Oratory Competition Winner
Failoa Teikausi
Form 1 Student, Nauti Primary School, Funafuti atoll, Tuvalu
COMMEMORATION OF THE COMMONWEALTH DAY – 13TH MARCH 2006
Chairman, Judges, ladies and gentlemen.
© Pepetua Latasi, 2006.
Winning orator, Failoa Teikausi, a Form 1 Student from Tuvalu, woos her audience with her remark "Fighting problems like global warming and sea level rise will be difficult for Tuvalu without the support of other Commonwealth nations." Strengthening our Pacific Island voice in international policy meetings is one of WWF's key strategies to mitigating the dangerous effects of climate change on vulnerable Pacific Island countries. Great work Failoa and congratulations!
Thank you for the opportunity to share with you a concern that is important to us. Tuvalu is a member of the family of Commonwealth nations and today we commemorate the Commonwealth Day. I will use this day to talk about global warming of climate change. And its negative impact on us Tuvaluans.
What is global warming or climate change?
We have heard so much about global warming and I will share with you my understanding and concern. Global warming is a man-made problem. It is caused by the over supply of climate change gases into the atmosphere. This is causing an increase in global temperature. The gas that is contributing a lot to this increase in temperature is carbon dioxide which is coming from use of burning of fossil fuels such as coal and oil for the production of energy.
Because the temperature is rising around the globe, the icebergs in the north and south poles are beginning to melt. This results in the rise in sea level. So low-lying countries like Tuvalu will be affected.
Apart from sea level rise we will also experience frequent severe storms, more cyclones and hurricanes. These are all due to global warming.
What does this mean to Tuvalu?
Our country is made up of low lying atolls which puts us at risk compared to other larger Pacific countries. This means there will be coastal erosion. We will experience increases in extreme floods, droughts, cyclones and climate change will threaten our freshwater supply. Our traditional crops such as pulaka will be affected.
Our important resource, marine life will also be affected. More diseases will occur. The most serious concern will be the loss of our land, loss of our identity and human lives.
So how can we stop global warming? What can we do to save our country and our identity?
Tuvalu cannot do this on its own; it needs the support of other larger nations to lobby the industrialized countries like the USA and Australia to sign the Kyoto Protocol. This will make sure that these big countries will reduce their gas emissions into the atmosphere in the coming years.
We can also be a role model and promote the use of renewable energy such as solar, wind or hydro power. We should try and get away from using non-renewable energy such as coal, diesel and oil.
As we celebrate the Commonwealth Day, we must remember that the family of the Commonwealth nations share common principles and enrich their cooperation through sport and other development activities. Tuvalu is lucky to be in the Commonwealth. Fighting international problems alone like global warming and sea level rise will be difficult for Tuvalu without the support of a bloc of countries like the Commonwealth family of nations.
As a Tuvaluan of the future generation, I plea to leaders of the industrialized countries to start taking responsibility and reduce their gas emissions. This will help in securing the existence of my beloved precious country Tuvalu.
I would like to continue the experience of living and enjoying the beautiful and peaceful life of my dear country, Tuvalu. I hope you share the same concern for Tuvalu and may we all hope that global warming will be reduced.
Thank you.
Tuvalu mote Atua.
Name: FAIOA TEIKAUSI
Form: 1