In the last few years, Kiribati has become one of the most potent symbols of climate change. The previous president Anote Tong toured around Paris in 2015 trying to get the message out that his island the unique way of life of his people are drowning, that is under existential threat due to climate change and rising seas. I have been to the tallest point of the South Tarawa is a paltry 3 metres above sea level.  Without the small dented sign there there would be no other way to know.

We will spend the whole show today in the Pacific. We have Paul S. Kench, the Dean of science at Canada's Simon Fraser University. Paul has done some fascinating research on the nearby coral Islands of Tuvalu. His research might offer some hope for Kiribati - as the atolls that he had studied over multiple years appear to be dynamic structures actually expanding in area as sea levels rise. We will also ask him about the role of narrative within the climate change movement.

 

We will also have Dr Aaron Jenkins on the show. Dr Jenkins is Sydney University's only graduate from the school of planetary health. In fact he;s the only one in the country. It was in a car ride through Fiji's capital Suva that Aaron told me about the School of planetary health's basic thesis - it brings together multiple disciplines like public health, climate change and environmental science to understand get a more holistic understanding of issues, ones you would never get with each discipline on it's own.

 

But it would not make sense to have a show about Kiribati without talking to someone from there. 

 

For this we have Pelenise Alofa. She is National Coordinator for the Kiribati Climate Action Network otherwise known as Kirican. We've had her on the program before to talk about Kiribati. I first heard about her when I went to see Bill Mckibbens talk. She is a very passionate speaker on the people of Kiribati but I think you will find her quite pragmatic as well. I chat to her about the future of her country and how Kiribati has served as a symbol in the climate change debate. I chatted with her over the phone and unforunately we got cut off before we could finish and I wasn't able to get back on - so the end is a bit abrupt but I thought it was still a good interview and worth playing to you.