Foua Toloa lives in Tokelau, a small group of three atolls half way between Hawaii and New Zealand that like many island nations is on the treacherous front lines of climate change. Foua helped Tokelau become the first nation to switch to 100% renewable energy and he hopes this will inspire larger countries to do the same. Combinations of drought and cyclones have made it increasingly difficult for the islanders to access fresh water, forcing them to import supplies for the first-time. On top of this, the rising sea level threatens to engulf their homes, which are only 3 meters above the water. ‘Already we are suffering extreme weather, storm surges, droughts, coral-bleaching, inundation of land and groundwater salination,’ says Foua. ‘The islanders, who depend on fish, can grow only a few crops on their 12 square kilometres of land.’ Other Pacific islands have considered relocating their populations, but not Tokelau. ‘We have no intention of leaving,’ Foua explains. ‘This is a G...
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