More Than 80% of Tuvalu Seeks Australian Climate Visa (france24.com) 45
Australia is offering visas to Tuvalu citizens each year under a climate migration deal Canberra has billed as "the first agreement of its kind anywhere in the world." From a report: "We received extremely high levels of interest in the ballot with 8,750 registrations, which includes family members of primary registrants," the Australian high commission in Tuvalu said in a statement.
The figure is equal to 82 percent of the country's 10,643 population, according to census figures collected in 2022. "With 280 visas offered this program year, it means that many will miss out," the commission said. One of the most climate-threatened corners of the planet, scientists fear Tuvalu will be uninhabitable within the next 80 years. Two of the archipelago's nine coral atolls have already largely disappeared under the waves.
The figure is equal to 82 percent of the country's 10,643 population, according to census figures collected in 2022. "With 280 visas offered this program year, it means that many will miss out," the commission said. One of the most climate-threatened corners of the planet, scientists fear Tuvalu will be uninhabitable within the next 80 years. Two of the archipelago's nine coral atolls have already largely disappeared under the waves.
The program might not last... (Score:3)
So I am not suriprised so many wants out...
In a couple years there might be change of heart in Australia so better do now...
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Tuvalu's population as of 2022 is 10,643. I'm pretty sure the entire population could apply to Australia and it won't make a dent in Australia's 27 million people. That's around 0.05% or so.
Their biggest export is the .tv domain. And many towns have more people.
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If 80% leave for Australia, the rest will probably have to because their communities won't be viable with only 20% of the population remaining.
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This is not how right-wing populism works.
No one looks at the numbers there, what counts are emotional virals on social media and scare.
Someone raped a white girl - must be these Tuvalu immigrants... burglary? same...
Trump went so far to claim Puerto Ricans were catching your pets and eating them...
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So I am not suriprised so many wants out...
In a couple years there might be change of heart in Australia so better do now...
I think the term is "a change of government"... The way the LNP are going I'm not going to count on it.
.tv domain (Score:2)
So will global warming eventually kill the .tv top-level domain? That's something like 10% of the country's GDP.
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So will global warming eventually kill the .tv top-level domain? That's something like 10% of the country's GDP.
Did you just ask if a physical event would wipe out something in virtual space? Seriously?
If the literal physical county is struggling to exist, I’m thinking their GDP is quite low on the priority list. Talk about bringing up non-problems. This is like worrying about the future of the .cx domain because goatse.
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Maybe living on islands out in the middle of the ocean might suck more than people realize? It would be sad and sort of ironic if Tuvalu were to be largely abandoned by its residents, only to be taken over by a resort owner (or similar).
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Maybe living on islands out in the middle of the ocean might suck more than people realize? It would be sad and sort of ironic if Tuvalu were to be largely abandoned by its residents, only to be taken over by a resort owner (or similar).
Island life always seemed terrible to me. Not something I'd enjoy. I'd want to escape too if given the same opportunity they've been offered.
Re:Why? (Score:5, Interesting)
This. No doubt there is concern from Tuvalu's inhabitants about climate change. Affects ocean levels, storm intensities, and changes the under-water biosphere. But, in this case I think the motivation for the AU visas is economic, aside from global warming.
Having worked with people from Hawaii, I initially would ask "Why would you leave paradise to come to the mainland ?!?" (usually in some crappy, light industrial park where I worked IT). The answer is that while beautiful, Hawaii is basically West Virginia dropped in the Pacific. It's mostly very rural, not much in the way of employment advancement beyond hospitality and agriculture. If you want to work in software dev, aerospace, finance, entertainment, etc you pretty much have to leave.
Certainly prioritizing employment advancement isn't for everyone, but I would wager that's the drive for Tuvalu.
Re: Why? (Score:2)
Resorts are the only things which should even be on such precarious land.
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The land will absolutely be bought up by wealthy people for resorts or private island homes. I almost wonder if this is part of the design behind the off
The island isn't going to be taken over by anyone (Score:2)
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So you say. Once everyone leaves, there won't be much said about Tuvalu except for the millionaires and billionaires that buy up what's left of it.
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Most of Tuvalu's islands are increasing in size. As are most such islands.
First of all citation needed. Melting glaciers would raise sea levels so existing islands would decrease in size. So I do not understand your logic. Specifically for Tuvalu, 2 of their 9 atolls are now underwater. Second, part of the issue of climate change is environments are less sustainable in the future. The increase in temperature has affected coral reefs worldwide; such reefs are local sources of food.
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/... [wikipedia.org] Fuck off you gaslighting fake news spreading fuck.
4 inch rise = two islands disappear? (Score:2, Insightful)
I believe climate change is 100% real, but it sounds like BS that their two coral islands disappeared due to climate change. Why? Because the sea levels have only risen 4 inches since 1993. In the 1990s I spent a lot of time on various islands. Those coral islands are subject to subsidence, that is a well known phenomena and faster than climate change. Back then the paranoia was subsidence, now it's shifted to the more lucrative climate change angle.
I acknowledge climate change but we should be truthful abo
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Most sea level "rise" is actually subsidence. Ironically, this has been shown to be a big effect in the SF Bay Area. The latest study looking at satellite data for that was iirc from Stanford.
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Re:4 inch rise = two islands disappear? (Score:5, Insightful)
I believe climate change is 100% real, but it sounds like BS that their two coral islands disappeared due to climate change. Why? Because the sea levels have only risen 4 inches since 1993.
Those 4 inches is the rise globally. That number does not reflect what has happened locally to Tuvalu.
In the 1990s I spent a lot of time on various islands.
So 30 years ago, you spent time on islands. Have you been to these islands especially recently? The locals say they have lost 2 islands, but you don't believe it. But you have not visited these islands.
. Those coral islands are subject to subsidence, that is a well known phenomena and faster than climate change. Back then the paranoia was subsidence, now it's shifted to the more lucrative climate change angle.
Do you know for a fact subsidence has caused the loss of land or are you generalizing?
I acknowledge climate change but we should be truthful about it being a combination of factors or it will be more fodder for right-wing BS.
82% of islanders want to leave their generational home. But based on your 0% knowledge of the local situation, you have labeled their reasons as BS for some unknown reason.
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I haven't been recently, no. But what I know is that previously, like decades ago .. the narrative was "omg, we're sinking" .. now it's "omg the ocean is rising". Aaand 5 seconds of googling finds a scientific peer reviewed article proving my hunch correct.
https://link.springer.com/arti... [springer.com]
" The significant increase in sea level observed at Tuvalu’s current tide gauge is attributed more to multidecadal oscillations, significantly affecting short-term records, and the subsidence of the tide gauge, rathe
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I haven't been recently, no. But what I know is that previously, like decades ago .. the narrative was "omg, we're sinking" .. now it's "omg the ocean is rising". Aaand 5 seconds of googling finds a scientific peer reviewed article proving my hunch correct.,
And that is behind a paywall so nothing can be verified.
Results highlight a net increase in land area in Tuvalu of 73.5ha (2.9%), despite sea-level rise, and land area increase in eight of nine atolls.
Published: 09 February 2018
Re: 4 inch rise = two islands disappear? (Score:1)
Poor people want to leave their poor country and move to a rich one, news at 11.
One doesn't really have to contrive a bigger narrative to explain it.
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Poor people want to leave their poor country and move to a rich one, news at 11. One doesn't really have to contrive a bigger narrative to explain it.
And the fact that poor people are seeing their land disappearing has nothing to do their reasons? It must be because they are poor, right? Everything is a nail when all you know is hammers.
Re: 4 inch rise = two islands disappear? (Score:1)
What a stupid take.
You're literally asserting one has to have been physically present to assert a fact? I guess the entire concept of information transmission has passed you by.
Oh, and Tuvalu?
"The Pacific nation of Tuvaluâ"long seen as a prime candidate to disappear as climate change forces up sea levelsâ"is actually growing in size, new research shows."
https://phys.org/news/2018-02-... [phys.org]
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You're literally asserting one has to have been physically present to assert a fact? I guess the entire concept of information transmission has passed you by.
It is when someone uses it to imply a sense of authority or expertise when it comes to facts. He did not cite any other source of these facts. His assertion of fact was specifically that these islands have gained land but since he has never stepped foot on these islands what does asserting he has visited islands mean? Nothing.
Re: 4 inch rise = two islands disappear? (Score:2)
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I believe climate change is 100% real, but it sounds like BS that their two coral islands disappeared due to climate change. Why? Because the sea levels have only risen 4 inches since 1993. In the 1990s I spent a lot of time on various islands. Those coral islands are subject to subsidence, that is a well known phenomena and faster than climate change. Back then the paranoia was subsidence, now it's shifted to the more lucrative climate change angle.
I acknowledge climate change but we should be truthful about it being a combination of factors or it will be more fodder for right-wing BS.
I wholeheartedly recognize your complaint about hype, but if you lived on a literal island you might not assume so shallow. That ocean all around them is likely a primary source of food, and there is little to debate about the change in our oceans that are becoming more and more polluted. Is the ocean still a source of food? Sure. Should we actually eat it? That’s becoming the debate, given what profiteers define as “food”.
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It is true that subsidence does exist. It is also true that various actions including wave and wind deposit sand on the islands.
It is NOT true that climate change was lucrative. Climate change is a low margin industry. Oil, gas, and coal are extremely lucrative. Unless you try to reduce the impact of pollution, which makes them less lucrative.
It is true that other factors affect the island, but climate change is by far the most important cause. It is long term, consistent, and increasing. No other factor
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Re: 4 inch rise = two islands disappear? (Score:2)
And it also matters that their average slope is quite low.
Re: 4 inch rise = two islands disappear? (Score:2)
Exactly that. 10cm of average might have peaks that ruin their food supply, their sewage systems, etc.
If the trend is for sea level rising, it's a good thing if they have an alternative lined up. When the same becomes a necessity in Bangladesh and other larger populations that's when it will be chaos.
Suckers! (Score:2)
Need I say more?
ofcourse (Score:1)
"That's not an island ( any more )" (Score:2)
this is asinine virtue signaling (Score:1)
"The Pacific nation of Tuvaluâ"long seen as a prime candidate to disappear as climate change forces up sea levelsâ"is actually growing in size, new research shows."
https://phys.org/news/2018-02-... [phys.org]