Bridges to the Land of Eb

Eb -- a mythical land of the afterlife -- a destination for us all.

I came upon The Land of Eb website last week. I've been thinking about the title, and how it provided an interesting and creative perspective on Marshallese migration. This is definitely one movie I want to see.

I am told by one of the producers that "at the moment we are still in the process of editing. Our next step is to finish the sound mix. Our hope is that we'll have the movie ready for film festivals by the end of the year."

Something to keep an eye out for...

NY Times' story on the RMI-BP oil spill link

This cool email showed up in my inbox yesterday, and I just had to post....




Iakwe folks, [Iakwe means hello]

In case anyone is wondering if there is a link between the RMI [Republic of the Marshall Islands] and the oil spill currently wreaking havoc in the Gulf of Mexico, there is! The oil rig which blew up, sank, and caused this environmental disaster was flying the flag of the RMI and was registered with the RMI ship registry.

I'm not sure why the RMI, which is in particular danger in regards to climate change and the otherwise unhealthy effects of the global addiction to fossil fuels, would register an oil rig.

Here's the NY Times' story on the RMI "flag of convenience" BP oil spill.

The RMI is mentioned at the end of the article (the second page).

Ilo kautiej, [that means with respect]

David K.




I can't wait to start teaching a socio-economic course on climate change in the Marshall Islands, joining alongside David at the College of the Marshall Islands. Perhaps as early as Spring 2010!

Micronesia Challenge

Have you seen the following video or heard of it? It's a pretty good, very succinct take on Micronesia Challenge's initiatives in the RMI.

Climate change in RMI video that was filmed by DeutscheWelle

Moving Pictures Are Worth 1 Billion Words

Click here to find cinematic productions out of the Marshall Islands. If you choose to make additions to your movie library, check out one scene in particular in the movie Na Noniep in which you are taken on a drive down the southern side of Majuro Atoll, giving you one of the best glimpses you can find of just how fragile these islands really are.

Benedict "Labilol" Yamamura FULL SPEECH

World Climate Change Day
“Climate Change – A Youth Challenge”
Saturday, 24 October 2009 – 10am
Former Weather Station, Delap, Majuro Atoll
Kommol MC.

Iakwe aolep!

Moktata ikōnan lelak ao nebar im kamolol Anij jemed ilañ kōn rujlak in juōn raan eo emman im aibojwōj.

Kein karuo, lewaj ao im AOLEP jodikdik ro ilo wōd in bwil in Majōl naan in kautej Ri-Kaki eo jemed im ebed ippãd rainin im ej jen Rita, UCC, Ri-Kaki Enja Enos , Mayor eo ad jen Capital city in an Marshall Islands, Honorable Mayor Titus Langrine, Director eo an OEPPC Ms. Yumiko Crisostomo, im kom aolep ro rar koba tok im kõmman bwe rainin en aibojwõj.

Ewõr jilu simple numba ko kwõj aikuj in jela im melele kake kōn global warming. 200 yiiõ ko rõmotlak, ewõr kar joñan in 275 parts per million kõn carbon dioxide (parts per million ej joñan carbon dioxide eo ilo kajojo million (per million) ilo molecules ko jet ilo mejatoto in lal in ad). Numba eo kein kajuon in. Level in CO2 eo elap an aourok – ne eban jonan CO2 eo, lal in eban kar emman ñan jikin jokwe, enkar enwõt space/planet. Jaikuj carbon ilo mejatoto eo ad; kajjitõk eo in, jete? Ilo kar 18th century eo, armej raar jinoe aer kattil coal/malle ko jen búlõn ļal, kiaaj, oil men kein wõj ñan kõmman jarom im menin jeramman ko (wa ko, equipment ko, etc). Joñan carbon eo ilo mejatoto eo ad emõj an wallõn lak, kar mokta ekar slow ak raan kein emoj an mõkaj lak. Ebújin kind activity ko im jej kõmmani, enwõt kappõl light ko, komat mõna im kõmãnen ak kamloik moko imõd rej, men kein rej bedbed ion jarõm eo ej itok jen coal im gas ko rej bwil ilo factory ko, ko im rej kadiwõjlak carbon dioxide im kiaaj ko jet rej drapij mãnen eo ilo mejatoto eo ad.

Numba eo kein karuo kwõj aikuj in bar kemejmej e ej 387. Rainin kio, joñan cabon dioxide eo ilo mejatoto eo ad emõj an bed ilo 387… numba in ej laplak 2 parts per million kajojo yiio. Scientists ro rej ba bwe numba in elap jen tõr jen joñan – 387 ppm emõj an tõbar juõn record eo me lal in ad ej kab tõn bed ie. Emõj ad jinoe loe jorrãn/impact ko ñan armej ro ibõlaak in lal in. Glacier ko, ak jikin ko me eobõrak ice ie me puki-million armej ro rej kõjerbali ñan idraak im kõmman mõña, emõj aer jino õõl (melt) lak. Naṃ ko, ko im emman ippãer lal manen, emoj aer jinoe orlak im ajãded ñan jikin ko eobōrak armej ie, im boklak malaria im dengue fever. Jabwe dren (ak drought), emōj an jino ekutkut an walok, ekōmman bwe en ban lak an lal ko kaddōk mōña. Australia ñan waanjoñan, ejjein wōt iumun 10 yiiō. Sea level (joñan eo ñan lojet eo) emōj an jino wallōntak, im scientist ro rōtijoṃlak rej kakkōl kōj bwe enaj wallōnlak kajojo mita (meter) ilo epãben in. Ne men in enaj walok, jikin ko rej bed turin lojet (i.e. New York, Bangladesh, Japan, Egypt im lal ko jet) renaj jorrãn , enaj barewinwōt laplak an kajorrãn lale jiddik ko ilo wod in bwil in Pacific in (enwot Majol, Kiribati, Palau, im lal jiddik ko jet) jorrããn in enaj kōmman bwelal jiddik kein ren nej bed iumum dren. Artic ak ijo ewōr ice ie ej letok message eo e clear tata bwe climate change/janij in mejatoto eo ej lukkin walok im emakujkuj lak jen an kar scientist ro kar lōmnak e. Ilo kar summer 2007 eo, ice ko ilo arctic rōkar driklak ak ōōl lak kōn 40%. Ebwijin scientist ro rōj tomak bwe Arctic enaj juōn jikin eo im enaj ejjelok ice ie, ikōtaan iio kein 2011 im 2015.

Ñan bukwot mejlan problem in, climate scientist ro emōj aer likit ke 350 parts per million ej level in CO2 eo im elap an safe ñan lal in ad im armej ro ie. 350 ej numba eo. Scientist eo moktata rōkar kakkōl rútōl ro kōn global warming kar 20 iiō ko rōmotlak kar etan in James Hansen, eo im ej jen Amerca’s National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

Nan ad maron in le lal tak jonan in me jebed ie im ej “387”, enaj juon jerbal eo eban im abaltak ak eban impossible nan kommane. Ilo tu lap in, jej aikuj in kabojrak ad boki carbon ko jen lal im tuli. Emman lak kojerbal solar im wind energy im men ko jet me rej mottan renewable energy. The longer we remain in the danger zone – above 350 – the more likely that we will see disastrous and irreversible climate impacts!

Iio in, enaj komman bwe en wor ad juon opportunity eo im ebolen nan ad set e juon course kal nan 350 im lal lak. Kajojo iio jen kar 1992 eo, United Nation ej host e 2-week kwelok aetokin nan leader ro ilo belak in lalin nan aer kwelak im kennan kon jorran ko im rej itok wot jen climate change. December in, 2009, kwelok eo im enaj komman im bok jikin ilo Copenhagen ilo Denmark. Ijen, enaj wor delegate ro, NGOs ko, im business ko jimor jen aolep kajojo nan aer lemanlak juon kwon eo ekaal ikijeen global climate change nan replace e Kyoto Protocol.

Nan kojemlak naan kein ao, ij ba waj nan kom my fellow climate activist bwe kom en kemejmej bwe ejjab kojean wot in ilo Majol in ej wallontak kon climate change movement in. Buki lal ko im thousands action ko rej komman ibelak in lalin rainin ilo minute in second. Waween in jej komman nan kanol tok youth ro jen belak in Majuro enaj juon wonmanlak eo im enaj karon Ri- Tol ro ad ke Marshall islands ej iliju im joklaj eo ad.

Kommol tata.

350 Marshallese style

The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Youth to Youth in Health organized a rally that "was really great," according to one of the main organizers Benedict Yamamura. "It started from the 'spoon' [in Rita village and went] all the way to the former weather station [in Delap Village]," he says, effectively covering the most populated areas of Majuro Atoll, the capital of the Marshall Islands.

"Rosalie from V7AB was able to broadcast the rally and we were told to lead the whole parade," said Yamamura, pictured above. "I described what's 350," he said, as in parts per million, the level scientists have identified as the safe upper limit for CO2 concentration in our atmosphere. For more information, visit www.350.org

water water water!

Since January 2009, I've participated in a cross-regional dialog at the invitation of Cheryl Anderson at the University of Hawaii Urban and Regional Planning Department. The dialog is held over video teleconference (VTC), and the overall theme for all of the VTC sessions is “Climate Change, Water Impacts, and Indigenous People.” According nto Cheryl:

"It started w/some funding from the National Integrated Drought Information System through the RISA programs in a program called “coping w/drought.” For the places in our regions, drought is important, but water availability was the way that it manifests. For Alaska, water quality is problematic because of the global pollutants that work their way into the ice/ecosystems, and drought in islands happens a lot but the US was less aware because it does not have the extensive crop impacts like on the US mainland…One of the original intents of this project was to make sure that local and indigenous knowledge and approaches for dealing w/climate change are brought to the forefront and that US federal agencies are aware about how critical climate issues are. We wanted to provide a way to get 'voice' from remote, rural, and indigenous communities into policy development….

The theme areas were broad so that we could look at different elements in each dialogue. The November 2008 dialogue focused on drought and water availability specifically, with thoughts on how this will play out w/CC. The April dialogue focused more on climate change adaptation strategies.

Below is a link to a presentation I gave with colleagues Terry Keju, Moriana Philips, and Ingrid Ahlgren at the April session on Climate Change and Water Resources: The Marshall Islands. We didn't cover nearly all we wanted to, but it was a good start. You will also see some maps that indicate all participants of this unique cross-regional dialog on climate change among indigenous peoples.

http://www.uaf.edu/accap/cross_region_dialogue.htm