ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Anote Tong - President of the Republic of Kiribati
Anote Tong has built worldwide awareness of the potentially devastating impacts of climate change.

Why you should listen

His Excellency Anote Tong is the fourth President of the Republic of Kiribati. He was first elected as President on 10 July 2003 and subsequently won two more elections in 2007 and in 2012. He is now serving his last term, which will end in mid-2015. Under his leadership, President Anote Tong also holds the portfolio of Head of State and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Immigration.

Anote Tong was born in 1952 on Fanning Island (also known as Tabuaeran) in the Line Islands and is a member of the Kiribati House of Parliament from the constituency of Maiana Island in the central Kiribati group.

Educated in New Zealand and in England at the University of Canterbury and the London School of Economics respectively, President Tong holds a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Economics under his belt.

Since the beginning of his presidency, President Anote Tong has become a strong climate change advocate and has built worldwide awareness of the potentially devastating impacts of climate change.

He has stated on many occasions that Kiribati may cease to exist altogether and that its entire population may need to be resettled not as climate change refugees but as citizens who migrate on merit and with dignity.

With one of the lowest carbon-emission footprints in the world, Tong has often described Kiribati as a “frontline country” that has been among the first to experience dramatic climate change impacts.

As an extraordinary measure to set an example for the rest of the world, President Tong created the Phoenix Islands Protected Area, one of the largest marine protected areas in the world with a size of 408,250 square kilometers which was inscribed as a United Nations World Heritage site in 2008.

President Tong has won a number of awards and recognition that acknowledges his contribution and leadership on climate change and ocean conservation.

More profile about the speaker
Anote Tong | Speaker | TED.com
Mission Blue II

Anote Tong: My country will be underwater soon -- unless we work together

Filmed:
1,133,033 views

For the people of Kiribati, climate change isn't something to be debated, denied or legislated against -- it's an everyday reality. The low-lying Pacific island nation may soon be underwater, thanks to rising sea levels. In a personal conversation with TED Curator Chris Anderson, Kiribati President Anote Tong discusses his country's present climate catastrophe and its imperiled future. "In order to deal with climate change, there's got to be sacrifice. There's got to be commitment," he says. "We've got to tell people that the world has changed."
- President of the Republic of Kiribati
Anote Tong has built worldwide awareness of the potentially devastating impacts of climate change. Full bio

Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.

00:12
Chris Anderson: Perhaps we could start
by just telling us about your country.
0
760
3656
00:16
It's three dots there on the globe.
Those dots are pretty huge.
1
4440
3856
00:20
I think each one
is about the size of California.
2
8320
2656
00:23
Tell us about Kiribati.
3
11000
1856
00:25
Anote Tong: Well, let me first begin
by saying how deeply grateful I am
4
12880
4496
00:29
for this opportunity to share my story
with people who do care.
5
17400
4136
00:33
I think I've been sharing my story with
a lot of people who don't care too much.
6
21560
5576
00:39
But Kiribati is comprised
of three groups of islands:
7
27160
3856
00:43
the Gilbert Group on the west,
8
31040
2816
00:46
we have the Phoenix Islands in the middle,
9
33880
3336
00:49
and the Line Islands in the east.
10
37240
4416
00:53
And quite frankly, Kiribati
is perhaps the only country
11
41680
3096
00:57
that is actually
in the four corners of the world,
12
44800
2341
00:59
because we are in the Northern Hemisphere,
in the Southern Hemisphere,
13
47166
3299
01:02
and also in the east and the west
of the International Date Line.
14
50490
3055
01:05
These islands are entirely
made up of coral atolls,
15
53570
6326
01:12
and on average about
two meters above sea level.
16
59920
4935
01:17
And so this is what we have.
17
64879
3457
01:20
Usually not more
than two kilometers in width.
18
68360
4816
01:25
And so, on many occasions,
I've been asked by people,
19
73200
2936
01:28
"You know, you're suffering,
why don't you move back?"
20
76160
2536
01:30
They don't understand.
21
78720
1216
01:32
They have no concept
of what it is that's involved.
22
79960
3696
01:35
With the rising sea, they say,
"Well, you can move back."
23
83680
3576
01:39
And so this is what I tell them.
24
87280
1576
01:41
If we move back, we will fall off
on the other side of the ocean. OK?
25
88880
4336
01:45
But these are the kinds of issues
that people don't understand.
26
93240
4776
01:50
CA: So certainly this is
just a picture of fragility there.
27
98040
4216
01:54
When was it that you yourself realized
28
102280
2536
01:57
that there might be
impending peril for your country?
29
104840
3616
02:00
AT: Well, the story of climate change
has been one that has been going on
30
108480
3456
02:04
for quite a number of decades.
31
111960
1456
02:05
And when I came into office in 2003,
32
113440
4736
02:10
I began talking about climate change
at the United Nations General Assembly,
33
118200
4256
02:14
but not with so much passion,
34
122480
2736
02:17
because then there was still
this controversy among the scientists
35
125240
3616
02:21
whether it was human-induced,
whether it was real or it wasn't.
36
128880
5256
02:26
But I think that that debate
was fairly much concluded in 2007
37
134160
6136
02:32
with the Fourth Assessment
Report of the IPCC,
38
140320
5576
02:38
which made a categorical statement
that it is real, it's human-induced,
39
145920
6856
02:45
and it's predicting
some very serious scenarios
40
152800
3936
02:48
for countries like mine.
41
156760
2536
02:51
And so that's when I got very serious.
42
159320
3256
02:54
In the past, I talked about it.
43
162600
3976
02:58
We were worried.
44
166600
1216
03:00
But when the scenarios,
the predictions came in 2007,
45
167840
3736
03:03
it became a real issue for us.
46
171600
2336
03:06
CA: Now, those predictions are,
I think, that by 2100,
47
173960
5616
03:11
sea levels are forecast to rise
perhaps three feet.
48
179600
2776
03:14
There's scenarios where
it's higher than that, for sure,
49
182400
2620
03:17
but what would you say
to a skeptic who said,
50
185044
2136
03:19
"What's three feet?
51
187204
1172
03:20
You're on average
six feet above sea level.
52
188400
2176
03:22
What's the problem?"
53
190600
1576
03:24
AT: Well, I think
it's got to be understood
54
192200
2056
03:26
that a marginal rise in sea level
55
194280
2056
03:28
would mean a loss of a lot of land,
56
196360
2576
03:31
because much of the land is low.
57
198960
3256
03:34
And quite apart from that,
we are getting the swells at the moment.
58
202240
5096
03:39
So it's not about getting two feet.
59
207360
2176
03:41
I think what many people do not understand
60
209560
3016
03:44
is they think climate change is something
that is happening in the future.
61
212600
6176
03:51
Well, we're at the very
bottom end of the spectrum.
62
218800
2816
03:53
It's already with us.
63
221640
1256
03:55
We have communities
who already have been dislocated.
64
222920
3816
03:58
They have had to move,
and every parliament session,
65
226760
3936
04:02
I'm getting complaints
from different communities
66
230720
2336
04:05
asking for assistance to build seawalls,
67
233080
3056
04:08
to see what we can do
about the freshwater lens
68
236160
2536
04:10
because it's being destroyed,
69
238720
1816
04:12
and so in my trips
to the different islands,
70
240560
2736
04:15
I'm seeing evidence of communities
71
243320
2696
04:18
which are now having to cope
with the loss of food crops,
72
246040
3616
04:21
the contamination of the water lenses,
73
249680
3576
04:25
and I see these communities
perhaps leaving, having to relocate,
74
253280
4336
04:29
within five to 10 years.
75
257640
2336
04:32
CA: And then, I think the country
suffered its first cyclone,
76
260000
3936
04:36
and this is connected, yes?
What happened here?
77
263960
3536
04:39
AT: Well, we're on the equator,
78
267520
2696
04:42
and I'm sure many of you understand
that when you're on the equator,
79
270240
4416
04:46
it's supposed to be in the doldrums.
We're not supposed to get the cyclones.
80
274680
3576
04:50
We create them, and then we send them
either north or south.
81
278280
2810
04:53
(Laughter)
82
281114
1382
04:54
But they aren't supposed to come back.
83
282520
1856
04:56
But for the first time,
at the beginning of this year,
84
284400
2524
04:59
the Cyclone Pam,
which destroyed Vanuatu,
85
286948
3668
05:02
and in the process,
the very edges of it actually touched
86
290640
3456
05:06
our two southernmost islands,
87
294120
2376
05:08
and all of Tuvalu was underwater
when Hurricane Pam struck.
88
296520
5376
05:14
But for our two southernmost islands,
89
301920
3696
05:17
we had waves come over half the island,
90
305640
3336
05:21
and so this has never happened before.
91
309000
2456
05:23
It's a new experience.
92
311480
1576
05:25
And I've just come back
from my own constituency,
93
313080
5336
05:30
and I've seen these beautiful trees
which had been there for decades,
94
318440
3336
05:34
they've been totally destroyed.
95
321800
1976
05:36
So this is what's happening,
96
323800
1696
05:37
but when we talk
about the rising sea level,
97
325520
3856
05:41
we think it's something
that happens gradually.
98
329400
3096
05:44
It comes with the winds,
it comes with the swells,
99
332520
3056
05:47
and so they can be magnified,
100
335600
1936
05:49
but what we are beginning to witness
is the change in the weather pattern,
101
337560
6176
05:55
which is perhaps the more urgent challenge
102
343760
2736
05:58
that we will face sooner
than perhaps the rising sea level.
103
346520
4536
06:03
CA: So the country
is already seeing effects now.
104
351080
3256
06:06
As you look forward,
105
354360
2176
06:08
what are your options
as a country, as a nation?
106
356560
3936
06:12
AT: Well, I've been telling
this story every year.
107
360520
2656
06:15
I think I visit a number of --
108
363200
1429
06:16
I've been traveling the world
to try and get people to understand.
109
364653
4963
06:21
We have a plan, we think we have a plan.
110
369640
2456
06:24
And on one occasion,
I think I spoke in Geneva
111
372120
3416
06:27
and there was a gentleman
who was interviewing me
112
375560
4176
06:31
on something like this,
113
379760
1736
06:33
and I said, "We are looking
at floating islands,"
114
381520
2336
06:36
and he thought it was funny,
but somebody said,
115
383880
2216
06:38
"No, this is not funny.
These people are looking for solutions."
116
386120
3936
06:42
And so I have been looking
at floating islands.
117
390080
3536
06:45
The Japanese are interested
in building floating islands.
118
393640
3736
06:49
But, as a country,
we have made a commitment
119
397400
2936
06:52
that no matter what happens,
we will try as much as possible
120
400360
3696
06:56
to stay and continue to exist as a nation.
121
404080
4176
07:00
What that will take,
122
408280
1536
07:02
it's going to be
something quite significant,
123
409840
3416
07:05
very, very substantial.
124
413280
2016
07:07
Either we live on floating islands,
125
415320
1776
07:09
or we have to build up the islands
to continue to stay out of the water
126
417120
3976
07:13
as the sea level rises
and as the storms get more severe.
127
421120
4736
07:18
But even that, it's going to be
very, very difficult
128
425880
2429
07:20
to get the kind of resourcing
that we would need.
129
428333
2843
07:23
CA: And then the only recourse
is some form of forced migration.
130
431200
3856
07:27
AT: Well, we are also looking at that
131
435080
2216
07:29
because in the event
that nothing comes forward
132
437320
2896
07:32
from the international community,
133
440240
1816
07:34
we are preparing,
134
442080
1256
07:35
we don't want to be caught
like what's happening in Europe.
135
443360
3216
07:38
OK? We don't want to mass migrate
at some point in time.
136
446600
2696
07:41
We want to be able
to give the people the choice today,
137
449320
3416
07:44
those who choose
and want to do that, to migrate.
138
452760
3656
07:48
We don't want something to happen
that they are forced to migrate
139
456440
5056
07:53
without having been prepared to do so.
140
461520
2296
07:56
Of course, our culture is very different,
our society is very different,
141
463840
3496
07:59
and once we migrate
into a different environment,
142
467360
2336
08:01
a different culture,
143
469720
1216
08:03
there's a whole lot
of adjustments that are required.
144
470960
2936
08:06
CA: Well, there's forced migration
in your country's past,
145
473920
3256
08:09
and I think just this week,
146
477200
1656
08:11
just yesterday
or the day before yesterday,
147
478880
3256
08:14
you visited these people.
148
482160
2176
08:16
What happened here? What's the story here?
149
484360
2176
08:18
AT: Yes, and I'm sorry,
I think somebody was asking
150
486560
2416
08:21
why we were sneaking off
to visit that place.
151
489000
2976
08:24
I had a very good reason, because we have
a community of Kiribati people
152
492000
3976
08:28
living in that part
of the Solomon Islands,
153
496000
4096
08:32
but these were people who were relocated
from the Phoenix Islands, in fact,
154
500120
3856
08:36
in the 1960s.
155
504000
1456
08:37
There was serious drought, and the people
could not continue to live on the island,
156
505480
4536
08:42
and so they were moved
to live here in the Solomon Islands.
157
510040
3376
08:45
And so yesterday it was very interesting
to meet with these people.
158
513440
3176
08:48
They didn't know who I was.
They hadn't heard of me.
159
516640
2456
08:51
Some of them later recognized me,
160
519120
2576
08:53
but I think they were very happy.
161
521720
3576
08:57
Later they really wanted to have
the opportunity to welcome me formally.
162
525320
4416
09:01
But I think what I saw yesterday
was very interesting
163
529760
3256
09:05
because here I see our people.
164
533040
1816
09:07
I spoke in our language, and of course
they spoke back, they replied,
165
534880
5816
09:12
but their accent, they are beginning
not to be able to speak Kiribati properly.
166
540720
4696
09:17
I saw them, there was
this lady with red teeth.
167
545440
2496
09:20
She was chewing betel nuts,
168
547960
2216
09:22
and it's not something we do in Kiribati.
169
550200
2256
09:24
We don't chew betel nuts.
170
552480
2616
09:27
I met also a family who have married
the local people here,
171
555120
5856
09:33
and so this is what is happening.
172
561000
4096
09:37
As you go into another community,
there are bound to be changes.
173
565120
3576
09:40
There is bound to be
a certain loss of identity,
174
568720
4456
09:45
and this is what we will be
looking for in the future
175
573200
3456
09:48
if and when we do migrate.
176
576680
2256
09:51
CA: It must have been
just an extraordinarily emotional day
177
578960
3176
09:54
because of these questions about identity,
178
582160
2816
09:57
the joy of seeing you and perhaps
an emphasized sense of what they had lost.
179
585000
5216
10:02
And it's very inspiring to hear you say
you're going to fight to the end
180
590240
3381
10:05
to try to preserve
the nation in a location.
181
593645
4411
10:10
AT: This is our wish.
182
598080
1296
10:11
Nobody wants ever to leave their home,
183
599400
3056
10:14
and so it's been
a very difficult decision for me.
184
602480
3056
10:17
As a leader, you don't make plans
to leave your island, your home,
185
605560
5376
10:23
and so I've been asked
on a number of occasions,
186
610960
2256
10:25
"So how do you feel?"
187
613240
1216
10:26
And it doesn't feel good at all.
188
614480
3136
10:29
It's an emotional thing,
and I've tried to live with it,
189
617640
3576
10:33
and I know that on occasions, I'm accused
of not trying to solve the problem
190
621240
4936
10:38
because I can't solve the problem.
191
626200
1976
10:40
It's something that's got
to be done collectively.
192
628200
2816
10:43
Climate change is a global phenomenon,
and as I've often argued,
193
631040
5776
10:49
unfortunately, the countries,
when we come to the United Nations --
194
636840
4496
10:53
I was in a meeting with
the Pacific Island Forum countries
195
641360
4896
10:58
where Australia and New Zealand
are also members,
196
646280
2496
11:01
and we had an argument.
197
648800
1736
11:02
There was a bit of a story in the news
198
650560
2696
11:05
because they were arguing
that to cut emissions,
199
653280
4296
11:09
it would be something
that they're unable to do
200
657600
2256
11:12
because it would affect the industries.
201
659880
3216
11:15
And so here I was saying,
202
663120
1456
11:16
OK, I hear you,
203
664600
2216
11:19
I understand what you're saying,
204
666840
1656
11:20
but try also to understand what I'm saying
205
668520
2256
11:23
because if you do not cut your emissions,
206
670800
2616
11:25
then our survival is on the line.
207
673440
2376
11:28
And so it's a matter for you
to weigh this, these moral issues.
208
675840
4336
11:32
It's about industry as opposed to
the survival of a people.
209
680200
4016
11:36
CA: You know, I ask you yesterday
what made you angry,
210
684240
2656
11:39
and you said, "I don't get angry."
But then you paused.
211
686920
3496
11:42
I think this made you angry.
212
690440
1616
11:44
AT: I'd refer you to my earlier
statement at the United Nations.
213
692080
4896
11:49
I was very angry, very frustrated
and then depressed.
214
697000
4936
11:54
There was a sense of futility
215
701960
1976
11:56
that we are fighting a fight
that we have no hope of winning.
216
703960
5456
12:01
I had to change my approach.
217
709440
2176
12:03
I had to become more reasonable
218
711640
2096
12:05
because I thought people would listen
to somebody who was rational,
219
713760
3143
12:09
but I remain radically rational,
whatever that is.
220
716927
2569
12:11
(Laughter)
221
719520
1616
12:13
CA: Now, a core part
of your nation's identity is fishing.
222
721160
3736
12:17
I think you said pretty much everyone
is involved in fishing in some way.
223
724920
3496
12:20
AT: Well, we eat fish
every day, every day,
224
728440
2776
12:23
and I think there is no doubt
that our rate of consumption of fish
225
731240
4536
12:28
is perhaps the highest in the world.
226
735800
2136
12:30
We don't have a lot of livestock,
227
737960
2456
12:32
so it's fish that we depend on.
228
740440
2776
12:35
CA: So you're dependent on fish,
both at the local level
229
743240
3136
12:38
and for the revenues
that the country receives
230
746400
2696
12:41
from the global fishing business for tuna,
231
749120
2576
12:43
and yet despite that, a few years ago
you took a very radical step.
232
751720
4896
12:48
Can you tell us about that?
233
756640
1376
12:50
I think something happened
right here in the Phoenix Islands.
234
758040
3336
12:53
AT: Let me give some of the background
of what fish means for us.
235
761400
5296
12:58
We have one of the largest
tuna fisheries remaining in the world.
236
766720
3936
13:02
In the Pacific, I think we own
something like 60 percent
237
770680
2856
13:05
of the remaining tuna fisheries,
238
773560
1896
13:07
and it remains relatively healthy
for some species, but not all.
239
775480
4256
13:11
And Kiribati is one of the three
major resource owners,
240
779760
5120
13:18
tuna resource owners.
241
785920
1696
13:19
And at the moment, we have been getting
242
787640
3576
13:23
something like 80 to 90
percent of our revenue
243
791240
2896
13:26
from access fees, license fees.
244
794160
2456
13:28
CA: Of your national revenue.
245
796640
1856
13:30
AT: National revenue,
246
798520
1816
13:32
which drives everything that we do
247
800360
2816
13:35
in governments, hospitals,
schools and what have you.
248
803200
4016
13:39
But we decided to close this,
and it was a very difficult decision.
249
807240
5216
13:44
I can assure you, politically,
locally, it was not easy,
250
812480
5536
13:50
but I was convinced that we had to do this
251
818040
3936
13:54
in order to ensure
that the fishery remains sustainable.
252
822000
4576
13:58
There had been some indications
that some of the species,
253
826600
2776
14:01
in particular the bigeye,
was under serious threat.
254
829400
4136
14:05
The yellowfin was also heavily fished.
255
833560
3376
14:09
Skipjack remains healthy.
256
836960
1736
14:10
And so we had to do something like that,
and so that was the reason I did that.
257
838720
4776
14:15
Another reason why I did that
258
843520
3896
14:19
was because I had been asking
the international community
259
847440
4696
14:24
that in order to deal with climate change,
in order to fight climate change,
260
852160
4536
14:28
there has got to be sacrifice,
there has got to be commitment.
261
856720
3896
14:32
So in asking the international community
to make a sacrifice,
262
860640
5296
14:38
I thought we ourselves
need to make that sacrifice.
263
865960
2816
14:41
And so we made the sacrifice.
264
868800
1816
14:42
And forgoing commercial fishing
265
870640
4943
14:47
in the Phoenix Islands protected area
266
875608
2608
14:50
would mean a loss of revenue.
267
878240
1856
14:52
We are still trying to assess
what that loss would be
268
880120
2477
14:54
because we actually closed it off
at the beginning of this year,
269
882621
5235
15:00
and so we will see by the end of this year
270
887880
2336
15:02
what it means in terms
of the lost revenue.
271
890240
3496
15:05
CA: So there's so many things
playing into this.
272
893760
2256
15:08
On the one hand,
it may prompt healthier fisheries.
273
896040
6976
15:15
I mean, how much are you able
to move the price up
274
903040
2376
15:17
that you charge for the remaining areas?
275
905440
2496
15:20
AT: The negotiations
have been very difficult,
276
907960
4616
15:24
but we have managed
to raise the cost of a vessel day.
277
912600
3856
15:28
For any vessel
to come in to fish for a day,
278
916480
2616
15:31
we have raised the fee from --
it was $6,000 and $8,000,
279
919120
3616
15:34
now to $10,000, $12,000 per vessel day.
280
922760
4576
15:39
And so there's been
that significant increase.
281
927360
3216
15:42
But at the same time,
what's important to note is,
282
930600
4576
15:47
whereas in the past these fishing boats
283
935200
4336
15:51
might be fishing in a day
and maybe catch 10 tons,
284
939560
3936
15:55
now they're catching maybe 100 tons
because they've become so efficient.
285
943520
3896
15:59
And so we've got to respond likewise.
286
947440
2336
16:02
We've got to be very, very careful
because the technology has so improved.
287
949800
4176
16:06
There was a time when the Brazilian fleet
moved from the Atlantic to the Pacific.
288
954000
5416
16:11
They couldn't.
289
959440
1216
16:12
They started experimenting
if they could, per se.
290
960680
3216
16:16
But now they've got ways of doing it,
and they've become so efficient.
291
963920
3680
16:21
CA: Can you give us a sense
of what it's like in those negotiations?
292
969000
3198
16:24
Because you're up against companies
293
972223
1697
16:26
that have hundreds of millions
of dollars at stake, essentially.
294
973944
3592
16:29
How do you hold the line?
295
977560
3336
16:33
Is there any advice you can give
296
980920
2056
16:35
to other leaders who are dealing
with the same companies
297
983000
3056
16:38
about how to get
the most for your country,
298
986080
4296
16:42
get the most for the fish?
299
990400
4016
16:46
What advice would you give?
300
994440
1536
16:48
AT: Well, I think we focus
too often on licensing
301
996000
6256
16:54
in order to get the rate of return,
302
1002280
1667
16:56
because what we are getting
from license fees
303
1003971
2805
16:59
is about 10 percent
of the landed value of the catch
304
1006800
2616
17:01
on the side of the wharf,
not in the retail shops.
305
1009440
3136
17:04
And we only get about 10 percent.
306
1012600
3976
17:08
What we have been trying
to do over the years
307
1016600
2616
17:11
is actually to increase
our participation in the industry,
308
1019240
3856
17:15
in the harvesting, in the processing,
309
1023120
2616
17:17
and eventually, hopefully, the marketing.
310
1025760
1857
17:19
They're not easy to penetrate,
311
1027642
3694
17:23
but we are working towards that,
312
1031359
2297
17:25
and yes, the answer would be to enhance.
313
1033680
2616
17:28
In order to increase our rate of return,
we have to become more involved.
314
1036319
4217
17:32
And so we've started doing that,
315
1040560
3176
17:35
and we have to restructure the industry.
316
1043760
4256
17:40
We've got to tell these people
that the world has changed.
317
1048040
3376
17:43
Now we want to produce the fish ourselves.
318
1051440
2416
17:46
CA: And meanwhile,
for your local fishermen,
319
1053880
2096
17:48
they are still able to fish,
320
1056000
3096
17:51
but what is business like for them?
321
1059120
2456
17:53
Is it getting harder?
Are the waters depleted?
322
1061600
2336
17:56
Or is that being run
on a sustainable basis?
323
1063960
3456
17:59
AT: For the artisanal fishery,
324
1067440
1456
18:01
we do not participate
in the commercial fishing activity
325
1068920
3256
18:04
except only to supply the domestic market.
326
1072200
3016
18:07
The tuna fishery is really
entirely for the foreign market,
327
1075240
3296
18:10
mostly here in the US, Europe, Japan.
328
1078560
6216
18:17
So I am a fisherman, very much,
329
1084800
4536
18:21
and I used to be able to catch yellowfin.
330
1089360
3176
18:24
Now it's very, very rare
to be able to catch yellowfin
331
1092560
2776
18:27
because they are being lifted
out of the water by the hundreds of tons
332
1095360
3376
18:30
by these purse seiners.
333
1098760
1880
18:34
CA: So here's a couple
of beautiful girls from your country.
334
1102360
4936
18:39
I mean, as you think about their future,
335
1107320
3216
18:42
what message would you have for them
336
1110560
2656
18:45
and what message
would you have for the world?
337
1113240
3016
18:48
AT: Well, I've been telling the world
that we really have to do something
338
1116280
3429
18:51
about what is happening to the climate
339
1119733
1843
18:53
because for us, it's about
the future of these children.
340
1121600
2776
18:56
I have 12 grandchildren, at least.
341
1124400
1936
18:58
I think I have 12, my wife knows.
342
1126360
2016
19:00
(Laughter)
343
1128400
2216
19:02
And I think I have eight children.
344
1130640
3016
19:05
It's about their future.
345
1133680
1256
19:07
Every day I see my grandchildren,
about the same age as these young girls,
346
1134960
3736
19:10
and I do wonder,
347
1138720
2416
19:13
and I get angry sometimes, yes I do.
348
1141160
2216
19:15
I wonder what is to become of them.
349
1143400
2056
19:17
And so it's about them
350
1145480
3136
19:20
that we should be telling everybody,
351
1148640
2256
19:23
that it's not about
their own national interest,
352
1150920
2256
19:25
because climate change,
regrettably, unfortunately,
353
1153200
3656
19:29
is viewed by many countries
as a national problem. It's not.
354
1156880
4096
19:33
And this is the argument
we got into recently with our partners,
355
1161000
3000
19:36
the Australians and New Zealanders,
356
1164024
1696
19:37
because they said,
"We can't cut any more."
357
1165744
3312
19:41
This is what one of the leaders,
the Australian leader, said,
358
1169080
3616
19:44
that we've done our part,
we are cutting back.
359
1172720
4256
19:49
I said, What about the rest?
Why don't you keep it?
360
1177000
3656
19:52
If you could keep
the rest of your emissions
361
1180680
2696
19:55
within your boundaries,
within your borders,
362
1183400
2296
19:57
we'd have no question.
363
1185720
1776
19:59
You can go ahead as much as you like.
364
1187520
1816
20:01
But unfortunately,
you're sending it our way,
365
1189360
2136
20:03
and it's affecting
the future of our children.
366
1191520
2191
20:05
And so surely I think that is the heart
of the problem of climate change today.
367
1193735
5041
20:11
We will be meeting in Paris
at the end of this year,
368
1198800
3056
20:14
but until we can think of this
as a global phenomenon,
369
1201880
3936
20:18
because we create it,
individually, as nations,
370
1205840
3256
20:21
but it affects everybody else,
371
1209120
1936
20:23
and yet, we refuse
to do anything about it,
372
1211080
3616
20:26
and we deal with it as a national problem,
373
1214720
2456
20:29
which it is not -- it is a global issue,
374
1217200
2096
20:31
and it's got to be
dealt with collectively.
375
1219320
2720
20:35
CA: People are incredibly bad
at responding to graphs and numbers,
376
1223120
4336
20:39
and we shut our minds to it.
377
1227480
3776
20:43
Somehow, to people, we're slightly better
at responding to that sometimes.
378
1231280
6256
20:49
And it seems like it's
very possible that your nation,
379
1237560
2936
20:52
despite, actually because of
the intense problems you face,
380
1240520
4456
20:57
you may yet be the warning light
to the world that shines most visibly,
381
1245000
4896
21:02
most powerfully.
382
1249920
1976
21:04
I just want to thank you,
I'm sure, on behalf of all of us,
383
1251920
2817
21:06
for your extraordinary leadership
and for being here.
384
1254762
2494
21:09
Mr. President, thank you so much.
385
1257280
1573
21:11
AT: Thank you.
386
1258873
773
21:11
(Applause)
387
1259666
2454

▲Back to top

ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Anote Tong - President of the Republic of Kiribati
Anote Tong has built worldwide awareness of the potentially devastating impacts of climate change.

Why you should listen

His Excellency Anote Tong is the fourth President of the Republic of Kiribati. He was first elected as President on 10 July 2003 and subsequently won two more elections in 2007 and in 2012. He is now serving his last term, which will end in mid-2015. Under his leadership, President Anote Tong also holds the portfolio of Head of State and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Immigration.

Anote Tong was born in 1952 on Fanning Island (also known as Tabuaeran) in the Line Islands and is a member of the Kiribati House of Parliament from the constituency of Maiana Island in the central Kiribati group.

Educated in New Zealand and in England at the University of Canterbury and the London School of Economics respectively, President Tong holds a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Economics under his belt.

Since the beginning of his presidency, President Anote Tong has become a strong climate change advocate and has built worldwide awareness of the potentially devastating impacts of climate change.

He has stated on many occasions that Kiribati may cease to exist altogether and that its entire population may need to be resettled not as climate change refugees but as citizens who migrate on merit and with dignity.

With one of the lowest carbon-emission footprints in the world, Tong has often described Kiribati as a “frontline country” that has been among the first to experience dramatic climate change impacts.

As an extraordinary measure to set an example for the rest of the world, President Tong created the Phoenix Islands Protected Area, one of the largest marine protected areas in the world with a size of 408,250 square kilometers which was inscribed as a United Nations World Heritage site in 2008.

President Tong has won a number of awards and recognition that acknowledges his contribution and leadership on climate change and ocean conservation.

More profile about the speaker
Anote Tong | Speaker | TED.com