Like the people of Shishmaref*, the people of The Maldives are living the hell caused by climate change right now. The more the planets' temperature rises from carbon emissions injected into the atmosphere, the higher sea levels rise, forcing entire civilizations to relocate or disappear. The Maldivians have had a culture for over 3,000 years that they are naturally fighting to sustain; not ten years from now, not ten minutes from now, but the very minute that you are reading this post. *http://mariedoucette.blogspot.com/2011/11/last-days-of-shishmaref.html
Because of the urgency of the threat to their group of islands, the President had to address the huge issue of climate change immediately, after years as a journalist and activist fighting to free his country from the grip of a brutal dictator. Mohamed Nasheeds' life story is the gripping beginning to his epic battle to win the right for his people to live peacefully. Upon winning the presidency in the first free democratic election, the fight then becomes one to save his people. Period. http://maldivesdemocracymovement.com/
Even now, The Maldivians still struggle against forces of oppression by counteracting the next coup staged by the former dictatorship that ousted Nasheed from his post as President. His courage to survive solitary confinements and police brutality underscore the amount of bravery that we, as responsible inhabitants of this planet, must summon up to conquer those forces that we feel are bigger and more threatening than we are. But that's exactly what we must do; we must speak up. Every time you are at the cash register, you have the opportunity to buy a product that either a) contributes to a toxic, wasteful lifestyle that hurts both us and our planet , or b) contributes to a healthier lifestyle and planet for us all.
