Tiny Marshall Islands Face Threats From Global Warming

Consisting of 29 atolls and five free-standing islands spread over vast distances in the Pacific Ocean, the Marshall Islands is home to 70,000 residents living on a total land area similar to that of Washington D.C. The highest point anywhere in the chain is 33 feet (10 meters) above sea level, but most places rise only about 6 feet (2 meters) above sea level. Scientists who contributed to the U.N.'s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change estimate global sea levels have risen by about 7.5 inches (19 centimeters) since 1900. The common assumption that melting glaciers and ice sheets would cause a uniform rise worldwide — much like filling a bathtub with more water — is incorrect, according to the panel. Scientists say it is these flooding events rather than an overall rise in the sea level that may eventually force people from their homes. A major goal of the talks is to limit global warming in air temperatures to below 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) by the end of the century.

 

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