Carynne McIver: December 2009 Archives

A cabinet meeting underwater? It sounds like a joke, but on small island nations like the Maldives, rising sea levels mean life underwater may soon be a reality. Along with other island leaders, the Maldives' President Mohamed Nasheed has been an outspoken supporter of emissions cuts and other moves to combat climate change. In October, he held a cabinet meeting 16 feet underwater to raise awareness of the rising sea levels that threaten his country. This month, he joins hundreds of other politicians, businessmen, and environmental leaders from around the world in Copenhagen, Denmark, to discuss climate change and its potentially dire consequences.