Focus On

News of changes in the climate often seems to hit the headlines. See if you can find some examples of your own from newspapers, magazines and TV programmes.

Will melting icebergs mean that we will be living underwater in the future?

No, because ice contains few water particles - the rest is trapped air. So when you fill a cup with water and ice, the cup does not overflow when the ice melt... Test it for yourself! Melting icebergs in the sea act in the same way. Nevertheless, sea levels are rising as the world warms up. With warmer temperatures, water expands and the oceans become more full. Many scientists believe that world sea levels will rise by 11-21 cm by 2025.

But that's not very much. Does it really matter?

Yes, it does. Half the world's people live in low-lying places next to the sea. Roll your cursor over the map to find out about some places that are at risk if the sea level rises.

People in Bangladesh already live with floods, both from the sea and from rivers. Go to the Autumn 2001 edition of Global Eye Primary to find out more http://www.globaleye.org.uk/primary
_autumn2001/focuson/index.html.
But for people that live on low land in poorer countries like Bangladesh, even a small rise in sea levels could be disastrous. These poorer countries release the smallest amount of greenhouse gases.


	©Simon Scoones/Worldaware

Meanwhile, richer countries can build sea defences and protect their land from rising sea levels like here in Holland, another low-lying country.

©Eye Ubiquitous/James David Worldwide

Look at the photo of this island in Fiji. With a small rise in sea level, what might happen to the people that live here?

Tuvalu is another South Pacific country that is home to 10,500 people. Yet the country's islands are only four metres above sea level. Tuvalu only covers an area of 16 square kilometres but already 0.5 square kilometres of Tuvalu has disappeared into the sea.

Can you work out what fraction of Tuvalu is already underwater? If you need help,

for the answer.

The islanders of Tuvalu face many dangers from rising sea levels.
for an interactive exercise where you can work out what might happen to Tuvalu over time.
You will need Macromedia Flash player to view this interractive diary click on the icon to download it.

Download Time Estimate: 1 minute @ 56K modem

If things carry on the way they are, Tuvalu could be the first country to be sunk by global warming.

How would you feel if you, your family and friends had to leave your homes, never to return?

Leaders of South Pacific countries and other small island countries have joined together to tell the rest of the world about their situation. During the conference on climate change in Kyoto, Japan in 1997, they asked for a cut in the amount of greenhouse gases. 83 countries signed an agreement to cut greenhouse gases by a small amount. Some countries refused to sign, including the USA which releases about a quarter of the world's greenhouse gases.

How can we help to cut down on the greenhouse gases that cause global warming? To give you some ideas, visit
www.epa.gov/globalwarming/kids/difference.html and
http://globalwarming.enviroweb.org/
games/whatcan/index.html

For the people of Tuvalu, rising seas are a real worry. But warmer seas from global warming are a problem too. Go to the next page to find out why.