Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Ad Jolet "Our Heritage"
Anikien Ri-Majol Kon Global Warming "Marshallese Voices on Global Warming"
...also available in Standard Definition (SD)
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Summer Internship with the Office of Environmental Policy & Planning Coordination (OEPPC)
The two most enjoyable and rewarding requirements of my OEPPC summer internship were identical in scope but different in scale. One involved building the knowledge resource base and confidence of a single person, while the other involved laying groundwork for a 12-month climate change awareness communications strategy targeting the entire population of the Marshall Islands. One bled into the other, since the 12-month communications strategy was drafted by the Climate Change Coordinator and myself. We wanted to engender knowledgable discussions on the extreme vulnerability of coral atoll nations and the adaptation choices available to the Marshall Islands to deal with the imminent impacts of climate change. I soon learned that in doing this, we’d often begin to develop knowledgable discussions of our own on these topics. By the time we submitted the plan for the OEPPC Director’s endorsement, it was clear to me and my colleague that we had laid a solid foundation on which to achieve our goal. Moreover, our close working relationship was a rich learning experience that I will continue to reflect on in the years the come. At the conclusion of the internship, I left the OEPPC confident that the Marshall Islands is definitely on the right track for climate change preparation.
Monday, April 28, 2008
Joraan Ko Jen Global Warming
Ibwijleplep (Sea level rise)
Jiña e ear walok March 21, 2008 ilo Marshall Islands Journal.
Ej kwalok ke elaplok an armej lomnak kon global warming, im wawein bobrae jen jerata im joraan ko renaaj walok jen e. Jiña e ej kajitok: Ewi ial eo imaanir ñe eiubuiji aelon ko Majol?
Ibwijleplep eo jemeroñ in jela kake kio ej kon joñan in: 2 feet iomin 100 year. Emeron lap lok jen joñan in.
Aeboj lal ko renaaj bar joraan.
Oktak Koppan Lojet (Ocean acidification)
Ejab mejatoto wot elap lok carbon dioxide ak CO2 ie. Ebar lab lok CO2 lojet. Menin mour ko lojet, elaptata wõd ko, reban meroñ mour ñe endrein, im enaaj oktak koppan lojet.
Ekojkan An Naj Wot? (Changes in rainfall patterns)
“El Nino e aotok kitien. Oh ekojkan an naj wot?”
- Chaninway
Al in ear walok ilo 1998 alikin mejetoto eo jej nae etan:
El
Nino
Southern
Oscillation
Jen etto in an wor ENSO lal in, ak ekwutkwut im kajoor lok raan kein kon an manaan lok mejatoto im lojet.
Jiña e ear walok March 21, 2008 ilo Marshall Islands Journal.
Ej kwalok ke elaplok an armej lomnak kon global warming, im wawein bobrae jen jerata im joraan ko renaaj walok jen e. Jiña e ej kajitok: Ewi ial eo imaanir ñe eiubuiji aelon ko Majol?
Ibwijleplep eo jemeroñ in jela kake kio ej kon joñan in: 2 feet iomin 100 year. Emeron lap lok jen joñan in.
Aeboj lal ko renaaj bar joraan.
Oktak Koppan Lojet (Ocean acidification)
Ejab mejatoto wot elap lok carbon dioxide ak CO2 ie. Ebar lab lok CO2 lojet. Menin mour ko lojet, elaptata wõd ko, reban meroñ mour ñe endrein, im enaaj oktak koppan lojet.
Ekojkan An Naj Wot? (Changes in rainfall patterns)
“El Nino e aotok kitien. Oh ekojkan an naj wot?”
- Chaninway
Al in ear walok ilo 1998 alikin mejetoto eo jej nae etan:
El
Nino
Southern
Oscillation
Jen etto in an wor ENSO lal in, ak ekwutkwut im kajoor lok raan kein kon an manaan lok mejatoto im lojet.
Pearl Touring in the Marshall Islands, the Pearl of the Pacific
North of the equator in the central Pacific Ocean, the Southern Cross falls behind a shallow enclosed lagoon known as Jabonwod, literally “the fringing reef” in Marshallese. Franky Pedro, a Tuvaluan whose family migrated to the Marshall Islands in the 1960s, begins his day, and alongside his wife, Makko, the two appear like parents rather than supervisors to the three young men who work with them on this far-flung island. Their collective purpose: pearl farming. Glances under the sloping palms over a white sandy beach reveal tiny tracks of critters that ventured out the evening before, seeking nourishment from the sea. Not a single mountain obstructs the sky, filled instead by the pastel shades of a rising sun. A hundred years ago, Jabonwod would not be so different. It is what lies beneath the surface of its lagoon, the lines and floats, anchors and small cages, the unmistakable traces of a pearl farm, that makes Jabonwod distinguished in this coral atoll nation.
Pearl farming is a relatively new concept in the Marshall Islands, with only three farms distributed amongst its 29 atolls. In Tahiti, Fiji, Tonga, the Cook Islands, the Solomons, and most recently in Kiribati, pearl farming has emerged as a trade of particular interest, and in many cases with promising results. Black pearl cultivation now takes place on about 30 islands in the South Pacific, and has largely replaced copra (coconut meat) and even fishing as the primary method of “making ends meet” in the modern Pacific era of cash economies.
I visited Jabonwod several months ago, with some travel buffs looking for “that dot on the map called the Marshall Islands.” They had literally traveled half way around the world to accomplish this task, leaving their home in Norway and jetting clear across the Atlantic and mid-way into the Pacific. Now, gliding over waves the size of our boat, I looked into their tanning faces, with eyes closed and a smile to the open sky. They were probably thinking the very thing Franky was thinking several miles ahead, at the other end of this 2-hour long boat ride to Jabonwod – what surprises were in store for them that day.
We arrived sooner than expected, and so waited several minutes before we could see Franky’s boat making its way towards us. We were told that we’d have to transit onto Franky’s boat to enter Jabonwod’s lagoon as there were no deep passes. We passed the time chatting about how destructive it would be to create a “dynamite pass,” as has been done before in the surrounding area, until Franky’s small boat came into sight and we began making our way into Jabonwod lagoon as if through a secret passage way known only to Franky and his mates. We came upon a secret indeed.
According to Taro, Franky’s youngest pearl farmer on Arno, when the locally owned fishing boats break down or copra prices drop, the pearl farm acts as a good alternative for employment. “But its tough work,” he explains, “and many have left to go back to fishing when their boats get fixed.” As if to help prove his point, Franky instructs Taro and the two others to offload the boat and carry our things to the bungalows. “We weren’t able to do much work on the pearls today,” says Franky, “since we were preparing for your arrival. So now you must excuse me while I go checks the lines.”
Wishing to see up close the operation of a pearl farm, we elected to join Franky and temporarily forgo the cobblestone path Taro and the others were starting towards, which led to our temporary homes here in the Marshall Islands.
Descending twenty feet below the surface, amongst quadrillions of translucent microbes swept across oceans, the lines became visible. “Check the lines,” Franky had said. He forgot to mention the fact that dawning snorkel gear and applying sunscreen were involved. Oh the anguish…the torture…the sheer bliss of it all!
We tugged on the lines, cleaning the Mothers of Pearl that sustained Franky’s valuable cargo, agreeing that pearl farming is indeed a labor-intensive enterprise indeed. By the time we had finished the day’s work, we discovered that the evening’s work was already well underway. Makko had been busy cooking up the meats and vegetables we had brought with us into a sensuous stew, to go along with a fresh catch of coconut crab and fish. Feeling a little creative and itching for a nightcap, we mixed up a concoction of rum, sugar, milk, and coconut milk, affectionately calling it “the Atoll.” Alongside a slumbering wildlife of dogs, chickens, and pigs, the place looked as it hadn’t received a guest since it opened. “We don’t get much,” said Franky, “only the most adventurous.” As Franky led us along the cobblestone path to our understated thatched bungalows for night’s slumber, we were certainly glad to be among the few.
The next morning, after a breakfast of eggs, sausage, and locally grown breadfruit, Franky led us out on his boat to snorkel a vast reef ecosystem covering two square-miles at the northern point of Jabonwod lagoon, known popularly amongst diving circles simply as “North Point.” Franky explained that local landowners had established a conservation site surrounding the pearl hatcheries. Good thing too, since the resulting combination provides an aquarium of marine life “healthier than anywhere I’ve ever seen,” according one of my more well-traveled Norwegian companions. The very name of this sub-atoll in Arno, “fringing reef,” does make for a great scenario for any visitor looking for an underwater wonderland.
After snorkeling North Point and seeing up close some of the uninhabited islands being built up by the endless passage of northerly swells breaking on Jabonwod’s fringing reef, we begun our return to the pearl farm. Within the safe confines of our vessel, we even saw a shark and turtle performing a truly rare site, although whether it was out of love or the more probable food chain dance is still to be determined. Such was the serenity and healthy condition of the North Point ecosystem, and we continued our boat ride back to the pearl farm with a sense of both gratitude and wonder if such rare sites were commonplace in Jabonwod. We wanted to think they were, and looked forward to our next visit to find out.
The pearl farm was soon in site, resurrecting Robert Louis Stevenson’s oft-quoted description of these 1225 islands that make up the Marshall Islands: “the pearls of the Pacific."
Pearl farming is a relatively new concept in the Marshall Islands, with only three farms distributed amongst its 29 atolls. In Tahiti, Fiji, Tonga, the Cook Islands, the Solomons, and most recently in Kiribati, pearl farming has emerged as a trade of particular interest, and in many cases with promising results. Black pearl cultivation now takes place on about 30 islands in the South Pacific, and has largely replaced copra (coconut meat) and even fishing as the primary method of “making ends meet” in the modern Pacific era of cash economies.
I visited Jabonwod several months ago, with some travel buffs looking for “that dot on the map called the Marshall Islands.” They had literally traveled half way around the world to accomplish this task, leaving their home in Norway and jetting clear across the Atlantic and mid-way into the Pacific. Now, gliding over waves the size of our boat, I looked into their tanning faces, with eyes closed and a smile to the open sky. They were probably thinking the very thing Franky was thinking several miles ahead, at the other end of this 2-hour long boat ride to Jabonwod – what surprises were in store for them that day.
We arrived sooner than expected, and so waited several minutes before we could see Franky’s boat making its way towards us. We were told that we’d have to transit onto Franky’s boat to enter Jabonwod’s lagoon as there were no deep passes. We passed the time chatting about how destructive it would be to create a “dynamite pass,” as has been done before in the surrounding area, until Franky’s small boat came into sight and we began making our way into Jabonwod lagoon as if through a secret passage way known only to Franky and his mates. We came upon a secret indeed.
According to Taro, Franky’s youngest pearl farmer on Arno, when the locally owned fishing boats break down or copra prices drop, the pearl farm acts as a good alternative for employment. “But its tough work,” he explains, “and many have left to go back to fishing when their boats get fixed.” As if to help prove his point, Franky instructs Taro and the two others to offload the boat and carry our things to the bungalows. “We weren’t able to do much work on the pearls today,” says Franky, “since we were preparing for your arrival. So now you must excuse me while I go checks the lines.”
Wishing to see up close the operation of a pearl farm, we elected to join Franky and temporarily forgo the cobblestone path Taro and the others were starting towards, which led to our temporary homes here in the Marshall Islands.
Descending twenty feet below the surface, amongst quadrillions of translucent microbes swept across oceans, the lines became visible. “Check the lines,” Franky had said. He forgot to mention the fact that dawning snorkel gear and applying sunscreen were involved. Oh the anguish…the torture…the sheer bliss of it all!
We tugged on the lines, cleaning the Mothers of Pearl that sustained Franky’s valuable cargo, agreeing that pearl farming is indeed a labor-intensive enterprise indeed. By the time we had finished the day’s work, we discovered that the evening’s work was already well underway. Makko had been busy cooking up the meats and vegetables we had brought with us into a sensuous stew, to go along with a fresh catch of coconut crab and fish. Feeling a little creative and itching for a nightcap, we mixed up a concoction of rum, sugar, milk, and coconut milk, affectionately calling it “the Atoll.” Alongside a slumbering wildlife of dogs, chickens, and pigs, the place looked as it hadn’t received a guest since it opened. “We don’t get much,” said Franky, “only the most adventurous.” As Franky led us along the cobblestone path to our understated thatched bungalows for night’s slumber, we were certainly glad to be among the few.
The next morning, after a breakfast of eggs, sausage, and locally grown breadfruit, Franky led us out on his boat to snorkel a vast reef ecosystem covering two square-miles at the northern point of Jabonwod lagoon, known popularly amongst diving circles simply as “North Point.” Franky explained that local landowners had established a conservation site surrounding the pearl hatcheries. Good thing too, since the resulting combination provides an aquarium of marine life “healthier than anywhere I’ve ever seen,” according one of my more well-traveled Norwegian companions. The very name of this sub-atoll in Arno, “fringing reef,” does make for a great scenario for any visitor looking for an underwater wonderland.
After snorkeling North Point and seeing up close some of the uninhabited islands being built up by the endless passage of northerly swells breaking on Jabonwod’s fringing reef, we begun our return to the pearl farm. Within the safe confines of our vessel, we even saw a shark and turtle performing a truly rare site, although whether it was out of love or the more probable food chain dance is still to be determined. Such was the serenity and healthy condition of the North Point ecosystem, and we continued our boat ride back to the pearl farm with a sense of both gratitude and wonder if such rare sites were commonplace in Jabonwod. We wanted to think they were, and looked forward to our next visit to find out.
The pearl farm was soon in site, resurrecting Robert Louis Stevenson’s oft-quoted description of these 1225 islands that make up the Marshall Islands: “the pearls of the Pacific."
Yokwe and Welcome
Yokwe and Welcome.
I won't talk too much on this blog, instead leaving others to comment if they wish. Here are a few postings to get us started. The first is something I did during my days with the tourism sector in the Marshall Islands/Micronesia. I found it online and would like to share it again here. The second is a presentation given at the University of Washington-Seattle on climate change impacts and responses in the Marshall Islands. The third posting is similar, focusing more on the impacts but in my native language.
~ Kotemlap
I won't talk too much on this blog, instead leaving others to comment if they wish. Here are a few postings to get us started. The first is something I did during my days with the tourism sector in the Marshall Islands/Micronesia. I found it online and would like to share it again here. The second is a presentation given at the University of Washington-Seattle on climate change impacts and responses in the Marshall Islands. The third posting is similar, focusing more on the impacts but in my native language.
~ Kotemlap
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