Tuvalu is a remote island nation consisting of a fringe of atolls covering 25.9 sq km (10 sq miles), with the highest point no more than five meters (17 feet) above sea level midway between Hawaii and Australia. Government officials in Tuvalu claim it is drowning because of global warming. The prime minister has said that Tuvalu was "the world's first victim of climate change," and that "the greenhouse effect and sea level rise threaten the very heart of our existence." (1) Doomsayer Al Gore predicted that residents would have to evacuate their homes because of rising seas.
