THE impact of global warming will be brought home when two Carteret Islanders, being displaced by rising seas, tell their story at the Francis Rush Centre next Wednesday September 12.
The Carteret Islanders are amongst the world’s first “climate refugees”.
This entire cultural group is facing relocation due to the impacts of climate change.
Islanders Ursula Rakova and Bernard Tunim are sharing their personal experience on the tour, organized by the Tulele Peisa Association in conjunction with Friends of the Earth and Oxfam Australia.
Sisters of Mercy and Caritas have helped organize the Brisbane stage of the tour.
Mercy Sister Wendy Flannery said what made the islanders’ story even more poignant was that the people of the Carteret Islands contributed virtually nothing to global greenhouse pollution.
The Carteret Islands are part of Papua New Guinea and located 86 kms northeast of Bougainville in the Pacific Ocean.
The Carteret Islanders Speaking Tour will also visit Sydney, Newcastle, Canberra and Melbourne.
Among its goals are to raise public and political awareness in Australia of climate change in developing countries, and to increase pressure on the Australian government to act rapidly in such areas as the setting of targets for emissions reductions.
