World’s first underwater Cabinet meeting on Saturday

Friday, October 16th, 2009

350meetin400The President of the Maldives, Mohamed Nasheed, and his ministers will be holding the world’s first underwater cabinet meeting on Saturday 17 October, to draw global attention to the pressing issue of climate change.

After the underwater cabinet meeting on 17 October, President Nasheed will hold a press conference, where he will call for carbon dioxide reductions commensurate with the 350 target. President Nasheed has often warned of the dangers climate change poses to the Maldives – a country so beautiful it has reached the final of the ‘New 7 Wonders of Nature’ competition.

Famed for its first-rate diving, the Maldives stands at the frontline of the climate change battle. To call attention to their country’s plight, ministers will use hand signals and slates to communicate to ratify a statement calling for rapid greenhouse gas reductions. The statement will be presented at the landmark UN climate change talks in Copenhagen this December.

Ministers have been taking scuba diving lessons with help from Divers Association Maldives (DAM) and will be awarded a PADI Discover Scuba certificates at the end of their sessions. President Nasheed is already a PADI Advanced Open Water diver.

“The ministers are fairly comfortable in the water particularly given that they’ve just started diving,” said Zoona Naseem, president of DAM and a PADI staff instructor. “None of ministers have ever been diving before except the defense minister and all of them are very enthusiastic.” Three of the ministers have expressed an interest to train for their PADI Open Water diver certificates.

The underwater meeting is part of a wider campaign by international environmental NGO 350.org. 350.org is calling on political leaders to commit to deep cuts in greenhouse gas emissions at Copenhagen. The world’s top climatologists, such as James Hansen of the NASA/Goddard Institute, caution that atmospheric levels of carbon dioxide must return to the safe threshold of 350 parts per million if catastrophic global warming is to be avoided. Levels currently stand at 385ppm.

The 350.org campaign will cumulate in a global day of environmental action on 24 October. In the Maldives, 350 divers will stage a 24-hour, underwater climate protest in the Male’ lagoon. Local Maldivian NGOs will send 350 ‘Postcards from the Frontline’ to world leaders and an environmental activist will sail from Male’ to the airport island in a raft made from 350 empty plastic bottles.

Reader Comments

  1. Congratulations to President Nasheed. Its a great occasion and event for Maldives though some people are mocking and lauging at it. But the under water cabinet meeting is not only going to make history, it will be a powerful and memorable message to the world that we are so vulnerable to Climate Change and the world must act fast to save us and others of our kind. It is very encouraging that President Nasheed has already captured much attention and support of the world to take urgent action to save the world from the brink of a looming catastrophe.
    Those who could not get grapes will call it sour, and this magificent event is a similar example.MDP Government is so clever and capable of creating such brilliant ideas. Well doneand good luck, President Nasheed.

    Posted by Himmath Ali | October 16, 2009, 9:39 am

  2. [...] World’s first underwater Cabinet meeting on Saturday – The Worlds first under water cabinet meeting is being held in Maldives on the 17th of October, 2009. All the ministers participating in the under water cabinet meeting have been taking Diving training with the help of  Divers Association Maldives (DAM).  Every minister participating in this event will be awarded the diving certification at the end of the session. The underwater meeting is part of a wider campaign by international environmental NGO 350.org. 350.org is calling on political leaders to commit to deep cuts in greenhouse gas emissions at Copenhagen. The world’s top climatologists, such as James Hansen of the NASA/Goddard Institute, caution that atmospheric levels of carbon dioxide must return to the safe threshold of 350 parts per million if catastrophic global warming is to be avoided. Levels currently stand at 385ppm. [...]

    Posted by World’s first underwater Cabinet meeting in Maldives | October 16, 2009, 3:21 pm

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