Five disappearing destinations - get 'em before it's hot
South Pacific
Ah, the South Pacific. For years, Americans and Europeans have seen the islands as the ultimate escape from harsh reality. Visualize a painting from Gauguin's sojourn in Tahiti, or the scene in the musical "South Pacific" when the American soldier cavorts in the jungle with the beautiful young lady who speaks no English except "happy talk." Plus, there are flowers and exotic fruits. What bliss!But the South Pacific, which includes islands of the Polynesian (Samoa, Tonga, Tuvalu), Micronesian (Guam, Marshall Islands), and Melanesian (Fiji, Indonesia, Solomon Islands) groups, is under serious threat from climate change. Things don't look so good for those happy islanders when sea levels rise, as they are predicted to do if climate change proceeds as predicted. Many atolls in the area are so low that they're already affected by sea level rise, and since populations on these islands tend to live right near the coasts, they're doubly vulnerable. The South Pacific: just another reminder that global climate change can affect even the most distant paradise.Apr 7th 2008 @ 1:40PM
Five disappearing destinations - get 'em before it's hot
