is sad

[@cyvilleish13_12]

I know right): ignorant people are everywhere

[@epeli189]

Kam na peng ni mauri!

[@markwilliams5654]

sealevel has risen 270 meters since the last ice age what is this nonsense. were still warming up from the last ice-age

[@manduladino]

what a (fake) fisherman! our descendents will laugh at this kind of topic.

[@UK-Blue]

C(lie)mate change is happening. But we are heading for cooling. Simple.

[@pacoo3712]

So, they get inundated by a typhoon and blame it on rising sea levels? What a poor argument. The world WILL cool over the next decade, there is no question about it. This reminds me of stories of ancient astronomers using their knowledge of solar and lunar eclipse to keep people under their influence. "Do as I say or I'll make the sun dark!" lol

[@nicholausaustin1597]

Pac Oo its only getting warmer

[@hellohun7331]

Many cities and in fact continents are now hundreds of feet underwater, and are there with the aid of humans. People as ignorant as Bangladesh Miami and New Orleans should never have been built 6 inches above sea level. All you Al Goreans need to look at the science, get off the cool aid and get with the program. With all the information out there at your fingertips, there is no need to be so ignorant.

[@b2stparadise]

hello hun yes but our islands are 2-3 meters tall and the climate change this time is going too strong. It may not affect the rest but it does on us.... 2-3m is NOTHING

[@ripusername3757]

Get a boat bro

[@911sc1982]

Lies Lies Lies Lies

[@chrisdrakekaka]

+911sc1982 It's clearly true. Only cowards, stupids and bought off bastards deny it.

[@911sc1982]

+Christopher Urbalejo You are and uneducated sheeple go educate yourself, it's climate change which has been going on since the dawn of time! Moron!

[@kdn5576]

Why? I would really want to know your logic?

[@911sc1982]

This is one one example of how they lie

[@b2stparadise]

911sc1982 true but and I say a big BUT is that this climate change is too strong to handle since our islands are only 2-3m tall... Yap climate change but if it raises 2-3m byebye. That's the MAIN problem they don't say. The land is fucking flat!!

[@zeoutlaw171]

Everybody talking about Fake and Real and stuff... just STOP that for a sec and listen to this guy while closing your eyes... Does he sounds like Morgan Freeman or Not. Like if you think so. Also if you like, then you support the fight against Climate Change.

[@teqnkka4403]

The guy is super slow with his phrases, talks about unnecessary stuff and is attached to outcome (cares what people about him to the point that he is making stuff), that's why its hard to focus on what's he saying. Damn, it's annoying. In order to see if its us changing this island we would have to have proof that it existed for thousand years, not decades. Else we can assume that it happens every century/decades on and on and it's not us. We might accelerate climate changes, but we need proof not emotional stories.

[@Lerppunen]

Bullshit.

[@David-nk7pv]

Bullshit. Shove your carbon taxes, pal.