Letters

Sea level change

I would like to make one correction to your excellent article on climate and sea level changes being observed now in the Pacific. A mistake in transcription meant our original report stated that both Samoa and Fiji had malaria.

Fortunately, this is not so. Fiji and Samoa remain free of malaria and we apol ogise to the people of Fiji and Samoa for this unforgivable error.

The reality is that the risks of climate and sea level changes increase with each year of delay in cutting greenhouse gas emissions.

Although the international community agreed six years ago that climate change posed a real threat and that they should cut their emissions, virtually no country has yet done so.

Science tells us that the longer we delay making substantial emission reductions, the worse the resulting climate change and sea level rise will be. For low-lying Pacific Islands, we sincerely hope that the world will pay attention to the information in arti cles such as yours, and begin reducing the greenhouse gas emissions.

Tamari’i Tutangata

Director South Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP)