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20 June, Rarotonga, Cook Islands: Dancers from the Korero Maori Dance Troop perform a traditional welcome for Greenpeace as the start of the 'Our Climate Our Future' tour of Pacific Islands impacted by climate change.
Enlarge imageThis week we launched the Pacific ‘Our Climate Our Future’ ship tour as Greenpeace ship Esperanza arrived to a colourful and warm traditional welcome in Rarotonga, Cook Islands.
Pacific people are at the frontline of climate impacts. They are the first to battle sea level rise as it threatens their homes, contaminates soil and ruins crops. Meanwhile warming oceans threaten food supplies from coral reefs and the sea.
While it is easy to think of climate change as an issue for our children to deal with, Pacific people are fighting for their future today.
Why we are here
The Esperanza will spend two months in the Cook Islands, Samoa and Vanuatu, meeting government leaders, community groups, scientists and non-government organisations. We will be working with local communities to help them:
- tell their stories to the world
- build pressure on developed countries to adopt strong targets to cut greenhouse pollution, leading up to the crucial Copenhagen meeting in December.
Pacific climate impacts
Pacific Island elders recall childhood memories of rainbow-hued coral gardens brimming with tropical fish. Now these coral gardens are dying and fish stocks depleting.
While Pacific communities adapt as well as possible with limited resources, they refuse to tolerate climate change impacts caused by pollution in rich countries like Australia.
Find out more about Pacific climate impacts
This week in Rarotonga, the Greenpeace team met with Cook Islands Prime Minster, Jim Marurai. He welcomed our campaign as a valued contribution to the Pacific voice on climate change issues. He noted that the Cook Islands has a shared interest in helping promote regional concerns and expects regional momentum to build ahead of December’s global climate meeting in Copenhagen.
Tour itinerary
We now travel to the low-lying atolls of Aitutaki and Pukapuka with an environment team from the Cook Islands government. Here we will conduct vital assessments of impacts and adaptation projects.
Read tour blog posts:
