WHY LOOK TO ISLANDS FOR MODELS OF SUSTAINABILITY?

In a well-informed essay about the strengths, vulnerabilities and uniqueness of islands in a globalized world, Alan AtKisson, CEO and President of the AtKisson Group, wrote:

All islands are similar in being excellent case studies in the concept of sustainability, and in the value of systems thinking. They have clear boundaries, and clear physical limits. What comes in must either fit into what already exists, or leave, or push something else out to make room. When the economy ruins the natural world, everybody can see it. If the social organization is not working, economy and nature both suffer. And human health and well-being is a fundamental asset, whether the island's prosperity depends on tourists seeking peace and fun, or on the hunting prowess and ingenuity of a traditional people.

There are disastrous examples from the past such as Rapa Nui, which stand to remind us of “the dependence of human societies on their environment and the consequences of irreversibly damaging that environment.”[1] Both Clive Ponting in his book A New Green History of the World: The Environment and the Collapse of Great Civilizations, and Jared Diamond in Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed, make a point in highlighting the history of Rapa Nui as an example of what could happen to “island earth” if we continue unchecked on our current path – one which does not match economic growth to our ecological limitations.

Rapa Nui’s demise was the result of detrimental actions by the very humans who inhabited the island. The world, however, is now a different place. The combined activities of countless people – many of whom live thousands of miles away and are unaware of the consequences of their individual actions – are now having a negative impact upon islands and islanders alike.

Two noted examples of island societies soon to be swept under the rising waves of the Pacific are Tuvalu, and the Republic of Kiribati. These two nations along with other Small Island Developing States (SIDS) have appealed to international forums to bring about greater awareness, as well as seek collaborative solutions to their diminishing way of life.

In 2002, Tuvalu attempted to sue Australia (and other major green-house gas emitters such as the US), but in recent years has taken a more diplomatic approach with their nearest continental neighbor. In the past, Tuvaluans have tried to appeal to the Australian government under the Howard administration but have been categorically denied any special immigration status. The current administration may be more sympathetic to the plight of Tuvalu, as Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has ratified the Kyoto Protocol and acknowledges the risks of climate change to its Pacific neighbors.

Similarly, Kiribati President Anote Tong approached former Aotearoa New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark in June 2008 during World Environment Day events – Wellington was the international host city – to plead Kiribati’s case and persuade the government into granting his people resettlement opportunities.

To date, neither of these two island nations has secured a future place for its people – and not for lack of trying – on a foreign island and/or continent where its language, cultural practices and history can live on well after their traditional island homes have been consumed by seemingly inevitable sea-level rise.

On the other hand, there are also examples of hope and determination where some islands are trying to deal with the effects of climate change in innovative ways. The current scientific research forecasts that low-lying atolls and islands such as the Maldives will be engulfed by the sea at the end of this century. In spite of this, Maldives President Mohamed Nasheed plans to make his island nation in the Indian Ocean the first near-zero-carbon economy by 2020, thereby leading the pack[2] and demonstrating to large greenhouse gas emitters that fossil fuel independence and carbon neutrality may very well be a reality within a decade’s time.

The Caribbean region is also taking an ambitious and collaborative approach to climate change. Due to the region’s numerous island nations and the intertwined relationship between its economy and ecology, it has been a long-time advocate for proactive climate-change initiatives. In 2004 the Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre (CCCCC) was officially opened, and it currently “aims to raise US$35 million over the next three to five years to tackle the challenges of climate change and its effect on tourism in the Caribbean region.”[3] This is in addition to other projects that the region has initiated since the 1990s such as developing renewable energy resources, mainstreaming climate change issues, creating a strategy for climate change adaptation, and others.

In January 2008, the State of Hawai‘i signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the US Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), which laid the foundation for the Hawai‘i Clean Energy Initiative (HCEI). Amongst other things it aims to “achieve a 60 to 70 percent or greater clean energy basis for Hawai‘i within a generation [by 2030]” and to “serve as an ‘open source’ learning opportunity” while also being able to “create economic opportunity at all levels of society.”[4] How these plans will actually play out in reality is yet to be seen, but bold targets have been set – and this is a positive and necessary start, especially in light of the fact that Hawai‘i currently utilizes approximately 90 percent of its energy from imported fossil fuel.

There seems to be a growing interest in ecological economics as the interdependence between the economy and environment becomes more apparent. The likes of Sir Nicholas Stern, Al Gore, Van Jones and a cadre of others constitute a growing consensus who believe that the solutions to the global economic crisis and the global climate crisis may be one in the same. If the concern over money broadens the way for greater ecological awareness, then in the years ahead, islands may indeed become more valuable to the world by providing critical lessons about climate change adaptability, as well as the testing grounds for sustainable and innovative solutions.

Many islanders – most out of sheer necessity – are utilizing their competitive advantages to “punch above their weight” and develop sustainable measures for their island homes. It seems that the world is also realizing that islands are the proverbial canary in the coal mine with regard to climate change, and in so acknowledging this have created organizations such as the United Nations Office of the High Representative for LDCs, LLDCs and Small Island Developing States(SIDS) and others.

While still in its infancy, another good example of international collaboration is the partnership signed between the US and Aotearoa New Zealand in July 2008: Energy Development in Island Nations (EDIN). “The initiative signals the commitment of the two countries to cooperate to enhance global energy security and address global climate change through the promotion of clean, renewable, sustainable energy technologies. The goal of EDIN is to achieve deployment of the maximum amount of renewable energy and energy efficiency possible for specific, measurable clean energy targets”[5] in island nations and territories.

So, why should we look to islands for models of sustainability? AtKisson answered simply: “Islands can help show us the way. If islands cannot be made sustainable, nothing can. If islands can, then everything can. And islands can.”

Whether seeking a new place to call home for its people, or leading the way in a near-zero-carbon economy, island nations are forced to be first-adaptors and innovators in order to survive. If non-islanders can learn from the successes as well as missed opportunities, then perhaps we all have a better chance of ensuring that “island earth” does not follow a similar path to that of Rapa Nui.

Quoted Sources:

[1] Ponting, Clive (2007). A New Green History of the World: The Environment and the Collapse of Great Civilizations, Penguin Books, p. 2.

[2] The six nations signed up to a UN-backed plan to become zero net emitters are the Maldives, Costa Rica, Iceland, Norway, New Zealand and Monaco. “Maldives Aims to Become First Carbon-Neutral Country.” The Independent. March 14 2009. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/maldives-aims-to-become-first-carbonneutral-country-1644907.html

[3] “Funding for Caribbean Climate Change Project.” University of Oxford press release. March 20 2009. http://www.ox.ac.uk/media/news_stories/2009/090320_1html.html

[4] (PDF)“Hawai‘i-DOE Clean Energy Initiative: Strategic Vision and Implementation” presentation. March 2008, p. 3. http://hawaii.gov/dbedt/info/energy/hcei/HCEI-summary-2008mar.pdf

[5] “U.S. and New Zealand Take Steps to Launch International Partnership to Further the Development of Clean Energy on Island Nations.” US Department of Energy press release. July 24 2008. http://www.energy.gov/print/6429.htm; see also “New Zealand Joins New Clean Energy Partnership.” New Zealand government press release. July 25 2008. http://beehive.govt.nz/release/new+zealand+joins+new+clean+energy+partnership