Florida Keys under threat

Florida Keys' delicate habitat is threatened by global warming

By Malcolm Brabant in Key West, Florida

The local council in the Florida Keys has forged a new alliance with the smallest nations on earth - to fight the industrialised world.

The residents of the islands, which stretch for more than 100 miles, want world leaders to reduce pollution which is responsible for global warming and a rise in sea level.

If current emissions of fossil fuels persist, these individual paradises could vanish.

Delicate habitat

This is not one of those environmental problems that may possibly happen in several thousand years time.

A rise in sea level could affect some of the lower lying areas of the Keys

The ocean is rising at half a metre every century. As much of the Keys lie at just above sea level - and the consequences are obvious.

George Nugent, a commissioner for Monroe County, the Keys' local council explains his concerns

"In 100 years or so, extrapolating 12-20 inches of rise in sea level certainly could affect some of the lower lying areas of Monroe county so you could see some clear inundations of certain areas."

Bleaching as a result of global warming will lead to the loss of the coral reefs

There are problems beneath the surface too.

The Keys is home to the world's third most important coral barrier reef which protects the islands from waves and storm damage.

However, rising sea temperatures has led to unprecedented damage to the coral reef.

Billy Causey, Superintendent of the Florida Marine Conservancy, says that the coral reefs are like the rainforests of the sea.

"Coral bleaching as a result of global warming over a long period of time will result in the loss of these coral reefs," Mr Causey said.

If we don't take action...then we can in fact lose this very biologically diverse marine ecosystem

Billy Causey, Superintendent of the Florida Marine Conservancy

"We've already lost 10% of the reefs around the globe beyond recovery, and 30% of the coral reefs around the globe are threatened.

"If we don't take action, and if our global leaders do not pay attention to the global warming problems, then we can in fact lose this very biologically diverse marine ecosystem."

John Strock, a disabled retired engineer, is still suffering the effects of Hurricane George, which wrecked his mobile home on Big Pine Key two years ago.

"Financially it has wiped us out," he says.

Hurricane victim: "Financially, it has wiped us out"

"We did get government help. There were so many people... it was spread very thin."

Bill Loew runs Habitat for Humanity, a charity that is increasingly having to help victims of hurricanes and the storm surges they cause.

"The threat to housing is far more severe than anyone ever predicted, particularly, the trailers and houses," Mr Loew says.

"They were built on the ground. They're no longer safe"

Global warming alliance

The problems of the Keys are shared by thousands of low lying islands around the globe.

The Keys local council has now joined forces with the Alliance of Small Island States to fight the problem of global warming.

The new union with the nations of the West Indies, Fiji, Samoa, the Seychelles and the like has placed the Keys on a collision course with American heavy industry: the world's number one polluter.

George Nugent believes that education is the key.

Island nations want to protect their tourism

"We need to educate and play close attention and monitor the effects of fossil fuel burning," Mr Nugent explains.

"These particular issues need to be addressed, and with a reduction. It may have some economic impacts now but I think that the positive economic impacts in the future far greater outweigh the dollars that we're spending right now."

The island states hope that a conference in the Hague in the autumn will ratify a promise to reduce pollution by fossil fuels.

They fear that the deal will be scuppered by nations like India, China, Brazil and the United States, who may be more interested in preserving profits than islands in paradise.