Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Islands fear "end of history" due climate changes

CANCUN, Mexico (Reuters) - Some low-lying island nations face the "end of history" due to rising sea levels unless the world takes stronger action to slow global warming, a spokesman said at U.N. climate talks on Monday.

Kiribati, Tuvalu, the Cook Islands, the Marshall Islands and the Maldives were most at risk, said Antonio Monteiro Lima, a delegate of Cape Verde who is vice-chair of the 43-member Alliance of Small Island States.

"All these countries are at this moment struggling to survive ... they are facing the end of history," he told a news conference on the opening day of Nov. 29 to Dec. 10 negotiations among almost 200 nations on slowing global warming.

Island states say that storm surges are eroding beaches, blowing salt water onto farmland and contaminating fresh water supplies. In the longer term, they fear that rises in sea levels will wash them off the map.

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